Given the choice....

[marcnazer]

I have full leather and think it does add a touch of class to the interior, however it does have its downsides like getting a sweaty back and arse when its a hot day haha, sorry for the mental image! 

[MC71]

Best choice for the GTI is the ED30 seats.Half leather &half the cool tartan cloth. For gods sake don't go for that horror of beige leather   some early  GTI's came with!!!!!!!!.What the foooooooooook were VW thinking?.
 

As above 

[Powervalve Nige]

seems like the jury's out then....
Going to be selling 'Hermon' soon and just not sure which trim to sell him with - as have a set of both
Cheers for the OP's
Nige

[dan930]

seems like the jury's out then....
Going to be selling 'Hermon' soon and just not sure which trim to sell him with - as have a set of both
Cheers for the OP's
Nige

hi nige(sorry to hijake this thread)the exhaust is awesome..the guys at r-tech was impressed...got it mapped but after 10miles from home I had no boost..all pipes are ok so going bk up to r-tech tomorrow morning

[Eccie]

seems like the jury's out then....
Going to be selling 'Hermon' soon and just not sure which trim to sell him with - as have a set of both
Cheers for the OP's
Nige

I prefer touching cloth , I think it's the reto feel to it, a throw back to the early GTi, I also have the golf ball gear knob, it just looks right IMHO

[Mk5 GTian]

Nige,

I've had 2 Mk5's in the last 12 months, 1 with Interlagos, and one with Leather. It's so close, but given my colour scheme (Laser blue with dark grey and black trim and wheels) The dark grey leather pips it.

In other colours though, It may not be so close. The Interlagos is superb, and reminds me of my old Mk2 GTi 16V. Sorry, this probably doesn't help too much!

[Tortaruga]

I like my leather seats; very comfortable, although they are a bit of an oddity.

I don't think leather is more desirable than cloth however.

[RedRobin]

.
I actually would prefer not to buy any car that has full leather seats. Cloth, a mix like the Ed30, or alacantara(sp?) is better IMO. I don't see how 'looking classy' overrides not getting a sticky arse or back while driving.

Leather is usually percieved as being better for a car's resale value but I own any car for my personal driving pleasure and not to retain financial value.

The Interlagos cloth is very tough. I'm in the process of having an French Empire style rather grand dining chair upholstered in Interlagos cloth. I'll be posting pics etc in due course but have quite a bit of prep and waxing the mahogany frame to do first before my upholsterer gets hold of it.

[Shabba168]

Are these not retrimmed mk4 recaros in a mk3 anni

I bought car with full leather simply because i detest the Ed 30 tartan look.
But if there was another option of plain black cloth i'd of had that  

..........but the hole idea of it was to capture the retro look of the orginal GTI after the not so hot mk3 & mk4 GTI's.

Yeah i suppose...But it's just a personal preference.
Now i liked these seats on the 20th anni golf 1997 but others will say yuk 

[MC71]

I'm in the process of having an French Empire style rather grand dining chair upholstered in Interlagos cloth. I'll be posting pics etc in due course.

 Very cool, in your own time with the pics!!!

[mesaosi]

.
I actually would prefer not to buy any car that has full leather seats. Cloth, a mix like the Ed30, or alacantara(sp?) is better IMO. I don't see how 'looking classy' overrides not getting a sticky arse or back while driving.

I've only ever found the sticky arse situation to come from Black leather, any car I've been in with cream or tan leather has never been uncomfortable on a hot day. Being cold in the winter is another problem, but that's what I have heated seats for 

Also, the interior trim is usually colour coded to go with the colour of your seats. I find the Golf a much nicer place when it has the beige/tan interior trim that goes with the same leather, where as the black/darkl grey trim that comes as standard is overly dark and makes the car feel cheaper than it is.

[Panthera]

When I was looking for a Mk5 GTi I made the choice that I wanted the tartan - interlargos - cloth interior as a posed to the leather option.  I had leather in my last two Volvos S60R's and it was very fitting in a luxury car like this where you can waft around, but in a Golf GTi, i think it needs to be cloth - so you don't slide out of them when cornering. I suppose a good compromise would be the ed30 seats - cloth inners and leather bolsters.

P.S. I like that 97 20th anniversary interior. It reminds me of an interior that Prodrive did for the 97 Impreza Turbo WR Sport 

[Tamiyoman]

Cloth, hate full leather........

Cloth all the way, Leather = cold bum in winter and betty swollocks in summer 

[Mev]

Leather, if you have kids chucking drinks and snacks around + smearing mud!

[DSG-GTI]

I bought car with full leather simply because i detest the Ed 30 tartan look.
But if there was another option of plain black cloth i'd of had that  

Same here the ED30 interior is rank.. Retro or not I don't like it at all.. Grey leather for me as black can look a bit dated in my opinion.