I feel the best way to present would be chronologically. Living in the northwest AND not being able to garage my car has made me come to terms with the fact I may never be able to keep it clean...
But I can try!
So what do I do? I bought floor mats and seat covers. Generic seat covers just look like you finished popping a bag of popcorn and decided to sit in it; barely better than a fitted sheet. I dont know exactly what my vision is for this car, but I want people to look at it and think its high-end. When these cars first came out I know it had a reputation for looking way more expensive than it actually was and I want to preserve that! (not that these cars are cheap either)
From the research I did the Sard seats looked really nice - like the actual upholstery and was a full set for front and rear. Unfortunately I could seem to find anything but the same 3-4 shots to compare to. I decided to take the dive anyway and here's how they look:
The material comes pretty tightly packaged and so creases are very apparent at first. Seat time and heat relax them but unfortunately the back seats get neither. I imagine steaming the cover on the seat would remove the wrinkles but the bucket shape of the back means they'll most likely never lay perfectly flat without sewing them on.
being a basic rectangle, the back seat panel looks super clean and wrinkle free. The fit is also scary tight. I was puling pretty hard to get it on (as well as fit back there!) and even now know its uneven, as you can see a bit by the center "spikes". Maybe I'll redo it later but probably not before I find a need to remove the front seats- probably to throw in some sound deadening.
I would say these covers look like an upgraded OEM upholstery in person too. My passengers are never aware these are seat covers before I tell them, despite the lettering.
Sard seems to have taken special care to match the stitching and fabric perforating to other areas on the car to further the illusion
center of seat vs side door panel
and stitching on cover vs OEM stitching on the shifter
color matches and texture look perfect to me. I had my doubts about the un-optional Sard logo looking ricey and distracting but its actually not too large and does a good job breaking up the mono-tone left by covering the OEM seat red stripes.
The front seats are actually covered in 3 parts too: head rest, back and leg cushions. The latter two actually go fully through the crease in the chair and zip/buckle closed behind and under the chair. I drew a crappy picture to help visualize it:
This eliminates the sleeved seat look -again, making it harder to believe its a seat cover. The back of the seat cover even has a little kangaroo pocket!
now for the bad parts...
There is slight wrinkling on the bolsters, creases on the rear seats (but I might be able to fix) and the front butt cushion covers are supposed to tuck into the plastic rail cover but there is just no room to do that all the way around the chair. The problem occurs right next the the side adjustment levers and is the most frustrating aspect of the covers for me.
this is what I'm getting at:
BUT I also realize that leather (and fake leather) interiors have tight/complex areas too where some compromises might have to be made for functionality so i would not consider any of these peeves unacceptable or even abnormal. I love the seats, they stay cool or warm - never too hot or cold, do NOT inhibit the seat air bags and look seriously nice.
