Alcantara vs Suede

I don't know much about Alcantara but had a buddy ask me about it.

After some research it seems to be used on alot of high end vehicles but looks very similar to suede except it seems to be a little more versatile.

What are your thoughts?

alcantara is sold in the us under the name ultrasuede, if i'm not mistaken. it's a synthetic and is easier to take care of than real suede, apparently.

It is expensive but well worth it.  You can tell the difference in quality when you compare it to suede.  It does turn crappy looking after a few years though.

i think BoB posted about this a while back too, im gonna search and see if i can find the link.

edit: nevermind it was microfiber. heres the link in case anyone is interested.

[url]http://www.vipstylecars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9073[/url]

[QUOTE=widebody_Q;268536]It is expensive but well worth it. You can tell the difference in quality when you compare it to suede. It does turn crappy looking after a few years though.[/QUOTE]

so true:dance:

alcantara for some door panels or headliner is nice, but on high-wear areas like seat centres or steering wheels it gets matted down and funky.

Real Alcantara like what is used in Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini does not mat or fade like Ultrasuede. By the way Ultrasuede is a cheap imitation. For headliners and areas you don't touch much Novasuede is the way to go. It has much better feel and is very workable because its stretchy

nice race seats use suede. for instance the bride website has a big red warning about how fake bride seats will be made from alcantara and bride has never ever in the history of anything ever used, nor will they ever use alcantara. +1 for the real alcantara in exotic cars which is expensive based on its durability, good looks and overall just goodnessity. sorry for my mini rant this guy was trying to put fake bride seats in his porsche so i had to go through all of this with him then literally a few minutes later stumbled onto this thread. i feel better.

[QUOTE=airmax;268608]i think BoB posted about this a while back too, im gonna search and see if i can find the link.

edit: nevermind it was microfiber. heres the link in case anyone is interested.

[URL]http://www.vipstylecars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9073[/URL][/QUOTE]

Yeah saw that thread, that's what I used to help my friend decide on using microfiber instead of suede. cost and durability since his car won't be a show car. He just wants he worn out seats to be redone.

You won't find real Alcantara on most of these fake seats. Most of the time they use ultrasuede or microfiber because of cost. Thats why its a knockoff. Some Alcantara is more expensive than Suede

I had alcantara seats in my scion tc, loved them, such a nice feel. but god damn the material is expensive. I was going to have my shift boot/ebrake boot/arm rest done in alcantara but couldnt find real alcantara in az and the price wasnt worth it for such a small area and went with microsuede.
 
[IMG]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k5/hyperlite42018/scion%20tc/CIMG0911.jpg[/IMG]

I did my entire dash, a pillars, lower kick panels and center console in Alcantara Leather w/ some perforated panels and it was over $300 in materials alone. 
Very nice quality material though!

I just got some faux suede from the fabric store on sale for $15 a yard.  It's 60" wide so it can cover the whole headliner.  It feels nice and soft.  The quality is very good. Enough for the whole pillars and headliner and the 2x strength adhesive was under $50.  It's very lightweight so getting it to stick to the headliner is not an issue at all.  Very easy to work with.  Perfect for headliners.

My '06 STi had OEM Alcantara seats and they felt awesome and never matted or anything. I'd use it in almost any application.

[QUOTE=Schnitz;271526]My '06 STi had OEM Alcantara seats and they felt awesome and never matted or anything. I'd use it in almost any application.[/QUOTE]
You probably didn't drive your car much.  I had my '05 STi and it began to wear like crazy.  Same thing with my cousin's '03 Evo.

[img]http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost/data/500/thumbs/this_thread_is_useless_without_pics.gif[/img]

[QUOTE=Neteru;273177][IMG]http://forum.grasscity.com/photopost/data/500/thumbs/this_thread_is_useless_without_pics.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Pics of what?

[URL="http://www.alcantara.com/en_US/experience/cose/cose.shtml"]http://www.alcantara.com/en_US/experience/applicazioni/automotive/index_automotive.shtml[/URL]

When I had my IS300 it was only 3 years old but the alcantara in it was like new.  I never noticed any wear signs.  I don't know maybe the EVO wasn't alcantara?  Its nice to have if you live in hot weather cause it never gets too hot, or too cold for that matter.

[QUOTE=Franklin;273082]You probably didn't drive your car much.  I had my '05 STi and it began to wear like crazy.  Same thing with my cousin's '03 Evo.[/QUOTE]

60 000 miles on her and in perfect shape.

Can't say I have had that material..and I have had my fair share of interior make overs.  Might be something I'll have to talk to my upholstery guy about:dance:

[QUOTE=Schnitz;273289]60 000 miles on her and in perfect shape.[/QUOTE]
Me too.  I'm sure it's because I slide into my seat.  Lets not get started on my cousin's armrest in his Evo.  Thing looks gross!