History

• Vinyl has long been used in automobiles. Most classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s have vinyl upholstery as opposed to leather. When these vehicles were being made 40 and 50 years ago, it was cheaper to use vinyl than it was to use leather. In addition, the use of vinyl as opposed to leather significantly reduced the price of a new vehicle.
  
  

Identification

• Vinyl upholstery comes in a variety of colors.
  
  Though the use of vinyl as automobile upholstery was widely used, a vehicle could still be purchased with leather seats if the car buyer preferred.
  Vinyl is actually made out of a type of plastic. A vinyl compound is identified as any compound that is organic and contains an ethenyl or vinyl group.
  Vinyl looks very similar to leather, however, once you touch it, you will feel the difference. Leather tends to have a harder texture, whereas vinyl is smoother and feels a bit plasticlike when you touch it.
  Like leather, vinyl comes in a variety of colors.
  
  

Benefits

• Unlike leather, vinyl upholstery is much easier to clean and care for. Vinyl can typically be cleaned with soap and water, whereas leather needs to be treated on a regular basis to avoid cracking and drying out.
  Vinyl treatments are available to keep vinyl upholstery in tip-top shape. In addition, marks from pen and marker are easy to remove. Pen and marker are almost impossible to remove from leather upholstery.
  
  

Considerations

• Though vinyl may look like leather and is easier to clean and care for than leather, there are a couple of things that make leather better. The first is cracking. Vinyl is very prone to cracking when exposed to extreme heat and cold. For example, if you do not have tinted windows, your upholstery will be exposed to direct sunlight and high temperatures in the summer. Also, the same will happen in the winter. The upholster will be exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Because vinyl is made up of plastic compounds, it is prone to cracking.
  
  

Warning

• Vinyl upholstery can also be dangerous in extremely hot weather. Vinyl seats can get extremely hot and can burn you if you are wearing shorts or a skirt. The best way to protect yourself from getting burnt is to put a towel down on your seat while the car is parked. Also, leaving your windows rolled down just a tiny bit will allow air to enter the vehicle, however, the seats will still be hot.