No the quality is the same if not better but its roughness will wear down with conditioning via MB leather cleaner. The matte sheen is what it comes with from the factory; it will match the rest of the interior with after 6 or 7 applications of the MB stuff spaced out over time. The roughness comes from the grain that is embossed upon the leather and it will eventually become identical to the rest of the car. The smell of the leather is subjective but I like the smell that it gives to the car.