My 1992 190E has the leather seats which came with the car from the factory. I don't really care for the feel of the leather and I don't like the look of those little ventilation holes. So I would really like to look into getting new driver and passenger seats for the car. I haven't checked with my local dealer yet, but I'm assuming that they would only be able to get the OEM seats with the ventilation holes. Should I check with them and see what they can get? If they can only get the seats which I currently have, are there any places which sell good seats for this car? Thanks for your help.

P.S. Someone I know bought a Lexus about a year ago and I like the leather in the Lexus much better than the leather in my Mercedes. If only I could put Lexus seats in my Mercedes!

Greetings MG,

The reason for the difference in feel between your upholstry and that of a Lexus is that most (if not all) the 190's in 1992 came equiped with what is called Mercedes Benz Tex. It is a vinyl material that will stand up for ages. It truly is the best thing in seating. By the way, you may have already noticed that your MB Tex is probably better looking now than Lexus leather that is even three years young, let alone 11 years old.

To my knowledge, the only 190Es that had leather were the last of the 1993s (special editions). Real leather is noted by stiching that goes perpendicular to the doors whereas MB Tex has stiching that goes from front to back or parallel to the doors.

I am a true believer in MB Tex after seeing how long the stuff lasts and those little perforations make for a much cooler seat. I went from a perforated MB seat to a non-perforated BMW seat and the difference is very obvious. The perforated stuff "breathes" and keeps the parts of your body that come into contact with the seat cooler.

Just my $0.02.

__________________
300SD ('81), 190E ('89), 420SEL ('86?), Jaguar XJ6 VDP ('96), E320 ('95), Jaguar XJ6 ('97), E320 [S210] 4matic wagon ('98), Nissan Maxima SE ('02), DeVille ('93), BMW 325 ('03), LS430 Ultra ('01), Avalon Limited ('05), S430 ('06), MINI Cooper ('05), Toyota Camry ('07), Hyundai Azera Limited ('07), E350 ('06), LS430 ('05)
Current rides:
Nissan Versa ('08), S430 ('03)

First, leather seating was available as a factory option since the 190E was introduced in the US in 1984, not just on the 16 valves, Sportlines or Limited Editions. The perferations in the leather were to facilitate ventilation and to prevent the "sticking to the seat" effect that can occur with leather or vinyl surfaces.

There are several sources for leather or MB Tex seats. www.adsitco.com and www.worlduph.com Any compentant upholstery shop would be able to refit any vehicle with the covering of your choice. Another option, although costlier, might be to consider replacing the front seats with new Recaro sport seats. Aloha