Many people are unaware that Mercedes-Benz has offered vinyl seats for decades in a number of its most popular vehicles. While traditional vinyl seats may be associated with more economical vehicles, modern premium vinyl seats have become virtually indistinguishable from real leather. And Mercedes isn’t alone—BMW also offers vinyl seats in several vehicles, too.

Mercedes-Benz brands its vinyl as MB-Tex, and it is standard equipment on the C-Class and E-Class sedans, and the M-Class and GL-Class SUVs, just to name a few model lines. Leather seats are standard on the more expensive models, such as the S-Class, CLS-Class and G-Class, and are available as an extra-cost option on all vehicles.

Why would the brand choose to offer MB-Tex over leather seats in its vehicles? There are a number of reasons; probably the most important is that it lowers production costs and allows Mercedes to offer a competitve starting price for its vehicles. Additional benefits include:

  • MB-Tex wears better than leather
  • MB-Tex requires less maintenance
  • MB-Tex is easier to clean
  • MB-Tex is not animal-based

Critics of MB-Tex argue that it doesn’t quite have that leather smell and is less associated with luxury. Some people feel that it doesn’t breathe as well as leather while others (including Mercedes-Benz engineers) claim that it actually breathes better than leather.

The reaction from Cartelligent clients is postive. Overall, 55% of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles chosen by Cartelligent clients have MB-Tex seats.

Below is the breakdown of some of our top selling models that come standard with MB-Tex. You’ll notice that as the starting price gets more expensive, more clients opt to spend the extra money for leather.

  • CLA-Class – 90% of clients choose MB-Tex. Starts at $29,900; leather adds $1,500.
  • C-Class – 88% choose MB-Tex. Starts at $35,800; leather adds $1,750.
  • GLK-Class – 75% select MB-Tex. Starts at $37,900; leather adds $1,850.
  • M-Class – 67% go with MB-Tex. Starts at $47,790; leather adds $1,620.
  • E-Class – 53% choose MB-Tex. Starts at $51,400; leather adds $1,620.
  • GL-Class – 40% select MB-Tex. Starts at $63,000; leather adds $1,620.
  • SLK-Class – 33% opt for MB-Tex. Starts at $43,950; leather adds $770.

Whether or not a Mercedes-Benz is the right car for you, Cartelligent can help you get a great deal on exactly what you want. Call our team of car-buying experts at 888.427.4270 or get started today.