Consumers’ Corner: Listen Up, Automakers!

Read What Consumers Have to Say

To send us your statement, click here. Please include your name, city, and occupation. We will consider placing it on our Web site or using it in our other literature. PETA reserves the right to edit submissions.

Note: Some of the following comments are from consumers frustrated that they could not purchase the Mercedes-Benz car of their choice with a leather-free interior. Please note that since these comments were made, Mercedes-Benz announced that all future Mercedes-Benz models will be available with a leather-free option, either direct at the dealership or via special order.

“My son, Raj Kumar, and daughter, Shakuntala, both are doctors. … They both were told by the Mercedes dealers that [the company] cannot accommodate them for want of [l]eather-[f]ree seats in the car. … Raj ended [up] with [a] BMW and Shakuntala with [a] Lexus … It is shameful that Mercedes-Benz will not understand [the] new generation of professionals who are peaceful and kind … to animals … [even] when [a] customer is begging for it with $60,000 … cash in their hand.”
—Mr Gulab Kothari, chemical engineer

“Though I would usually update my CL 500 every few years, I will now do so only when it is offered with a nonleather interior.”
—Jeanne Daniels, owner of a shopping center in Texas

“I am one of the many Jains and Hindus who have decided not to buy Mercedes cars because of the non-availability of nonleather seats. Your company is missing out on a niche market and losing customers to your rivals. I hope [that] you will reconsider your position and meet a lucrative customer demand.”
—Nitin Mehta, M.B.E., Croydon, U.K.

“I find it sad that when I … purchase a luxury car, I need to special order a car that has nonleather seats and trim. So far, this has pushed me to purchase non-Chrysler products, but I certainly would prefer the opportunity to buy a Mercedes without special order requirements.”
—Steven Jay Gross, Ph.D.

“I drive a 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier with [a] cloth interior. I have recently been looking to purchase another car and one of my requirements is [a] cloth interior. I looked seriously at several used vehicles, [but each time the salesman] opened the door for me to get in, there was [a] leather interior. I shut the door and moved on, requesting that he show me only vehicles with [a] cloth interior.”
—Mary Eaton

“I recently purchased a Honda Element. I love this car, but the most important element … of it for me [is] its nonleather interior. It’s great for kids and pets and especially for the hundreds of thousands of cows who are killed each year to provide leather for automotive interiors. The Element’s interior is very forward-looking and incredibly easy to clean. I know that parents and dog guardians really appreciate this feature, as well as hip young people who like the looks of its ‘techy’ interior.”
—Nicole Rideout Lerner, Beverly Hills, Mich.

“Just like fur, [a] leather interior depicts an attitude of non-caring … defensive arrogance, characteristics I certainly do not [approve of]. … Nowadays, for those who still want the leather-like feeling (not me—I like cloth), microfiber is a great alternative. I have experienced it on couches. The feeling is indeed pleasant and [apparently] extremely easy to maintain.”
—Jacob Dijkstra, M.D., Cleveland, Ohio

“My 2004 Toyota Prius has a cloth interior. Priuses only come with cloth interiors, so I didn’t even have to indicate that as my preference. The cruel my-luxury-at-any-expense atavism of a leather interior would be sorely at odds with the gentle progressive attitude conveyed by a Prius, and the hard impact [that] leather production has on the environment—with its waste of resources [and] with the pollution created by its manufacture [and] by leather’s reluctance to biodegrade—would be at odds with the Prius’ inherent environmentalism. And I am happy to breathe in my Prius’ new-car smell, which does not bear any of the oily stink of the tannery.”
—Laura Miller

“I drive a Honda Civic … it was available with nonleather interiors!”
—Elizabeth Schauer

“I would never dream of buying or driving a car with [a] leather interior—it’s just cruel! Being fashionable doesn’t have to come with a price tag of another being’s life.
Leather isn’t ‘cool.’ If it’s cold out, the seats are cold; if it’s hot, the seats get sticky and stick to your skin.”
—Simiya Sudduth

“I drive a Honda Civic which does not have a leather interior. I would never drive a car that uses leather, nor would I ever wear leather. Leather is the skin of an animal who has been murdered.”
—Maureen Vidal

“I will never buy another car with leather seats. I have seen videos about how cows are killed in slaughterhouses every day. I can only imagine their suffering. That is why I took an oath four years ago to become a vegetarian and to stop buying products that used animal ingredients. I have also seen videos of animal research. Now when I shop, I look for products that do not do animal testing. Animals were on this earth first. When man came, they were willing to share resources. To show our gratitude, we savagely butcher them every day. Humans can learn a lot about compassion from animals.”
—Stacie Dullmeyer

“In the summer of 2002, we traded our leather-clad Nissan Altima for a VW Beetle. After becoming vegan, driving in the Nissan was too upsetting ... the leather was really getting to us. We had eradicated all animal products from our environment, and that car was the last leather we had. It had to go.

“When we went to the dealership, we knew we wanted a Beetle, and we knew
that it must have a cloth interior. That was the top priority. … We don’t feel [that] we compromised, or that we had to ‘settle’ for a lesser car to not buy leather, at least with VW. Many of the Turbo/diesel Beetles had cloth or leatherette. We ended up with a limited edition Beetle in a color called Luna … [that] has [an] all-cloth interior, sunroof, a package deal. Love it! And we were so happy with how we were treated. It felt really good to not compromise our beliefs.”
—Trish Greiner, Gaffney, S.C.

“Our group gave away a gift, a Cadillac with a leather interior ... rather than sit on the skins of butchered animals.”
—Anna Hridaaya, Akron, Ohio, representative of a group of democrats working for peace

“I NEVER buy ANY leather ANYMORE! I hate it when people do buy leather products! I try my best to encourage others to buy cruelty-free clothing [and] nonleather goods (especially shoes!) and eat vegetables by my example. … My car is a Honda Accord, 1999, LX model. It’s a great car with [a] fabric-velour type … interior.”
—Debbie Y. Chew

“I drive a 1998 RAV4 (Luxury Model) with plastic interior. It suits me fine.”
—Louis Novellino, Middletown, N.J.

“Re: 2004 Prius. Besides being a great car that doesn’t use a lot of gas or pollute much, [t]here isn’t any leather in it. Runs great, too. Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. Also, you get 2K back on your taxes.”
—Jim Suhy, West Hills, Calif.

“We are the owners of two Mercedes, a sedan that we purchased at Mercedes of Manhattan and a station wagon (our second) that we purchased … in Columbus, Ohio. All have had vinyl seats, and that is how we like it for both ethical and practical reasons.

“When we called [the dealership] last year to inquire about purchasing a new station wagon, we reminded the salesperson that our previous station wagon and current station wagon, with 120,000 miles, both came from their location and that we have used their service department for repairs for many, many years. We also advised the salesperson that we wanted the vinyl interior. He laughed and said that that option was no longer available. Our response? ‘No sale, then.’ And that was the end of the conversation. Too bad, because we like Mercedes and our record shows that we have been loyal to the firm.

“Both of our cars are working well, so we are not beating a path to other companies, some of whom have caught our attention and earn high marks from consumers. We would like to continue our relationship with Mercedes, but unless we get positive feedback, instead of laughter, it is more than likely that another automaker will get our business.

“By the way, this is not an idle request. We also own a 1963 Jaguar XKE which we have completely refurbished to near mint condition, with the exception that we installed a faux leather interior. Not one person, including Jaguar aficionados, has noticed the difference. More importantly, our consciences are clear that we have not contributed to the misery of an innocent animal in the pursuit of our taste for expensive and beautiful cars.

“If DaimlerChrysler can give us some hope that our wishes might be fulfilled in the near future, it would be very welcome news. We don’t want to be pushed into the arms of another!”
—Professor and Mrs. Ronald E. Laymon

“My husband bought a BMW 325 xi in 2001 and he had the option of leather vs. nonleather (pleather), and we chose the pleather. It was easy to get the pleather. The saleslady thought we were trying to save money, but hey, we saved money and saved some lives. And we don’t have to drive in a car that smells like slaughtered cows. He bought it at BMW of Shrewbury, N.J.”
—Monica Jain, M.D., and Eric L. Anderson

“I will be sure to purchase a vehicle with nonleather seats. I prefer cloth seats over leather anyway because I find them to be more comfortable.”
—Shirley Silkunas