I test drove 2017’s with both cloth and leather and found the cloth seats to be horrible compared to the leather. But it’s really subjective to be honest. Some will probably say the opposite......


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Rental vehicles are subject to a lot of abuse, maybe one of the left side seat frame welds was broken.

I drive a 2017 Volt Premier with leather seating. I have been provided with a 2016 - 2018 Volt LT on more than one occasion as a loaner vehicle and found the Volt LT, with cloth seats, to be the same dimensions and comfort as my Volt's leather seating. The only complaint I had with the cloth seats is that you cannot slide into the cloth covered seat as easily.

I have no experience with the 2019 Volt but know that the 2019 Volt can be configured with an optional power driver's seat that includes adjustable lumbar support.

 

If I had a choice in every car I buy, I would ALWAYS choose Cloth. For me cloth is much more comfortable and far easier to maintain, however, I seldom have a choice. Before the Volt the last car I owned in which I could get cloth seats was a 2007 Prius. Since leather was standard in my Corvettes, MB's, BMW, Ford Energi, and Jaguars, I had to accept it.

BTW, this is coming from someone who for the last 25 years before I retired in 2016, owned a company which installed, repaired and serviced leather in autos. I made many hundreds of thousands from other people's leather seats, but not for me, thank you.

 

I pretty much agree, and even though we live in Minnesota, I don't even care if they are heated. Cloth is not as cold feeling anyway, so not being heated is no big deal.

My wife begs to differ, so we have a 2018 Premier.

Of course our Volt is by far the most expensive car I've ever owned, so I'm pretty used to cloth seats after over 40 years.

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not a comparison between the properties of cloth vs. leather but rather are they constructed differently...

are the 2019 leather seats different than the earlier years?

 

For the 2016 - 2018 Volt the seats are constructed the same, whether cloth or leather, except for the seat heaters (not sure if the cloth seats can be configured with the seat heaters.) Can't comment on the 2019 standard seat; the power driver seat (leather) has adjustable lumbar support and is a different seat.

 

Seats are such a personal thing. Here is MY take. 2017 vs 2019 leather, same general seat. Bottom feels the same. Would be nice if the power on the 2019 let you change the bottom angle, but it doesn't so bottoms feel the same to me. The 2019 power does have adjustable lumbar, so this is nice as I like a little more support that the fixed lumbar on the 2017.

The 2018 Cloth is a SOFTER seat. I mean the road by us are TERRIBLE and the 2018 is more comfortable on bumps as it is a bit softer in the seat bottom. I LIKE IT!

So I actually though of finding a 2018 cloth seat, giving up the power, and changing to a softer seat as it helps on our cr^%$ppy roads. Maybe need to take the 2019 leather and 2018 cloth apart and swap seat bottom foam to get the softer bottom.

As for the original post, the rental could have been damaged or pounded out. I don't generally judge things like this in a rental as they get abused at times.

Just my take. I'm SURE your opinion will be different.

 

I have a 2018 LT with cloth seats (with comfort package, so heated seats and steering wheel). There’s nothing awkward about them IMO, compared to the OP’s post. I prefer cloth, because they breathe, and not hot or freezing. Overall I wouldn’t say this seat is super comfortable, but decent enough for longer drives. A few hours, haven’t done anything more than that yet.

 

The biggest issue and by far the worst is the seat is simply too narrow and so my left butt cheek sits on the hard plastic seat frame which is quite painful. Other than that its fine