Black Seats Everywhere

TheProfessor · 01-27-2026, 08:00 PM

Most new cars come with cloth black seats.

Not much of a choice.

fatlazyless · 01-27-2026, 08:22 PM

For $154.79, www.rockauto.com has very good quality, padded seat covers for the two front seats in black, dark blue, gray, green, maroon, tan and taupe.

Not just for a high mileage older car but goes great in a brand new $82,877. Chevy Silverado pick-up, too!

8gv · 01-27-2026, 09:28 PM

Yes but, many do not.

MeredithMan · 02-15-2026, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Most new cars come with cloth black seats.

Not much of a choice.

You make an interesting point. We are in the market for a new SUV and it seems the vast majority of vehicles on the lots are black, white, gray, silver exteriors and black interiors. BLAH! It is difficult to find a color combo that is different from everything on the road and has a bit of character.

TiltonBB · 02-15-2026, 01:31 PM

I didn't want black either. I bought a Yukon Denali diesel but had to look online quite a while to find one without black.

Great fuel mileage with the diesel. I have had three gas Tahoe's that got about 1/2 the MPG. Great vehicle, plenty of power, even towing a boat, and riding in it no one would ever know it is a diesel. It is very quiet. Another bonus: The last time I looked the new ones have a $1,500 credit on the MSRP for the diesel engine.

thinkxingu · 02-15-2026, 05:40 PM

Isn't it only the base level trims that come with cloth?

I can't remember the last vehicle I looked at that didn't have leather/pleather/marine grade vinyl that wasn't absolutely base/stripped, and it's probably been a 33/33/33 mix of black, gray, and beige.

My current Bronco is blue and gray leather and my previous 4Runner was gray "SofTex," which was probably the single best seat material I've ever had.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

TiltonBB · 02-15-2026, 06:10 PM

If you are looking at any type of Buick or GMC product, price shop Rivard Buick GMC in Tampa Florida.
https://www.rivardbuickgmc.com/

They starting discounting every vehicle roughly 10% a couple of years ago and went from 300 cars a month to 600 cars a month. They ship all over the country and, of course, your warranty would be honored by the local Buick/GMC dealer.

Even if you are uncomfortable buying remotely, price shop them and take it to your local dealer and see if they will match it.

fatlazyless · 02-15-2026, 08:34 PM

El cheapo deluxo used car of the week; another Toyota Scion, #1 best Toyota ever made!

Hey, there's a deep purple 2015 Scion XB with 105k-miles, automatic transmission, black interior, one owner car, price $9989 at Drum Hill Auto in Lowell, Mass.

Go get the $154.79 high quality two front seat covers from Rock Auto in choice of colors and you got a reliable roomy, 5-door hatchback, a Toyota Scion XB. Is just TOO BAD it's not a stick shift manual ....... boo-hoo-hoo-hoo! .....

..... oh well!

Is a front wheel drive car. Add a trailer hitch and trailer lights hook-up and this has a towing capacity of two thousand pounds ...... enough to tow your lawn and garden debris to your town dump in high style in a deep purple Scion XB. 2015 was the last year this car was sold in the U.S. It was made in Japan and has cruise control, 4 electric windows, air conditioning, rear window wiper, electric control outside mirrors, four wheels with tires and a steering wheel!

This car can go till 250,000-miles with standard maintenance and the color is factory paint, DEEP PURPLE and it has an excellent Toyota radio.

BroadHopper · 02-16-2026, 04:39 PM

I have java-brown seats in my Audi. Everyone ask where I got it. I had to be patient and search the US for one available. I found this beauty in California and had it shipped here. Another popped up in Michigan, my son-in-law bought that one! I was told by the Audi dealer they are special order. Audi does not ship java-brown for dealer's inventory.

I agree black or beige seat is not my style, in fact my previous auto, MB, had dark brown seats.

TCC · 02-16-2026, 05:17 PM

. . . you would sit down with the car salesman and go through item by item selecting the options you wanted. Then would then order that exact car for you.

<sigh!> Just one more example of why "modern" isn't necessarily "better."

8gv · 02-16-2026, 10:04 PM

I have not bought a car off the lot in 43 years.

Ordering what I want and lately more importantly, avoiding what I don't want, takes some patience.

Most of my shopping is done online.

By the time I speak to the sales person I know what to ask for and the target price.

We speak on the phone and exchange a couple of emails to document our understanding.

Once we agree on price I put a $500 refundable deposit on my credit card.

Eight to twelve weeks later I get the call that it has arrived.

TiltonBB · 02-17-2026, 09:20 AM

Several years ago I bought a used Mercedes Convertible from a dealer in Illinois. They insisted I had to pay sales tax "somewhere".

I got a written opinion from the Illinois Department of Revenue that as long as I did not take possession in Illinois, no tax was due. The dealer shipped it to NH so I did not take possession in Illinois. If I had sent a truck it would have constituted possession.

Because I have Florida license they then insisted I owed Florida sales tax. I explained that the transaction had nothing to do with Florida and the car was not going there. I got the same "no sales tax due letter" from the Florida Department of Revenue.

By that time I had the car for 3 weeks and they hadn't sent the title. I insisted that they either send the title, or send a truck to pick up the car and refund my purchase price.

The Sales Manager said that they didn't want to get in trouble with their state and would pay the Illinois sales tax for me and send the title.

HUH? I have never paid a bill I didn't owe.

fatlazyless · 02-18-2026, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

HUH? I have never paid a bill I didn't owe.

And, here's the rest of this story. In Florida your very nice Mercedes costs $30/year to register it for the year with the state. In New Hampshire it costs $350/year to register it with the town and state.

TiltonBB · 02-18-2026, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

And, here's the rest of this story. In Florida your very nice Mercedes costs $30/year to register it for the year with the state. In New Hampshire it costs $350/year to register it with the town and state.

Yes, but in Florida the insurance would cost more than double the NH rate and I would have had to pay the sales tax.

I am not sure of your computation of the registration fee since it is affected by the age and value of the vehicle. However, the higher registration fees in New Hampshire certainly negate some of the savings in insurance premiums and sales tax.

(I did consider a 1968 Scion with a stick shift and 247,000 miles but took a pass on that).

John Mercier · 02-18-2026, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Several years ago I bought a used Mercedes Convertible from a dealer in Illinois. They insisted I had to pay sales tax "somewhere".

I got a written opinion from the Illinois Department of Revenue that as long as I did not take possession in Illinois, no tax was due. The dealer shipped it to NH so I did not take possession in Illinois. If I had sent a truck it would have constituted possession.

Because I have Florida license they then insisted I owed Florida sales tax. I explained that the transaction had nothing to do with Florida and the car was not going there. I got the same "no sales tax due letter" from the Florida Department of Revenue.

By that time I had the car for 3 weeks and they hadn't sent the title. I insisted that they either send the title, or send a truck to pick up the car and refund my purchase price.

The Sales Manager said that they didn't want to get in trouble with their state and would pay the Illinois sales tax for me and send the title.

HUH? I have never paid a bill I didn't owe.

They may just not feel it valuable enough to argue.
Time is money, and at a certain point... the value is not there.

Descant · 02-18-2026, 02:30 PM

For FLL's comparison to Florida: In NH part of the registration fee goes to the local town. I can go to Town Meeting and have a say in how that money is spent. In FL, so much more is done by county that any individual input is minimal.

songkrai · 02-19-2026, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCC

. . . you would sit down with the car salesman and go through item by item selecting the options you wanted. Then would then order that exact car for you.

And that is true. BUT. Most if not all base models come with black cloth seat material with zero option to change color or material.
To get any optional color the price for vehicle will jump as one has to go from base model to the limited or premium model adding many thousands of dollars. If not 10's of thousands of dollars.

Yes. One can go to an automotive upholstery shop and pay a good sum for quality seat covers.

And yes. Some of the more expensive European vehicles do offer some color choice. But the price of the vehicle is much higher than a base model USA and/or Japanese sedan/SUV.

01-27-2026, 08:22 PM	#2
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 9,168 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 310 Thanked 1,102 Times in 811 Posts	For $154.79, www.rockauto.com has very good quality, padded seat covers for the two front seats in black, dark blue, gray, green, maroon, tan and taupe. Not just for a high mileage older car but goes great in a brand new $82,877. Chevy Silverado pick-up, too! __________________ .... Banned for life from local thrift store!

02-15-2026, 01:31 PM	#5
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,159 Thanks: 748 Thanked 2,277 Times in 986 Posts	I didn't want black either. I bought a Yukon Denali diesel but had to look online quite a while to find one without black. Great fuel mileage with the diesel. I have had three gas Tahoe's that got about 1/2 the MPG. Great vehicle, plenty of power, even towing a boat, and riding in it no one would ever know it is a diesel. It is very quiet. Another bonus: The last time I looked the new ones have a $1,500 credit on the MSRP for the diesel engine. Attached Images

02-15-2026, 06:10 PM	#7
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,159 Thanks: 748 Thanked 2,277 Times in 986 Posts	Price Shopping for a New Vehicle If you are looking at any type of Buick or GMC product, price shop Rivard Buick GMC in Tampa Florida. https://www.rivardbuickgmc.com/ They starting discounting every vehicle roughly 10% a couple of years ago and went from 300 cars a month to 600 cars a month. They ship all over the country and, of course, your warranty would be honored by the local Buick/GMC dealer. Even if you are uncomfortable buying remotely, price shop them and take it to your local dealer and see if they will match it.

02-15-2026, 08:34 PM	#8
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 9,168 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 310 Thanked 1,102 Times in 811 Posts	Under $10k for a 2015 Toyota Scion XB El cheapo deluxo used car of the week; another Toyota Scion, #1 best Toyota ever made! Hey, there's a deep purple 2015 Scion XB with 105k-miles, automatic transmission, black interior, one owner car, price $9989 at Drum Hill Auto in Lowell, Mass. Go get the $154.79 high quality two front seat covers from Rock Auto in choice of colors and you got a reliable roomy, 5-door hatchback, a Toyota Scion XB. Is just TOO BAD it's not a stick shift manual ....... boo-hoo-hoo-hoo! ..... ..... oh well! Is a front wheel drive car. Add a trailer hitch and trailer lights hook-up and this has a towing capacity of two thousand pounds ...... enough to tow your lawn and garden debris to your town dump in high style in a deep purple Scion XB. 2015 was the last year this car was sold in the U.S. It was made in Japan and has cruise control, 4 electric windows, air conditioning, rear window wiper, electric control outside mirrors, four wheels with tires and a steering wheel! This car can go till 250,000-miles with standard maintenance and the color is factory paint, DEEP PURPLE and it has an excellent Toyota radio. __________________ .... Banned for life from local thrift store! Last edited by fatlazyless; 02-15-2026 at 09:10 PM.

02-16-2026, 04:39 PM	#9
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,667 Thanks: 3,280 Thanked 1,132 Times in 814 Posts	I have java-brown seats in my Audi. Everyone ask where I got it. I had to be patient and search the US for one available. I found this beauty in California and had it shipped here. Another popped up in Michigan, my son-in-law bought that one! I was told by the Audi dealer they are special order. Audi does not ship java-brown for dealer's inventory. I agree black or beige seat is not my style, in fact my previous auto, MB, had dark brown seats. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

01-27-2026, 08:00 PM	#1
TheProfessor Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1,164 Thanks: 17 Thanked 357 Times in 214 Posts	Black Seats Everywhere Most new cars come with cloth black seats. Not much of a choice.

01-27-2026, 09:28 PM	#3
8gv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,191 Thanks: 63 Thanked 764 Times in 497 Posts	Yes but, many do not.

The Following User Says Thank You to TiltonBB For This Useful Post:
MeredithMan (02-15-2026)

02-15-2026, 05:40 PM	#6
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,536 Thanks: 1,184 Thanked 2,174 Times in 1,351 Posts	Isn't it only the base level trims that come with cloth? I can't remember the last vehicle I looked at that didn't have leather/pleather/marine grade vinyl that wasn't absolutely base/stripped, and it's probably been a 33/33/33 mix of black, gray, and beige. My current Bronco is blue and gray leather and my previous 4Runner was gray "SofTex," which was probably the single best seat material I've ever had. Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

02-16-2026, 05:17 PM	#10
TCC Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Wolfeboro Posts: 162 Thanks: 267 Thanked 80 Times in 33 Posts	Remember when . . . . . . you would sit down with the car salesman and go through item by item selecting the options you wanted. Then would then order that exact car for you. <sigh!> Just one more example of why "modern" isn't necessarily "better."

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to TCC For This Useful Post:
BroadHopper (02-17-2026), upthesaukee (02-16-2026)

02-16-2026, 10:04 PM	#11
8gv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,191 Thanks: 63 Thanked 764 Times in 497 Posts	I have not bought a car off the lot in 43 years. Ordering what I want and lately more importantly, avoiding what I don't want, takes some patience. Most of my shopping is done online. By the time I speak to the sales person I know what to ask for and the target price. We speak on the phone and exchange a couple of emails to document our understanding. Once we agree on price I put a $500 refundable deposit on my credit card. Eight to twelve weeks later I get the call that it has arrived.

02-17-2026, 09:20 AM	#12
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,159 Thanks: 748 Thanked 2,277 Times in 986 Posts	Several years ago I bought a used Mercedes Convertible from a dealer in Illinois. They insisted I had to pay sales tax "somewhere". I got a written opinion from the Illinois Department of Revenue that as long as I did not take possession in Illinois, no tax was due. The dealer shipped it to NH so I did not take possession in Illinois. If I had sent a truck it would have constituted possession. Because I have Florida license they then insisted I owed Florida sales tax. I explained that the transaction had nothing to do with Florida and the car was not going there. I got the same "no sales tax due letter" from the Florida Department of Revenue. By that time I had the car for 3 weeks and they hadn't sent the title. I insisted that they either send the title, or send a truck to pick up the car and refund my purchase price. The Sales Manager said that they didn't want to get in trouble with their state and would pay the Illinois sales tax for me and send the title. HUH? I have never paid a bill I didn't owe.

02-18-2026, 02:30 PM	#16
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,591 Thanks: 1,413 Thanked 1,703 Times in 1,107 Posts	For FLL's comparison to Florida: In NH part of the registration fee goes to the local town. I can go to Town Meeting and have a say in how that money is spent. In FL, so much more is done by county that any individual input is minimal.