Honda Alcantara Suede Steering wheel and Red shifter worth it?

[TypeRGirl]

I use driving gloves lol, keeps the inside looking clean Nothing fancy just some cloth ones off Amazon. Be sure to get ones that are touchscreen compatible.

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[Tickle]

I'm likely going to go with he Alcantara steering wheel.. I like the feel of it on other cars I have driven. If it ends up looking bad I'll replace it or out back on the leather wheel. It just feels premium, or I hope.

 

[jchall30]

I'm likely going to go with he Alcantara steering wheel.. I like the feel of it on other cars I have driven. If it ends up looking bad I'll replace it or out back on the leather wheel. It just feels premium, or I hope.

That’s what I did. Kept the leather wheel and when/if the alcantara wheel gets bad I’ll just swap back out. Really if I like the alcantara wheel enough I can always buy another one down the road since they really aren’t that expensive.

 

[Yayo]

Uno más aquí con pomo de cambio OEM negro y rojo...

Tenga cuidado con la perilla de cambio china de plástico que no sea OEM

Pista extra:

 

[007]

If BMW alcantara steering wheels are anything to go by, then it’s a hard pass for me. Been there, done that, never again. While everyone raves about the improved grip, I found it gripped less than a leather wheel with bare skin. Alcantara is all about that racing glove love.

And let's talk about its durability... or lack thereof. It wears horribly. A leather counterpart lasts at least 3 times longer, and a little shine is easier to fix than worn alcantara.

Sure, you can clean your hands and wipe it down daily, but it'll still wear like shit. If you're a rare driver who loves the alcantara look, then go for it, I guess. But me? Leather all the way!

Alcantara is one of the worst "because racecar" trends out there, right up there with carbon fiber.

And hey, I'm so glad the US gets the "poor man's" non-alcantara material, no parking sensors, etc. Let the rest of the world deal with these so-called “upgrades”.

 

[AlpineBoost]

If BMW alcantara steering wheels are anything to go by, then it’s a hard pass for me. Been there, done that, never again. While everyone raves about the improved grip, I found it gripped less than a leather wheel with bare skin. Alcantara is all about that racing glove love.

And let's talk about its durability... or lack thereof. It wears horribly. A leather counterpart lasts at least 3 times longer, and a little shine is easier to fix than worn alcantara.

Sure, you can clean your hands and wipe it down daily, but it'll still wear like shit. If you're a rare driver who loves the alcantara look, then go for it, I guess. But me? Leather all the way!

Alcantara is one of the worst "because racecar" trends out there, right up there with carbon fiber.

And hey, I'm so glad the US gets the "poor man's" non-alcantara material, no parking sensors, etc. Let the rest of the world deal with these so-called “upgrades”.

BMW alcantara didn't hold up for me either. It just didn't look good after a couple years and I keep my hands clean, don't eat in my car, etc. Ended up with a genuine perforated leather M Sport wheel and never looked back.

 

[TO_FL5_CW]

Hey guys,

Before I start the install, any tips or tricks you can share? A bit nervous doing it myself lol

 

[ThanksGTA]

I love the alcantara wheel, it's a nice upgrade from the stock one. Install is pretty easy, the hardest part for me was breaking loose the bolt holding it in (it's covered in thread locker). A large pry bar or torque wrench should help though.

 

[GIChoe]

I love the shifter because, in the summer with the metal I could read the shift pattern on my palm. I currently have the Alcantra steering wheel on the car, it is brushed leather and feels good. But will have to cover it if I keep it on. Between fishing and working on cars it won't be good. The orginal is smooth leather.

How thick is the red leather shifter compared to the stock aluminum one? I like the look of the leather one but I'm worried it might be too big for my hand.

 

[darinja]

Is the alcantara wheel any thicker by chance than the leather one? I really miss my steering wheel from my FK8 and feel like the FL5 one is a bit too thin and doesn't have the same "feel" when doing spirited driving and I imagine track days I'd want something different too.

 

[Nothing]

If you dont mind extra cleaning, it might be worth it. It feels nice when it's clean. The grip really is probably marginal if not clean and without gloves. Leather is much easier to clean.

For me it was a dealer profit item. Would I buy it retail and install myself knowing now? Probably not. Would I buy another wheel or reinstall the leather one? Probably not at least for a few years, maybe I'll get tired of cleaning every few months.

 

[csboi]

After owning an Alcantara steering wheel in my M3 CS, I can confidently say I will have an Alcantara wheel in every car I own for the rest of my life. I'm negotiating a Honda Alcantara wheel into the purchase of my Type R.

I can tell you that after owning one over the last 45k miles, they really aren't that difficult to keep clean. I mean, unless you eat french fries while driving for a living. About 3/4 times per year I'll take an hour max with SONAX Alcantara cleaner, a microfiber cloth, and a bucket of warm water.. soak and scrub, blot dry, repeat as needed. Hit the wheel with a horsehair brush to raise the fibers and let dry over night. Brush again in the morning.

It's actually quite satisfying to me to restore an Alcantara wheel back to brand new, and then hit the twisties with it. I would highly recommend.

 

[Clark_Kent]

After owning an Alcantara steering wheel in my M3 CS, I can confidently say I will have an Alcantara wheel in every car I own for the rest of my life. I'm negotiating a Honda Alcantara wheel into the purchase of my Type R.

I can tell you that after owning one over the last 45k miles, they really aren't that difficult to keep clean. I mean, unless you eat french fries while driving for a living. About 3/4 times per year I'll take an hour max with SONAX Alcantara cleaner, a microfiber cloth, and a bucket of warm water.. soak and scrub, blot dry, repeat as needed. Hit the wheel with a horsehair brush to raise the fibers and let dry over night. Brush again in the morning.

It's actually quite satisfying to me to restore an Alcantara wheel back to brand new, and then hit the twisties with it. I would highly recommend.

I agree. Unless you're reckless, keeping the Alcantara decent looking isn't impossible despite what you read on the Interweb.

Loved the CS btw! What a great car. Looks like you got Lime Rock Grey? I really wanted that color, but was only able to locate San Marino Blue Metallic.

 

[csboi]

I agree. Unless you're reckless..

Loved the CS btw! What a great car. Looks like you got Lime Rock Grey?

For anyone wanting to clean their Alcantara, here's what I use. It's really not that hard and honestly, Alcantara is not as delicate as it's been made out to be by many. It can take a good scrubbing - my steering wheel once looked shiny (soaked with grease) if you can believe it. After one cleaning with SONAX, the wheel looked near new. A few months later when I cleaned again, it looked even better. All of the Alcantara in the interior looks pristine even after 5 years. Zero wear.

https://www.sonaxusa.com/upholstery-alcantara-cleaner.html

Re: CS - yes Lime Rock Grey, 1/78 in America. It gets a lot of attention when out and about, many people don't even know what it is.

 

[Six-n-twins]

I'm likely going to go with he Alcantara steering wheel.. I like the feel of it on other cars I have driven. If it ends up looking bad I'll replace it or out back on the leather wheel. It just feels premium, or I hope.

Alcantara doesn't wear out. It gets dirty and matted. And in some cases gets shiny and actually looks like leather. All it takes is a little water, microfiber towel and an alcantara brush. Sonax cleaner if you like. In 5 minutes it looks like brand new. I have been doing this for years. All of my cars have alcantara wheels and shifters. I've seen people sell "worn out" alcantara, when all it needs is a quick cleaning

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