Doesn't leather degrade, discolor, shrink, and crack in the sun? Even if I use a sunshade, it won't cover the entire area, so there's still a potential problem.
Is this option good pretty much only for people who garage their cars both at home and at work?
The answer is yes. However, it is not inevitable. There are many classic cars with perfect leather interiors. The key is that just like your own skin, you need to clean and moisturize it. A properly moisturized leather dash will remain looking new for years. I apply leather conditioner to the dash every 2-3 weeks or so. And the dash is always supple to the touch. It will easily last 10+ years as long as you condition the leather on a monthly basis.
If you fail to maintain it, the leather can still be recovered, but then it will require more work. FYI - to apply conditioner to the leather dash takes all of 2 minutes. It's not hard at all.
What's the difference between "Finely structured Merino leather" and regular Merino leather? Does it really justify some of that $5K for individual leather?[/QUOTE]
There is no difference in the actual leather. It is just the color. I have spent a lot of time studying the BMW leathers so you can trust this as fact.
However there is a difference in coverage. When you buy the Individual Extended leather, you also get the seat backs and the lower part of the dashboard in leather too. See this chart for further details. Basically everything except upper doors, lower doors and dash is leather with Individual Extended leather. So your $5000 is buying you more leather and a nicer color. However the value buy is still the full Merino which has full leather coverage for only $3500 extra.
