To splurge on LTZ?

[Madams]

Test drove an LT and was satisfied with the cloth seats...but should I just f-it and splurge for an LTZ just for the heated "leatherette" seats? Or should I just stay budget conscious and stick with the LT...?

Anyone with an LTZ have any issues yet with the leatherette seats? Or enjoy them THAT much? How's the quality?

What about the possibility of them becoming a possible dealer install, or aftermarket in the future? ...Cost of that?

 

[Sonic]

Not sure of the swap possibility as far as fitment, but maybe you might find an LTZ owner who winds up not liking theirs and would trade?

 

[Fit4Sonic]

Test drove an LT and was satisfied with the cloth seats...but should I just f-it and splurge for an LTZ just for the heated "leatherette" seats? Or should I just stay budget conscious and stick with the LT...?

Anyone with an LTZ have any issues yet with the leatherette seats? Or enjoy them THAT much? How's the quality?

What about the possibility of them becoming a possible dealer install, or aftermarket in the future? ...Cost of that?

LTZ, Sunroof, 17" wheels, heated seats, etc., the only way to fly for me. So I say go for the LTZ!

If you're doing payments, the difference between what the LT will cost you on a monthly basis and what the LTZ will cost you are minor, in my opinion.

Of course, you can spread the loan out for more years and get a smaller payment. Double up on payments or whatever, whenever possible... pay it off faster and the added interest from the longer loan won't even matter. Another reason for the longer loan and quicker payoff is the unstable economy. If you get in a tight jam, at least you have lower payments and it won't be such a strain.

If you've never had them, the heated seats are almost worth the added cost of an LTZ when it's cold outside... it is a must for me. Also the 17" wheel option will make the ride more comfortable the overall exterior look better.

Good luck!

 

[laborsmith]

It is all personal preference. I did not want the heated leatherette seats so I went for the 1LT plus the fog lights. If I had gone for the LTZ I would have black chromed the wheels but the 1LT allowed me to select a different wheel (Drag D-33 waring 225/45 Kuhmo Ecsta ASX's) but I still have to do something about the steering wheel.

Laborsmith

 

[Danny5]

Not sure of the swap possibility as far as fitment, but maybe you might find an LTZ owner who winds up not liking theirs and would trade?

Wouldn't you have to trade your dash controls too?

I bet Katzkin will come out with a kit pretty fast, but I like my cloth seats. Not sure faux leather would have been a dealbreaker for me...

 

[RockTheShazbot]

I ordered an ltz because I wanted the leather seats and fogs with the turbo. My celica spoiled me as far as leather seats go

 

[Sonic Boomer]

Ultimately, it is up to you and your values and budget.
Here is my perspective for you compare/contrast against.
For me, if I bought the LT, I would add the $375 cruse connectivity package (cruise is a must or I'd loose my license on the interstate - "I can't drive 55"... or 65 or 75).
I would also want the Fog Lamp/Wheels package to get the 16" wheels and fog lamps for $300. Personally, I'd be happy with 16" wheels, but would pay the price to move away from the 15" wheels (the fog lamps are nice, but I wouldn't pay for them).
A sunroof is not worth $850 to me and I would be very happy with the LT 1.4 after adding the $675 in options mentioned above at a MSRP of $17,865.

However, the LTZ 1.4 costs $18,695 or $830 more. That is a typical price for adding leather seats and a great price for leather plus heat!

At this point, this becomes a very hard decision for me. I live in GA, so heated seats are not a big deal and I can make an argument for the breath-ability of cloth. The leatherette should stay cleaner, and if it is as good as what my Jetta has, it is very durable. Also, one of the magazines commented on how the leather steering wheel was nicer than the Corvettes.

I went ahead with the LTZ because my daughter is a big fan of the leather, the auto delay lights are handy, and I think it is the only way to get steering wheel audio controls. But from my perspective it is a splurge that I rationalize as being easily offset by buying a car for less than $20,000. I want it to be a "luxury" econobox and think this makes the Sonic the closest you can get in today's market.

 

[Subcompact Culture]

I will say this: heated seats spoil you! Then again, I guess it depends where you live.

- Andy

 

[Ponchomike]

Go LTZ!

Just bought the wife an LTZ 1.8 Auto. The leatherette seats and the heaters are worth it alone! They are very comfortable and very upscale looking in the interior for a compact car. The connectivity package with the LTZ package is awesome. Bluetooth music streaming from my IPhone and dual 3.5mm jacks and a USB port for MP3's and flash drives neatly tucked into the upper glove box. It also has a little channel in the door so when you shut it it doesn't pinch the wire when you want it outside the glovebox. With On Star and all the other goodies I don't think you can go wrong with the LTZ.

 

[Cinsue]

I bought the LTZ. Haven't had an opportunity to use the heated seats yet, though. The main reason I wanted the leatherette seats is because I have dogs and leather seats are a lot easier to keep clean. I also transport rescue dogs and anything to make cleanup easier is a plus for me.

Of course, we're loving all the extras on the LTZ! My grandson can't seem to keep his fingers off the bluetooth or the sunroof.

 

[Thaifight-R]

What about the possibility of them becoming a possible dealer install, or aftermarket in the future? ...Cost of that?

[The time before] the last time I talked to a dealer, he told me that they could install actual leather on the cloth seats for an extra $1000 or something like that. I personally don't mind the cloth ones, so I just went with an LT.

 

[buldog72]

Classic soft trim ... Customized anyway you want! Will eventually do it to mine with either piping or (more likely) colored accent stitching.

 

[dumpsterj]

while i dont get much use out of heated seats ,I dont like cloth seats especially in something new so im glad i got the ltz. One of the reasons i got the sonic was i could go full ltz for less than an eco cruze. I did finally break my nasty sunroof habit (i dont use them but i buy cars with them)

 

[Papasonic]

I vote for the LTZ trim level. Not a lot extra for a lot of nice equipment.
Heated seats, fog lamps, cruise, connectivity, leather sport steering wheel,
17 inch alloy wheels; all standard equip.

 

[robd53]

Like others have said, LTZ is a lot more for not much more. I was pricing out a 2LT, I wanted cruise + connectivity, foglights, 1.4 turbo... At that point I was almost at an LTZ pricewise. So I just did LTZ. Fake leather or not, it is really comfortable and being heated kicks ass in these cold Wisconsin winters. Additionally you get all the other options standard.

Check out the GM credit union member's discount if you are a member of a credit union. I ended up saving near $700 on my LTZ as a result of that.

 

[MGDavis]

With me it was more "Can I even *find* an LTZ/Turbo?" Lucked into one. Unsure if the situation has improved in this yet. My take, if you can find an LTZ, grab it. Hell, I even like the heated seats and I live in Florida. Hitting the road when the sun's barely peeking out and its 40 degrees out (hey, thats practically Arctic conditions here), I love my "bun warmers."

 

[Watchdoc]

LTZ all the way!