[brabus]

i have a 3 year old W203 with mb-tex and a 3 year old SLK with real leather and you can barely tell the difference. I am an enthusiast so i prefer the real leather, but the MB-tex is still nice enough and nobody knowns the difference.
it all depends on personal tastes and budgets.

as far as maintenance is concerned they are both easy and just require a quick wipe over with a damp cloth once a week to keep it looking new.. i refuse to use any cleaning products on it because it just makes it greasy and un-natural

for serious long term use though, MB-tex lasts and lasts and lasts and will not crack unless abused. go and have a look at a 1980's merc with MBtex and they usually look like new