Vinyl is softer and traditionally more flexible than Nylon. Vinyl is an excellent general-use material, and usually less expensive than Nylon, too. Though vinyl coating may experience shredding, it still withstands tension and abrasion to a certain degree in its applications.
A vinyl coated cable is a wire rope enclosed in a vinyl casing. To avoid abrasion and other damage, these coatings can come in slightly thicker varieties. Vinyl surfaces are typically very shiny, almost indistinguishable from nylon.