Rx Wood Fake Or Real?

[tmastres]

I didnt want to hijack a thread on another topic that went in the fake wood/real wood direction so I'll start the debate again in this new topic. I don't know anout the 330 but the wood in the 300's is REAL! Its a wafer thin veneer but its real wood ( Unlike some MDX models:P ). How do I know this? We'll a few years ago I happened to be in a Lexus service bay and I was speakig with a mechanic/tech (I honestly don't remember what we were talking about) but for whatever reason we stepped over to an RX 300 that had just been bought by the dealership at auction and was being "reconditioned" for resale. What the techs on that car were working on was replacing the wood on the dash/console because the previous owners had trashed it somehow. They had several large pieces of it pulled off and you could clearly see from the backside that it was real wood but extremely thin . Anyhow just in case anyone cares.

[SW03ES]

Yep, its real.

[Benjamin Tang]

yes i can confirm as well because i was just at the auto wrecker a few weeks back scrounging and found a wood trimmed door panel that was damaged and the wood veneer on it was splintered in two.

[stonecutter]

Good to know it is real wood, but there's such a heavy coat of veneer on it that it might as well be fake, for we're not getting any benefit from its genuine "woodness" (or "wooditude", if you prefer), such as smell, feel, etc.

[LexKid630]

You can tell if it's real wood just by looking at it. It's not that hard to tell the difference between plastic and real wood. The grain in the rx300 is so much more realisic than on the rx330; which is plastic.

ALL the wood trim EXCEPT the steering wheel is walnut veneer. You know it's a veneer because of the black (or brown, like on the shifter knob) paint around the edges. Why would they add that black if it was real? They're just trying to make the wood look thinker. All they do is soak the veneer in water and let it mold onto the plastic (for the center "U" piece and shifter knob) and glue it on. Then spray some clear coat on it, add some black paint on the edges, and add more clear coat. Then wetsand it (you can see the wetsand marks if you look closely) and polish it. You can tell it's NOT plastic because of these minor imperfections. Try to find these in the rx330!

If you look at the edge of the wood on the door panel(rx300), where it meets the Window lock button, you can clearly see the veneer ;) Then go look at an rx330's wood trim. NOT VISIBLE.

The wood trim in the new ES & GS are fake as well. You can tell by just looking at it. The clear coat over it has no depth. That's because it's all solid plastic LOL.

[LexKid630]

Good to know it is real wood, but there's such a heavy coat of veneer on it that it might as well be fake, for we're not getting any benefit from its genuine "woodness" (or "wooditude", if you prefer), such as smell, feel, etc.

A "veneer" is just a really thin slice of wood that's usually glued onto a surface. Saves money LOL :P

That thick layer of clear stuff over the wood is some kind of clear coat paint. Not sure if it's an acrylic or epoxy though. Whatever it is, it's VERY hard!

[lenore]

I saw a show on TV showing how they manufactured the car veneers, very interesting as most of the veneers are only .010 of an inch thick and they glue them to plastics to support their shapes.

[monarch]

I was in a wrecking yard recently and deliberately scratched the "wood" inside an ES250 to see if it was real. It was. Then I scratched the "wood" of a Camry and found out it was fake.

[Rx330driver]

I cant imagine fake wood in a lexus, i just wont believe, lol.

It has to be like .10 of an inch think because we would run out of trees a lot quicker.

[tmastres]

Its shocking that Lexus would revert to plastic for ANY model considering the cost of even the lowest priced Lexus. I have a friend who owns an Acura MDX and I constantly chide him on the "plastic" trim on that car. On his, the burl doesnt even appear real for a second from normal viewing distance.

I guess its just my perception, but if you're too cheap to put in real wood then make the plastic look like stylish plastic insead of trying to emulate a natural material. To me nothing says "cheap" more than something fake. What next, fake leather seats? For God's sake man its a Lexus not a Pinto!

Ok end of Rant.

[LEXIRX330]

Its shocking that Lexus would revert to plastic for ANY model considering the cost of even the lowest priced Lexus. I have a friend who owns an Acura MDX and I constantly chide him on the "plastic" trim on that car. On his, the burl doesnt even appear real for a second from normal viewing distance.

I guess its just my perception, but if you're too cheap to put in real wood then make the plastic look like stylish plastic insead of trying to emulate a natural material. To me nothing says "cheap" more than something fake. What next, fake leather seats? For God's sake man its a Lexus not a Pinto!

Ok end of Rant.

:D :D :D

Too Funny! Well I had the simulated birds eye maple...in my camry...it looked OK but you could tell it was not real for sure...but I have to agree with you it will give you the "cheap" feeling when you see fake wood.

[LexKid630]

we had a Buick minivan as a rental last Feb. and it had fake wood. You could literally see the PIXELS on it (as if it was made on a computer screen)! It looked terrible!

The veneer also must be thin so it can curve in the ways Lexus wants it too. They just add a think layer of the clear stuff to give it depth. It's good when you want to remove scratches from it (like on the steering wheel). You don't have to worry about going through! :)

[RX_4_surfin]

Wow. And this whole time I prided myself on my knowledge and ability to recognize real vs fake wood. I'm surprised because the center "u" of my '300 looks so awful I thought that there was no possible way it could be real. That is some of the worst looking real wood I've ever seen. Steering wheel looks good though (thanks again wwest) lol.

[SW03ES]

The wood trim in the new ES & GS are fake as well. You can tell by just looking at it. The clear coat over it has no depth. That's because it's all solid plastic LOL.

This is not true, the new ES and GS also have genuine walnut veneer. They're just bonding it to the plastic backing differently than they have in the past.

I've also recently discovered that the RX330 also uses real wood everywhere.

[mehullica]

EVERY Lexus model that have wood trim uses REAL wood. How? Because I saw a video on how the make it!

[Rx330driver]

someone should right a letter to lexus headquarters and ask them, thats the only for sure answer. On the new ES, im afraid it doesnt look promising that it is real wood

[LexKid630]

The wood trim in the new ES & GS are fake as well. You can tell by just looking at it. The clear coat over it has no depth. That's because it's all solid plastic LOL.

This is not true, the new ES and GS also have genuine walnut veneer. They're just bonding it to the plastic backing differently than they have in the past.

I've also recently discovered that the RX330 also uses real wood everywhere.

It's ALL REAL???

W.O.W.

[SW03ES]

someone should right a letter to lexus headquarters and ask them, thats the only for sure answer. On the new ES, im afraid it doesnt look promising that it is real wood

It is real wood, I promise. I've discussed this with Lexus before, all their vehicles have always used genuine wood.

Like others, I can still visually see the difference. The wood on the 330 looked fake, must have had something to do with the grain but is real. The wood on the ES350 looks real, you can't get depth like that with plastic.

[Rx330driver]

It is real wood, I promise. I've discussed this with Lexus before, all their vehicles have always used genuine wood.

Like others, I can still visually see the difference. The wood on the 330 looked fake, must have had something to do with the grain but is real. The wood on the ES350 looks real, you can't get depth like that with plastic.

lol! i dont know what people are talking about on the RX, i think it looks as real as possible. as for the new ES...i cant say the same when it comes to the center console area between the seats. if you look closely, i has some suspicions

[SW03ES]

Its real.

[chiks]

what is the point of this wood?

U lacquer it up on the top and put a plastic backing underneath it.

Might as well make it high quality plastic.

[SW03ES]

Whats the point on it on all manufacturers vehicles (its all done the same way). Even if its thin, you can still tell the difference in the grain between genuine and imitation wood. And plus, you can say it has "genuine wood"

[LexKid630]

what is the point of this wood?

U lacquer it up on the top and put a plastic backing underneath it.

Might as well make it high quality plastic.

I have NEVER seen plastic wood that even comes CLOSE to the look of real wood. The depth & grain is something a computer & printer can't generate LOL

I had this buick minivan for a rental once; you could see the PIXELS in the fake wood! It was HORRIBLE

[COZ]

I get wood when I drive my Lexus and I know its real.

[Rx330driver]

I get wood when I drive my Lexus and I know its real.

LAWL!!! :chairshot: so at least theres some real wood in there...