Cherokee_Outlaw Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Why does Lexus have to coat the wood with 4" of plastic!??? ok... maybe not 4".... but it makes me sick when ever I'm cleaning it and I can not get the scratches out!! Do they offer the natural wood on any class? I forgot what car I looked at... but they had a natural wood that was just unreal!! Does anyone know why Lexus feel like they have to coat the REAL WOOD with plastic?? Why use real wood!?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rx330driver Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 lol who knows? maybe cause it will last longer when the car ages? i think possibly the RX has the best looking wood, and no its not because i own one. Have you seen the CLS500 merc, it has that unpolished slab of wood thats like 10 feet long...well maybe not 10 feet :P looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Do you mean a matte finish wood? No they don't. You can polish scratches out of the wood... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cherokee_Outlaw Posted September 28, 2006 Author Share Posted September 28, 2006 Do you mean a matte finish wood? No they don't. You can polish scratches out of the wood... Yes.. the wood that doesn't look like plastic.. I've seen it on a few cars.. been trying to find an example.. but seems like all the Manufactures are going to the shiny coated wood... It might just be me... but why would you put something in a car that everyone assumes is plastic and even sounds like plastic... Barket reminded me of this post I made a few months back when I was asking if it was real... one member clubfoot even swapped out is ashtray.. and thought it was plastic.... You can find the full thread here... Anyone have a reason why they coat the wood? I can see how it would be easier to take care of.. maybe.. I'll take a look over at the detailing section for tips on how to buff the scratches out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Manufacturers aren't going to the shiny finish wood, its what has always been the status quo. Matte finish wood is just now becoming trendy, mainly because wood trim has gotten so prevolent in cars. Lexus only used matte finish wood once, in the 92-00 SC. Focus groups showed that owners preferred a gloss wood, so they went back to one in the SC in 01. Several cars today have Matte finished wood, at least as an option. The Mercedes CLS, the Benz 7 Series, the Infiniti M series, Range Rovers, Rolls Royce, just off the top of my head. Its an individual preference thing, I've heard people say they think matte finish wood looks fake as compared to glossy wood. The reason they coat wood is to protect it from fading and cracking, and to make the thin veneers appear deeper than they are. The matte finish wood is coated also, its just coated in a matte covering. Its very thin because it saves cost and weight, and because it negates the issue of wood expanding and contracting with changes in temperature. In new Lexus models they're bonding the wood to a red plastic that really makes it look fake around things like the ashtray openings I agree. In older models (like my ES or both of my father's LSes) its bonded and fades into a black plastic that IMHO finishes the wood off much more nicely. And also, the wood trim in the new IS and ES doesn't seem nearly as nice as it was in the previous ES or in the more expensive Lexus vehicles now, which is a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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