Mandingo

I am seeing several new cars coming out (e.g. Fuga, SC430) with wood trim that is either extremely light in color or is lacking any real "finish" ... and I can't stand them.

Is it just me or does anyone else think these interiors look like they're from IKEA?

They are NOT cheap (SC430 case in point) but I cannot get my head around a luxury car interior that has such cheap-looking wood/finish.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I like to see rich stained wood trim in my luxury cars where you can see the grain. Or am I just showing my age?

Examples include SC430:-


Nissan FUGA:-


Even the BMW 745i wood looks kind of "unfinished":-


Compare those to LS430:-

lexusk8

I agree that the SC wood trim seems like the "odd" bunch out of all Lexus models as far as its appearance and finish. The color of the trim simply doesn't match well with the rest of the interior unfortunately. I'm sure a wood trim conversion kit could be the solution to the problem, but it would most likely be very costly.

On the other hand, the wood trim on the new LS and ES models fits perfectly hands-down, and makes it look like it belongs to the cars

Pagong

Sorry Off Topic here:

But those new 2003 ES' are big!! I mean I drive a 90 LS400 and when Im side by side to that car it's almost the same size.

Am I imagining things or did the ES grow in size tremendously? And are they still FWD?

Gekko

1. the advantage to the light wood vs. the dark is the light does not show scratches as much as the dark wood. (Personally, I like the look of the dark wood but I like the scratch-free look of the light wood). It's personal preference.

2. I have a new 2004 ES330. It is still FWD and yes it is a pretty big car!

RA40

iTrader: (6)

One aspect to this acceptance is the tradition of dark woods from way back: walnut, mahogany, ebony...light woods seem to be reminescent of pine and other soft woods. There are some very nice tight grained light woods not commonly seen or used. My preference would be for the dark wood though.

Re ES: it does seem like a big car. Except for the IS, the others seem to grow a little bit each generation. Speaking of, what is the next gen for the IS?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Mandingo I'm with you. But even dark wood interiors can be done badly, witness Escalade, Jaguars, etc. Reddish walnut though is a favorite of mine. The Acura Legend had fabulous walnut and I like the wood in my GS.

Gojirra99

The golden bird's eye maple in the SC430 is every bit as well finished as the darker color walnut and it's vastly different from those furniture you see in IKEA which doesn't have that stained/polished look.
You can also see the pattern of the wood in the blonde maple in the SC430. It gives the interior of the car more color contrast, and a more modern & youthful look(some say feminine). I' ve seen some very expensive Italian/European furniture in this shade of color, whether one likes it is up to one's personal taste, but it is very far from cheap looking at all.

I have also heard people comment on the dark walnut trim you find in the SC & LS as looking like plastics the way they are polished, whether you agree or not is up to your personal taste. For me I like all the wood trims in Lexus cars(they are just different), with the exception of the grey maple wood in the LS430 UL with ecru, which was discontinued this year, that really looks like plastic to me.

BTW, I haven't examined the wood trim in the GS in detail myself, but according to Rominl(Henry), who just stained the wood trim of his GS400 black(see the thread in the GS forum), the wood trim in the GS is really plastic, not real wood at all.

theRain04

I actually enjoy the new woods being offered these days. The lighter woods offer a different feel from the traditional wood used on most vehicles. My only wish would be for more cars to be offered in the smoke wood trim. oh man, i LOVE the black wood. I think it looks like marble. Very classy, imo. I wish these automakers would give customers the option to select from different wood trims as well as interior leather colors. I think it would help to personalize each vehicle to accomodate the owner's individual taste.

Da Hapa

When done right (like the SC430), I think the light wood actually looks pretty good.

ChronoJ1

iTrader: (2)

Oh man,
the interior of the Nissa Fuga is abso-freakin-lutely GORGEOUS! Drool...
What's a FUGA anyways? Any pics?

theRain04

The Fuga is going to be the next Infiniti M45. It's being displayed at the upcoming New York Auto Show next month, and from I have heard, should be out early next year as a 2005 model.

theRain04

Here's a great link to some pictures and information about the upcoming Fuga (M45):

http://www.carbc.com/Car-News-587.ht...6bf97b4239a929

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I didn't catch the Fuga interior on the first pass...I like it!!!
That big **** on the top console...I hope that isn't an BMW I-Drive take-off.

Lexmexico

I have seen posted on the RX330 board a new wood kit. It uses what they call Lexus Orange Birdseye, which is the color we have been looking at on the RX330. This color must be Euro/Ikea as a lot of the European cars sold here in Mexico that are not sold in the U.S. have this color.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well for what it's worth, all wood trims on lexus are fake to begin with anyway. i took off wood from my gs4 and they are all plastic. and since they are just plastic, and that i am not a fan of wood myself at all, it's a good idea that people go out and play with the design. the blackwood would be a good example. i don't like the super pale wood too, but it's just color scheme design to me