Gojirra99

Wood steering wheels are not slippery for any practical purpose, they may have a smoother surface(& you don't even need an engineer to tell you that) but it has grooves behind the wheel on the wood surface, that is enough to compensate for the smooth surface for practical purpose, so it's not like the wheel will slip from your fingers while you turn.
If some people have personal preference for the feel of leather more, that's fine, but I really think the grip is a non-issue for practical purpose.

doug_999

Just out of curiosity, what are you talking about?

chuckb

I think he means the little indents in back of wheel for fingers.

hey doug, if your car wasn't leased would you have traded wheels with a leather 430 owner? I'll bet you could have easy and made a few bucks too.

Gojirra99

Maybe I can describe them as those indentations on the wood surface that makes the backside of the steering wheel wavy for the fingers to grip on, with those I' ve never found the grip on the wheel to be slippery at all during turns, although the wood may feel smooth to the touch.

Ex996

The thread that wouldn't die!!!!!!!

doug_999

Most certainly - but I really wish Lexus would just make it an option. Obviously there are plenty of people that prefer it and plenty that don't. Maybe Toyota reads these boards?

Gojirra99

I thought wood steering wheel was an option for the 2GS even in the U.S., no ?

chuckb

yup-there are Gen2 GS430s with all leather wheel

doug_999

Sort of - See Lexus prebuilds the cars to what the regions specify. You could NOT get a 2003 GS430 in the midwest without a wood steering wheel unless you special ordered one (try that sometime for fun).

For Gen 3, you have no choice however with the GS430.

Gojirra99

I can see that, but it's worse up here with the options packaging & they're the same throughout Canada, since our luxury car market is so small. In the US with the 2GS, it's still possible to locate the option combination you want from another state correct ?
For 3GS, we can get either full leather or wood steering wheel, but if you want leather steering wheel, you can't have ML/NAV, & if you want wood steering wheel, you MUST have the top of the line package with ML/NAV & PCS packaged together.

davezaristo

omg, that is too damn ugly! what a way to ruin a 3GS..

lexuslover

yeah, you didn't have much choice here either in the US. i got my 2GS in 2001. all 430's were shipped fully loaded w/ chrome wheels, but it was the last year they did all leather wheels. after that, starting with model year 2002 i believe, you could only get wood/leather wheels, fully loaded 430's. (but at least there were tons of people you could trade with, as opposed to the new 3GS)

i like the wood though. got the blackwood, very sexy and unique.

4thone

It's baaack !

scottmyers

Totally kills the look of the dash. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

Just my 2 cents

SGT

I don't like the leather cover at all, but what matters is that you like it. I personally love the wood steering wheel.