LS430 wood trim, is it real wood or just "wood looking" plastic?
02-26-10, 08:50 AM
#16
Like fine furniture makers, Lexus goes the extra mile to match the grain on the wood trim and finishes it to the max. I don't think this makes it look more like plastic.
I'm glad Lexus uses good looking, real wood in all trim levels of the LS. The Cadillac DTS has plastic wood on the lower trim levels and real wood on only the top two trim levels - formerly called Lux III and Performance.
I'm glad Lexus uses good looking, real wood in all trim levels of the LS. The Cadillac DTS has plastic wood on the lower trim levels and real wood on only the top two trim levels - formerly called Lux III and Performance.
02-27-10, 01:36 AM
#18
Like everyone else I like wood you can feel it's texture, but even though the wood in the LS is paper thin I have never seen one with cracked wood. On the other side of the coin Rolls-Royce has very thick wood that cracks often.
Using the same tree cut to match wood patterns is nothing new. Rolls-Royce was doing it at least as far back as the 1960's and some of the car coach builders mentioned it in the 1920's.
Using the same tree cut to match wood patterns is nothing new. Rolls-Royce was doing it at least as far back as the 1960's and some of the car coach builders mentioned it in the 1920's.
02-27-10, 12:06 PM
#19
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Like everyone else I like wood you can feel it's texture, but even though the wood in the LS is paper thin I have never seen one with cracked wood. On the other side of the coin Rolls-Royce has very thick wood that cracks often.
Using the same tree cut to match wood patterns is nothing new. Rolls-Royce was doing it at least as far back as the 1960's and some of the car coach builders mentioned it in the 1920's.
Using the same tree cut to match wood patterns is nothing new. Rolls-Royce was doing it at least as far back as the 1960's and some of the car coach builders mentioned it in the 1920's.
02-28-10, 07:42 AM
#23
Pole Position
the real wood is matched for each car and sent to the Yamaha piano division for the final finish,, would imagine there is some tint or coloring depending on the exact color they want to achieve,,
take a look at one of Yamaha's high end pianos and you will see the similarities,, buttery smooth with clarity and great depth to the wood,,
Mercedes use to use a thin layer of wood over aluminum for their wood surfaces,, don't know if they still build that way though,,
Derry
take a look at one of Yamaha's high end pianos and you will see the similarities,, buttery smooth with clarity and great depth to the wood,,
Mercedes use to use a thin layer of wood over aluminum for their wood surfaces,, don't know if they still build that way though,,
Derry
02-28-10, 07:55 AM
#24
When you think about it, wood is a lousy material to use in an automotive interior due to constant changes in heat, cold, humidity, dryness, sunlight, etc. It just looks so good when done well.
02-28-10, 07:57 AM
#25
Lexus Champion
Exactly. And Lexus has provided us with wood that will never have a problem during the life of the car. All you have to do to maintain it is to occasionally wax it.
02-28-10, 04:36 PM
#26
Moderator
I agree wood is far from ideal material for car interior. Its tough enough to take care of when its indoors. As long as the wood trim is replaceable, and I don't have to do it more than every 12-15 years or so, I am OK with it as it does look good. I do absolutely love that wood steering wheel - if feels wonderful, never too hot or cold.
02-28-10, 05:00 PM
#27
The Lexus wood will last a very long time, that is for sure. My '99 RX wood interior is still shiny and clean, with no loss or damage in texture. I'm sure the wood will last in excess of 20 years.
03-02-10, 08:46 AM
#29
Lexus Champion
There was another thread on steering wheel cracks. I think they're caused by excessive heat and direct sunlight, compounded by various reactions to whatever it's subjected to by your hands. It's difficult to fix the cracks, as the varnish finish is very hard and compounding is almost impossible. I think the best solution is prevention. Just being very attentive to how the steering wheel feels. It is very smooth (slick) and is easy to detect when it looses that feel, indicating that it should be cleaned and waxed. I find I have to do this every other week or so. More frequently if my teenage grandsons have been under the wheel.
I might suggest that you try a light application of tung oil on the wheel after cleaning. But you might try a small spot behind the lower wood portion first as a trial. Just my opinion.