The older lexus and toyota models had high qualitu wood, leather, and brushed aluminum in their RX 350 models..
We hardly see this unless you spend 80K+ and even adjusting for inflation this model was no more than 60K.
by Ingridchh
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![[Nissan 350Z] Can't be many of these around, looked great.](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/kspr62kdgntd1-770x515.jpg "[Nissan 350Z] Can’t be many of these around, looked great.")
Cars
Why don’t cars include wood in their interiors as much anymore (older lexus model reference)?
34 Comments
Same reason you don’t see wood paneled TVs or microwaves anymore. Fell out of style.
Because it’s pretty tacky
I have real wood in my older Volvo and it’s chipping up like crazy. It cracks.
Because that was apart of an older generation, and the next generation want other fake materials
I do miss the lighter colors inside makes it look more spacious
Wood interior trim is still around for sure – it’s just actually nice and only in the most expensive cars. I guess it’s always been in the most expensive cars but it stopped being faked for less.
Pretty sure the newest generation of Volvo has wood, there is also a push to use renewable and wood is seen as much more green over plastic.
Same reason beige interiors are being phased out, it’s seen as old, corny, drab, etc..
Do you really think car owners are going to properly take care of wood?
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I’m in the late 20s but I miss wooden interiors cars. But honestly some fake wood trim doesn’t in a modern car interior. Perfect example would be fake wooden plastic trim in X3 G01. I would rather have full black trim or carbon fiber pattern on these trim panels.
Regular cars used to emulate luxury cars, now they emulate sporty, futuristic cars. Wood isn’t futuristic, and a lot of cars are going for a very minimalist look, with screens, fake metal, or fake weave on every surface. Also a lot of negative space where there used to be positive space. *Very generally,* around 30 years ago and earlier, fake plastic wood and fake/low-quality leather was featuring heavily in Japanese and American “entry level luxury” cars (i.e. Toyota, Chrysler) because high-end European luxury cars like Bentley and Mercedes used real fancy woods and hides. Around 20 years ago, high-end luxury cars started getting sportier, and began offering piano black (high-gloss solid black) wood, carbon fiber, and aluminum interior trim in place of traditional wood. In the years since, that minimalist, sporty look has seeped into all the levels of mainstream cars, with plastic painted silver or stamped with fake carbon fiber or even fake stitching (to go along with all the nonsense spoilers and vents on the outside). Most recently, everything has screens. Everywhere. There’s barely any room for wood, and the cheap cars are now trying to be sporty or futuristic. If you want real wood factory interiors in a new car, it’s going to be more old-school luxury than sporty and futuristic.
I had that exact model Lexus RX330 and it was the best car I’ve ever owned
That wasn’t wood it was wood colored plastic. I would love wood in a car but cheap plastic wood and plastic chrome just looks tacky
Carbon fiber has replaced real word trim for most applications like this.
Then you have sub models try to replicate the carbon or metal with plastics.
Wood trim simply is not wanted by the vast majority of new vehicle purchasers anymore.
I personally love wood trim, especially if its matte finish
I love [my wood dash.](https://cars.usnews.com/static/images/Auto/custom/13373/2017_BMW_i3_2.jpg)
Although this is the [upholstery/trim combo I originally wanted.](https://cars.usnews.com/static/images/Auto/custom/13160/2016_BMW_i3_27.jpg) Mine is a “mega” like the first pic (plus a few options), so it has a cloth interior with “sensatec” (BMW-speak for “vinyl”) inserts/bolsters, and I have the dark oak dash. I was looking for a “giga” like the second pic, which swaps the vinyl for leather and the cloth for wool.
These cars were pretty much a la carte for options, so you could be a weirdo like whoever originally ordered mine and fully option up a base interior car (sunroof, upgraded stereo, upgraded infotainment, adaptive cruise, park assist, wood dash, option color/wheels), or you could be a different type of insane person and [spec a “tera” (full leather interior) with no options at all.](https://www.motorcarsexpress.com/imagetag/1540/24/l/Used-2015-BMW-i3-Tera-World-W-Range-Extender-RWD-1676673715.jpg)
Lol should have used a Cadillac that actually had quite a bit and it was real zebrano wood to. Any way it’s just old fashion everything uses carbon fiber, chrome or shiny black or white plastic with soft Plether thrown in now.
“it’s the wood that makes it good”
my guesses
1. its ugly
2. weight reduction
3. flammable
My longhorn begs to differ…
I had a Lexus just like the one you pictured and all the wood was plastic. It did look nice but definitely not real wood. My newer sienna has wood trim that doesn’t look as good
Only brand I really see doing it anymore is Rivian and atleast they do it good imo
Wood is expensive, dangerous, and not in fashion anymore.
My dad’s 1990 300ZX has wood trim interior lol
Aw yep, the ‘08 Lexus RX350. I’d know it anywhere.
Luxury cars still offer wood pretty often, but aluminum and CF trims got hot so they’re just ordered less.
I do wish more cars had wood trim. Its making a comeback on computer cases so I could see it happening lol
The answer is the reason everything has gotten shittier in recent years: it’s cheaper
How about wood grain on the outside? Remember the old cars with giant fake wood down the outside? A family member had an old wood station wagon
I have a 2021 Polestar 2 Performance Launch Edition and it came with wood!
I suspect that it todays world it’s genuinely cheaper to put a 7in touch screen in the middle of the center console instead of a 7in piece of wood
Change.
My moms 2019 CRV has it
Here to say the Burl wood interior in my ‘88 S-Class Mercedes was all sourced from the same tree so it matched perfectly. It was glorious.