nflguy

I had hoped that the Ultra Luxury trim ES350 would have the wood trim on the console by the shifter but it appears all trm levels have piano black. I have read several reviews stating it scratches very easily. Is that true for the 2015 version as well?

lesz

The piano black on the console has been the same in the 2013, 2014, and 2015 ES, and, yes, it can easily be scratched.

Actually, I don't think that the issue is how easily the piano black scratches, but, instead, it is that, on such a high gloss surface, even very minor surface scratches will show up much more easily than they would on a lower gloss or mat finish.

sessionstu

A couple of suggestions. Spray the center section with the piano black finish with a clear acrylic finish. That would give it a protective surface. You could also try wrapping it, like the shops wrap cars. It's a relatively small area and shouldn't be too much work. Thirdly, you could put a thin piece of 3M clear protection over it. Not sure how it would look, but it would protect the surface. The last thing I can think of, and it's a more expensive option, is putting the aftermarket wood pieces over the piano black and plastic sections of the car. If you don't trust yourself doing it, I'm sure the dealer will do it for an unreasonable price.

bc6152

I covered the console and some other surfaces with the aftermarket wood option. There are several companies that offer a wood grain finish that matches the other factory wood grain in the car perfectly. Turned out beautifully. Not inexpensive but who wants to look at a scratched console cover.

nflguy

How much was the wood piece and did you install yourself? Any pics?

sessionstu

I checked the manufacturers site a couple of weeks ago and there still isn't a wood option for 300h owners. I would love to see what it looks like with the bamboo finish.

nflguy

After reading complaints about the dash getting smudges/scratches easily and the problems with the piano black high gloss console..I'm starting to worry the es350 might not be worth the price. I don't want a $45k car too look scratched up, smudges everywhere etc after a few months of use.

bc6152

I'm surprised that the bamboo finish is still not available for the 300. I purchased my kit about 2 years ago for around $200.00 and installed it on a warm summer day. Days that you probably have a lot of in Texas. Went on easily after prep and remains beautiful. The SM asked me where I got it and who put it on...

Arty101

Bob - I checked your source a couple of months ago and still none for the bamboo wood trim.

bc6152

I don't know why they haven't made the bamboo Art. Seems like there's enough 300's out there to justify production.

Arty101

It could be a difficult or costly trim piece to make and cut. Bamboo is not wood which could be more difficult to produce as a veneer.

sessionstu

I've had my 2013 ES300h for over two years now. I don't drive it much. 7200 miles on the odometer. But even so, I don't have a single scratch or mark on the interior panels, or exterior body work. Personally, I think the materials they use on the ES interior are great. My last car was a 2006 IS 350. Every single interior panel was either melted or cracked from the Florida sun.

sessionstu

Oh, one other thing to add. When I picked up my car in Oct. 2012 there was a small scratch (or what looked to be a scratch) on top of the dash. Basically right in front of my eyes. A lady from Lexus took the car to the shop and in 15 minutes had it hidden from sight. She used a black filler of some sort and then blended it into the grain on the dash.

So even if you do get a scratch somewhere, it is fixable. If it was leather or some type of material it would be more difficult. The Lexus dealership where I go are very good at repairing small imperfections if I bring it to their attention. Sometimes it's hit or miss if they do a good job or not.

lesz

The guys who do repairs on vehicle interior surfaces can do wonders with many types of materials. Unfortunately, removing or disguising scratches on the piano black console is something that they are not going to be able to do.

The issue with the piano black is that it has such a high gloss, and, with that high gloss, very minor surface scratches catch the light and become visible. An attempt to try to "polish" out the scratches is likely to dull the finish and make it look worse than it was to start with. And, because the scratches that show up are so shallow, any fillers that might be applied to the surface are not going to have anything to grip onto.

I've confirmed the thoughts that I just explained with a couple of guys who are magicians at repairing damage to vehicle interiors, upholstery, etc., and I've also checked with the detailers at several dealerships. They all agree that, while most interior surfaces can be repaired, the only fix for scratches in that piano black would be to do a costly replacement of the part.

Since the scratches only show up in just the right light, my guess is that there are many ES owners who aren't even aware of the fact that they are there, but, at a minimum, I'll guess that the consoles of most ES vehicles have something akin to polishing swirls that, again, only show up if the light is hitting the surface directly and at just the right angle.

grabilsm

Lesz

The repair guys you have spoken to my not know what they are dealing with. The piano black is clear coated exactly like the exterior of your car of the other wood trim . You can polish or compound all you want, you wont' dull the surface. I have already used compound and polish to my trim with great results.

Also there is a wood grain option for the center console available on sewell, its pricy though because they can't seperate the wood part, you would have to buy the entire center console which is 1k+.

If you want to wrap yours I would suggest 3m wraps they look amazing. I was planning on wrapping mine like the link below.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...sole-wrap.html