SlangBlade

You bring up some good points. I was a little bummed by no touchpad at first, but a few days later I wasn't really having any issues with the mouse. I think it just takes some getting used to.

OrionLex

I actually don't have much of an opinion on the mouse controller vs touchpad yet, since I've had very limited interaction with it thus far (I don't have the car yet!). However, though I'll give the built-in navigation a chance once I get the car, I'm not actually expecting it to be better than an iPad mini, which I've used as my in-car GPS for awhile now. In fact, as stupid as it may sound, one of the things I really like about the 3IS is how perfectly the iPad mini sits in the center console, with the side walls preventing it from sliding to the ground on either side. Not only is the iPad mini likely a far superior GPS experience (except for the lack of dead reckoning), but it is also a much better featured computer with full internet (and fast!) along with apps, music, etc. which are much more easily updated than a car's built in navi console. In fact, I think I care more about the cupholders and the new matte finish than the touchpad vs mouse issue...

FinaLpeace

Yea, the mouse may look old and outdated, but the touch pad is nothing new as well. As I've mentioned before it's just a laptop with or without a mouse attach to the USB port. What do most people prefer? Much more comfortable with the mouse and I can navigate knowing where my cursor possibly may have end up whereas the touch pad I probably have no clue.

Fizzboy7

Let's get back to the basics. Matt surfaces almost always scratch more easily and show more wear. Gloss is more slippery, therefor surface contact glides off easier and doesn't cause as much friction and damage. I see any matt surface as a downgrade, as far as practicality goes. The nicest finishes are wood, which lend a touch of richness and luxury with your sporty ride. Not making this more widely available is basically disguised cost-cutting. Matt and piano black trim are far cheaper to produce and are usually reserved for base-model cars. These are sucker features panned off as something unique or special.

FinaLpeace

Totally agree, what about the silver trim? EVEN WORSE, like what kind of materials do they use for the silver trim? The silver trim on my IS350 F Sport feels like aluminum foil-like material. Get a key and gently scrape across it you will see a thin scratch. I'm looking forward to replacing the silver trim on my F Sport for the dark eye gray wood trim. Too bad Sewell doesn't sell them, but I can always get the parts from Lexus.

OrionLex

Actually, wouldn't it be the opposite? Matte by definition is a textured finish, which should hide mild imperfections more effectively, whereas gloss is a pristine surface which would be more susceptible to damage (assuming materials of similar hardness for each). For example, remember back in the day when people used to print photographs and had to choose between glossy or matte pictures? The glossy finish looked better because of its shininess, but the matte finish was more resistant to damage and fingerprints.

You may be right about matte and piano black trim being cheaper to produce (I have no idea), but as far as practicality goes, glossy may not always be the best - it's just sometimes prettier. Also, though many equate wood trim with luxury, I don't personally like it and think it looks antiquated, especially in a vehicle chock full of technology - I prefer the more modern looking silver performance trim (though I don't know about the durability yet - this would depend on the materials used)...

JDR76

In my experience, you are correct. The matte finish tends to hide any scratches, reflections, fingerprints, and imperfections.

As for costs, in my engineering experience (I've designed both matte black and glossy black items) there is no price difference when using plastic parts. It's simply a texture they add to the mold. They either make the mold smooth or apply the texture.

I see the move to the matte finish on the console as an improvement. Not something that would likely sway my purchasing decision for a '14 vs '15, but an improvement nonetheless.