I've been hearing quite a bit about how new cars these days in terms of their interior have gotten cheaper. I'd just wanted to hear more in-depth thoughts about this matter and what do you think automakers should do to improve their interiors.

 

"Cheap" is such a powerful word and all too often people use this word to describe interiors which aren't necessarily cheap but simply lack the glitz of other interiors.

Take for example the current Mercedes C class. As an owner who has spent considerable time in this car I don't find the interior cheap at all. It is well made in terms of build quality, feels solid, the alignment of materials couldn't be better and overall you feel like you're riding inside a premium product. However, compared to the Audi A4 interior the C class interior looks less flashy and lacks some of the glitz and dare I say even looks a bit boring. Yet both cars have terrific interiors with the only difference being that the A4 uses a chrome strip here and there which from a visual perspective makes the interior appear more premium. In fact I don't think any car in this class has a bad interior. The Saab 9-3 interior might be very dark and plasticky but to me it makes a solid impression in terms of build quality and decent materials.

Also, many mainstream brands, especially Japanese, have upped the visual quality of their interiors to a level that previously was only seen on luxury cars. Thus, it also has become harder for luxury brands to produce an interior that can please a high portion of their target market who now want an interior that differentiates itself from great mainstream interiors like that of the new Honda Accord for instance. A tricky situation if you ask me.

Needless to say we've also reached a point in time where people make too big a deal about this issue. These days you have people complaining about the interior of an affordable economy car. I really don't understand why one would do this since these cars are often not purchased by enthusiasts but by people who require an efficient transport to bring them from A to B at the lowest cost possible. In the past interiors weren't such a big deal from my knowledge, especially as the interiors of luxury, mainstream and economy cars generally differed massively from each other. In todays world this isn't really the case as a number of economy cars have interiors that literally look like they were taken out of a luxury car. Living in Europe, I've been for example very impressed with the new Fiat interiors. Cars like the Punto or Bravo have interiors that first of all look great and feel great too and a few years ago would have been the standard for certain premium cars.

 

well.....lot of these new cars have interiors that look like they came out of a luxury car but do they feel and last like the ones of a real luxury car.....nope .....for example...since the topic of benz was brought up...3 year old benz c-class...the handle came with my hand when i pulled the door shut (well the door didnt close since the handle failed) .....the interior did look very well...but did it perform very well...not a chance in hell!! most european interiors look very well laid out and look expensive but they never hold up against every day use and squeek like birds are stuck in the car!! Have driven one too many cars and german cars have never let me down in the squeeking part!!

 

One thing that bothers me on the more affordable cars(Corolla,Civic,Focus,etc.) if you dont opt for the leather seats you get these seats with this really cheap material that is impossible to clean, if you been inside the 08 focus you know what I mean. I liked it better when these type of cars just came with cloth seats but maybe its just me.

 

My main gripe about econo car interiors is the complete lack of ergonomics. I shouldn't have to pay $20-30K to get a driver seat that has decent back support, for example. (Offenders here that I've driven include the $29K loaded Prius and the $17K loaded Yaris.)

 

Definitely true. Many econo cars do not have any concern towards driver comfort.

 

look at 92-01 Camry, and look at 2007 up Camry. Sure they are getting cheaper and cheaper interior with every new gen.

 

i agree with you on that. all cars should have recaro buckets. for me since im tall i hate how most seat bottom cushions are designed for people who are like 5 feet tall. tiring without leg support.

 

I EXPECT econo cars to have cheap(er) interiors. I don't expect that from luxury brands and its a big sore point.

 

The ES lexus has gotten cheaper as the years go on. From leather-wrapped panels to plastic. Thats a turnoff.

I know this is a stretch from the ES but the only visible plastic in my LS is:

radio
cupholder
buttons on the steering wheel
light housings
speedometer housing

Both glove boxes are covered with a material that keeps the plastic unexposed. The ashtrays are all aluminum, as well as the housing. The dash is leather as opposed the plastic, the door panels are leather, wood, or brushed aluminum for the window housing and chrome for the handels.

If you pay close attention to detail on a newer car, the things i mentioned are all plastic. Like example, on the LS430, the outter handle is plasic instead of metal like on the LS400.