What do you guys think? I have this on my ES and RX but full leather on my GS.

Prefer the feel of full leather but do appreciate the work of art that goes into a wooden wheel:


“When Lexus introduced the Shimamoku wood steering wheel, it transformed a standard utilitarian car feature into an object of great beauty. Each wheel requires a staggering 38 days to produce, and its manufacturing process involves no fewer than 67 specialized stages of production, including an intensely complex layering technique refined by Lexus.The Shimamoku steering wheel is made with sheets of Agathis wood. First the wood is layered in alternating bands of contrasting color, pressed, cured and sliced into wafer-thin sheets – a moment that brings out the magic of Shimamoku.

It is then shaped to the rim of the steering wheel, sanded, polished and varnished by hand under the exacting eye of a master craftsman, before pieces of exquisite leather are hand-stitched to the wheel. Although the polishing process gives the wood a unique sheen similar to that of polished steel, the surface is also treated to avoid any potential reflection that could be distracting to drivers on the road.”

 

Had these on both of my LS460s, beautiful

 

I agree that steering wheels like that are beautiful....until the first time you take the vehicle to a shop for wheel-alignment and the Tech carelessly gouges it with the wheel-brace/grip that is used to hold the wheel in place while the alignment-specs are set. The grip-marks can also show on a leather or fake-leather wheel-rim covering, but to a lesser extent.

 

I have had wood steering wheels in cars since 1998 and have never had anything like that happen, and have never in fact seen any indentation or mark on steering wheels after an alignment. If that happened to you it was an issue with that specific shop, not something that happens whenever you have an alignment done.

 

I've ever seen anything like that happen either. Can it happen? Yes. I guess anything can happen. Does it happen? My guess is very rarely.

 

Never was a fan of wood steering wheels because (1) I hate gloss wood and (2) they aren't the most sensible for having a heated steering wheel.

In recent years wood has pretty much vanished from most steering wheels baring a handful of small accents.

 

I actually love a heated wood/leather wheel. Lexus doesn’t heat the wood parts, but everybody else does.

 

I haven't actually owned a car with a wood wheel, but I've seen it happen on some that do. I've also had small (not really serious) marks left in the leather-steering wheels I've owned. I chalk up at least some of it to impatience and carelessness by Technicians.....they often get paid by how many vehicles they can work on in any set amount of time (or have to abide by set clock-times in the Vehicle Service-Manuals for any given job), so, naturally, they try to rush things instead of being careful.

 

Lexus always had the best wood steering wheels IMO. From the get go with the ‘98 LS400.

 

Arguably so. I've seen some other vehicles that also had superb wood wheels. Wood wheels, in general, look nice, but can be hard to grip. That's why most of them are not completely wood, but have a large part of the rim covered in leather instead, which is much easier to grip, especially if your hands or gloves are a little damp or wet.

 

I think wood steering wheels are passé IMO. A very little amount of wood trim is ok IMO. Wood all over the pace was pretty cool in the past. Not today.

 

I love how Lexus does their wood, very well done and looks fantastic. I prefer wood over cheap common materials that require no human skill to create like aluminum and carbon fiber.

A 100 year old tree hand prepped and crafted into something is far more special. My reference speakers are made of wood that illegal to use now and looks far more stunning than just a simple aluminum cabinet for example. Same concept extends to car interiors and weapon furniture and even house flooring and trim. Exotic wood beats plastic any day

 

I kinda understand why they don't, every 10 year or older BMW 7 I've seen has the wood flaking off and the heater wire gets exposed. It's a big issue to fix it.

Meanwhile Lexus wheels don't ever do that, the worst they do is the clearcoat can spiderweb.

 

Ebony? I have several planks of the stuff made a few small items it is nearly impossible to work with.
Exotic wood is incredible, I own some speaker cabinets made from rosewood they are stunning. I feel a bit guilty though even though they were made decades ago it still meant cutting down very old trees. Lexus is using thin laminate but still it means cutting down old growth. Much as I love the craftsmanship and materials the practice is not sustainable and really should stop. There are exceptions, bamboo looks great and grows like a weed this is a sustainable product.

 

After not having a wood wheel in my first 24 years of driving, we now have one in both our cars. This time of year, I prefer the one on our Macan since the whole wheel heats.