[Bostongio]

Took a test drive of 540i xdrive today with the 704 sports suspension. It felt good. Hard to say if it was significantly different than standard suspension on the flat, smooth roads I drove.

Sales guy claimed the glossy black trim around the climate control and radio controls wasn't plastic but rather wood. Is that true?

[r33_RGSport]

From the sound of it crackle and pop when the cold air blowing on it after baked under the sun, it sounds more like a plastic (Not ABS plastic).

[sitcom323]

A friend of mine has an F80 with the Piano Black wood trim. His sales guy told him it's the same Piano Black wood trim from Rolls Royce.

Real wood.

It totally looks like plastic.

[morellomax]

The stuff round the radio and climate controls, which is gloss black on all G30s, is plastic and is not altered by ordering piano black trim as an individual option.

I doubt the piano black trim is real wood either - not sure what the point would be, as there's no visible or tangible grain or pattern.

[AP]

prompts the question as to why it costs more than the optional wood finishes then.

does look classy though.

[Roger_M]

There's two black areas: one around the cd/radio/climate controls, which is common to all G30s and is certainly plastic. Then there's the optional "pianolack black", which looks and feels much classier. Could be made of plastic also, albeit at a much higher grade, but I think that it's actually treated wood. Wood that doesn't look like wood.

I have the pianolack in my 5-series, and I love it. It's slightly more expensive then the other wood finishes, but then again I would not have a wood-look in any car until I become an elderly gentleman, and although I may get elderly one day, I will never be a gentleman, so it just won't happen....

[Bostongio]

Yeah, was only talking about the trim directly around the climate controls and radio buttons. It had the carbon trim for the other parts. Not sure why the sales guy would be inaccurate about this, since it's such a small, simple thing. But it definitely doesn't make me feel confident if he is misrepresenting that component...

[mobilejo]

Originally Posted by Bostongio

Yeah, was only talking about the trim directly around the climate controls and radio buttons. It had the carbon trim for the other parts. Not sure why the sales guy would be inaccurate about this, since it's such a small, simple thing. But it definitely doesn't make me feel confident if he is misrepresenting that component...

Its usually rare for a sale person to know more than an enthusiast who frequents forums - we find out this sort of info for the love of it, meaning we actually learn as much as possible; they do it for a paycheck so aren't always as enthusiastic when it comes to learning the details.

The only time I care about what a salesman tells me is when its not 'car' related (e.g. this car has x bhp - I already know that!) but 'deal' related (e.g. I'll give you XYZ if you take ABC) and I will need him to stick to his word.

[TheBingoBalls]

As far as I know, the only black trim that is wood is Piano Black trim. Everything else (gloss black) is just plastic.

[mittu]

lol its definitely plastic. Wish they'd use a better lacquer for the piano black, and used fine grain wood or print a fine pattern... anything to justify the extra cost.

If you don't want a wood finish, BMW haven't left us with many options.