Richard F

The last car my dad had before he died was a 2001 BMW X5 4.4i, and that thing had so much wood trim it wasn't even funny. Now, if you look at the '06 Lincoln LS, which my mom owns, it has some trim on the steering wheel, above the glovebox, and that's it. The rest is just gaudy aluminum, which many high-end cars are now sporting. Also, there is a big decrease in material quality. WHY?

lucky

showing off? who cares?

Tahini Raving Weirdo

My explanation may sound weird, but it's the lack of cohesiveness in the design teams that's to blame. There is simply no shared vision of what a luxury car should be. Some design managers dread common manifestations of elite, others want it - either way, what you have very justly observed is what is actually happening. We don't know what a luxury car is anymore. The decrease in material finish comes fom an adventurous attitude towards outsourcing.I hope to answer your question by saying this:We need a new vision of what a luxury car is - and we don't have it yet.

cutegirl

Lincoln's are seen in rap video's. They have aluminum to keep them young and fresh for the hip, current generation. That rap video effect is now also being seen in luxury cars. If people can put this aluminum all over their teeth to show their wealth(?!?!?), they will certainly put it on their cars!

dodge man

i own a repair shop,and i have noticed it a lot on some of the higher end cars also like the jags and merc,s all of them are doing this,i think when one stumbles they all follow,but the truth of it is there trying to make them more simple but more luxurious,and its not working ,they look to plain looking to me,like they have lost all there glitter they used to have,i seen the inside of a new Lincoln.and its kind of plain looking but the price tag wasn't plain ,i don't think people are getting as much car for there money as they was, they might be safer,but the looks and quality of the trim work is going down hill,and on some of the smaller cars there's is going up,like the high end compacts,but it is noticeable ,and yet people seem to not care,there still going to buy them,no matter what,good luck,i hope this help,s.

ETHOL

I'm curious.....does BMW actually use wood? Or is it a plastic compound made to look like wood?Could it be that some manufacturers are trying to appeal to environmentalists?(Or at least not piss them off any more than they already are.)