Most reviewers (and customers?) dislike piano black plastics. Why did Chrysler use so much of it in the new GC for example? Is it a cost issue? Because everyone else is using it it is too "cheap" to resist? I have always liked Chrysler often budging certain trends (e.g. direct injection for a long time). I was really surprised that common sense did not prevail here. Or do reviewers make a mountain out of a mole hill (I have never owned a car with piano black plastics)?
hmk123
There’s quite a bit of piano black in my wife’s 2022 Pacifica. I can tell you it is an absolutely awful interior choice. It looks dusty just minutes after you dust it and it has so many micro scratches in it and we are very careful. I would avoid it as much as possible on any future vehicle.
I imagine it's because of the long development cycle. They may have made these choices a decade ago. It hasn't been until the last 5 years that people have been critical of piano black trim similar to carbon fiber accents before that. I imagine Jeep will stop using it after a refresh.
Piano black looks good when clean. Sells new cars. Also, if the decision to make the piece out of plastic, what finish would you rather? Fake wood, fake metal, fake carbon fiber? Plasti-chrome?
that being said, their satin black with color sparkles is mildly pleasing…
that being said, their satin black with color sparkles is mildly pleasing…
Every time I see an older Chrysler with those beautiful interiors, I wonder why we can't reproduce some of those earlier fabrics and materials. They had horsehair/velvet, real wood, real chrome, the plastics they used were works of art to look at and use. It really comes down to craftsmanship and pride in your product, most of which is sadly missing from Chrysler today.
It is my sincere hope that Ms. Feuell can recapture the feel and essence of quality from those earlier models. That means NO CLONED INTERIORS with Dodge or any other N/A vehicles, but a Chrysler look and style all it's own.
It is my sincere hope that Ms. Feuell can recapture the feel and essence of quality from those earlier models. That means NO CLONED INTERIORS with Dodge or any other N/A vehicles, but a Chrysler look and style all it's own.
While our 2018 GC has some hard plastics I prefer it a lot over the new GC with its piano black. I prefer function over form and interiors that do not easily scratch. A shoe hitting the door bins for example should not immediately cause a scratch.
Hard to say. Are we hearing this from real people or is this the snobby press's whining again?
Personally, it depends on the class of the vehicle. Toyotas have used black piano plastic for years and nobody had a problem with it. Either it's been around too long and people now are aware of the flaws that exist with it and we need to figure out the next thing or it's just when Chrysler does it crucify it when anybody else does it it's okay.
I have no problems with it. I'll take it any day of the week over the annoying excessive use of Chrome which shines in your eyes when the sun is out. I preferred the late '90s interiors that used glowing green lights through buttons for the bright work as opposed to shiny metals that glare in your eyes. I have no problems with fake wood I'm so surprised in our supposedly environmentally conscious society that we want to cut down trees so then we can have real wood adorn our throwaway vehicles. As long as the fake version looks decent and isn't blatantly fake, I'm fine with it. It's important to remember that some of the things the snobs like such as leather wrapped dashes much like leather wrap steering wheels will deteriorate over time. The biggest change I would like to see in the industry is to see the return of plush seats.
Personally, it depends on the class of the vehicle. Toyotas have used black piano plastic for years and nobody had a problem with it. Either it's been around too long and people now are aware of the flaws that exist with it and we need to figure out the next thing or it's just when Chrysler does it crucify it when anybody else does it it's okay.
I have no problems with it. I'll take it any day of the week over the annoying excessive use of Chrome which shines in your eyes when the sun is out. I preferred the late '90s interiors that used glowing green lights through buttons for the bright work as opposed to shiny metals that glare in your eyes. I have no problems with fake wood I'm so surprised in our supposedly environmentally conscious society that we want to cut down trees so then we can have real wood adorn our throwaway vehicles. As long as the fake version looks decent and isn't blatantly fake, I'm fine with it. It's important to remember that some of the things the snobs like such as leather wrapped dashes much like leather wrap steering wheels will deteriorate over time. The biggest change I would like to see in the industry is to see the return of plush seats.
Isn't using a renewable resource such as wood better for the environment than additional plastic of which almost none actually gets recycled these days? I agree with your desire to see plush seats again.
The new Honda Civic uses a textured surface that hides dust, doesn’t leave finger prints and looks upscale
![Image]()
![Image]()
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
