Does BMW Use Real Wood? (Explained)

Because of technological advancements, nowadays you can’t believe everything you see, especially on vehicles. The luxury wood finish is one of the best features that distinguish BMW from other car brands.

It looks neat, exquisite, and rare. A dashboard with wood trim adds a touch of elegance to any vehicle’s interior. And that’s why you can find it on BMW, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, and other high-end car brands.

As great as a wood finish in your interior looks, quite often most car brands have been on the spot for using fake wood.

The reasons behind this switch from real to fake wood may not be very clear. But a good number of car owners have raised complaints that the wood in their vehicles is not real.

For an individual interested in buying a BMW with wood trim, you may be wondering; Does BMW use real wood?

If you are shopping for a car with such an option, you aren’t interested in a wood film that has been laminated on a plastic dashboard. It wouldn’t look better than real wood and neither would it last longer.

With BMW, they do use both. Older models of BMW came with authentic wood. However, of late, they have adopted a new trend where they laminate films of wood on the dashboard.

Kindly note that it is super laminated and looks exceptionally amazing. Some people may not even realize that it is fake.

The newer models of BMW come with what we call wood trims. Unlike in the older versions where the entire thing was made of wood, these trims incorporate thin pieces of wood called veneers.

does bmw use real wood

The veneers found in the wood come from a company known as Bohlke Veneer Co., which is based in Cincinnati. This is the same company that also makes veneers for Mercedes.

These veneers don’t just look better than real wood but they are more economical and don’t take a huge toll on nature.

As you may already know, deforestation is a menace that the world is trying to solve. And the less wood is used on your car, the more trees are left untouched in the forest. Plus, veneers look amazing and quality won’t be compromised.

If BMW had continued using real wood, there is a huge chance that most car owners would struggle with its maintenance.

Wood is very sensitive especially when it is used for aesthetics. The thinner the wood, the less durable it is. And getting an oily finish makes it impractical in a car environment because it will require a lot of refinishing.

Even though the debate on whether BMW uses real wood or not remains a hot topic of discussion in most forums, you should expect real wood in their most expensive models.

For the rest of the cars in the BMW line, the most you can get is a wood trim made with veneers.

What BMW Wood Trim Options are Available?

Now that we have already figured out that BMW uses a combination of both real and fake wood, let us look at some of the trim options you can get from this brand. You can also check the trim options from their website by following this procedure.

• Fine Wood Trim (Sen Light Brown) – Made from exotic Japanese wood, this fine wood trim is incorporated with a mother-of-pearl effect that makes it shine even in low light.

• Piano Finish Black – Nothing beats an exclusive and elegant dark interior finish. This trim is very sensitive and attracts dust easily. It needs regular cleaning to retain its superior look.

• Fine Wood trim (Ash Grain White) – This is very common in most BMWs because this finish is very subtle and exquisite.

Other BMW wood trim options include; the Gray Poplar wood trim, Fineline Cove wood trim, Burl Walnut wood trim, and Fineline Ridge wood trim.

There are also non-wood trims such as the Aluminum Rhombicle interior trim and the Sensatec dashboard.

While we are still on BMW trim options, you should know that BMW Individual interior trims happen to be of a higher quality than those that come with standard packages.

If you appreciate beauty and elegance in a vehicle, you are better off sourcing a BMW Individual interior.

With such, the pieces of wood are grown under the best conditions and perfected during manufacture. Quality is strictly adhered to during production so that the final output is sophisticated yet appealing to car owners.

The wood is processed into different hues to meet the needs of various buyers.

Can BMW Wood Trim be Replaced?

Nearly all car parts can be replaced even the fanciest BMW wood trims. Similar to other car components, the woodwork in your BMW will get old and you will have to replace it.

Unless you are a skilled woodworker, you are going to need professional help with restoring your BMW wood trim to look showroom new.

There are plenty of experts who provide wood restoration services on cars. All you have to do is find one near you and take your car for a BMW wood trim replacement. Provided it is real wood, it can be restored or replaced.

Other than replacement, you may also consider refinishing or re-veneering your BMW wood trim. These two processes can restore faded or worn-out wood trims in your BMW.

They are less invasive and costly than a complete replacement. And are very effective at restoring your wood trim to how it looked when you first bought it.

Should the wood in your BMW be in a very bad condition, there will be no other choice than to replace it completely. You can get in touch with the repair guys and they can provide you with the different trim options.

You can either choose the trim that was installed in your car or if you want to refresh the look of your interior, you can choose something else.

How Do I Clean Wood in My BMW?

As you may already know, cleaning your vehicle is crucial if you want it to look great and serve you for longer. Parts such as the wood trim in your BMW also need to be cleaned regularly and gently.

Because this is a delicate part of your car, you need to be very careful when cleaning your BMW wood trim. Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to go about it;

1. The first and most important step in cleaning your BMW wood trim is to dust it with a clean microfiber cloth.

If you often drive with your windows rolled down, then dust must settle on the dashboard and it will be full of fingerprint marks. Wiping it directly with water can tarnish the upper coat of the wood trim.

2. Clean it with a gentle solution. Because the amount of dust on your dashboard can’t be compared to the one on your wheels or car paint, go easy with the detergent. Use something very gentle.

3. Once the dashboard is clean, get some polish to remove the scratches on the surface. No matter how much you avoid it, your dashboard will always have scratches.

The best way to deal with such is by using a scratch removal polish. You can get one at your nearest auto shop.

4. Finish cleaning the wood trim by applying wax to protect it from harmful UV rays.

Why Does BMW Use both Real and Fake Wood?

The answer is very simple. Fake wood is cheaper than real wood. Similar to leather, wood is a symbol of luxury in vehicles.

That’s why you only find wood trims in high-end brands. Processing wood from scratch is a tedious and expensive process.

What we love about BMW is that they haven’t forgotten the use of wood in their interiors. Even though some of their cars have plain wood on the dashboard, others have wood veneers.

These are small pieces of wood that have been integrated with other materials to create a wood finish that is durable, more beautiful, and highly resistant to the effects of UV rays.

If you are considering buying a car from BMW with a wood finish, you can be assured that the wood in your dashboard is real. Even though it is a trim of wood and plastic, there is still some wood in it and it looks amazing.

Wood Trims in BMW’s

The thing about luxury is that it is undefined. Luxury can come in the form of anything, even wood. In the beginning, the wood used in cars was purely derived from trees.

However, as technology advanced, car manufacturers realized that they could still create a similar finish from cheaper materials and that’s when fake wood came into play.

BMW being an industry leader amongst automotive brands, also caught up with this trend and that’s why today they use wood veneers in their vehicles.

It looks great and will give you a luxurious interior. Also, BMW has plenty of wood trims to choose from. Therefore, before buying your model of choice, make sure that you have a certain trim in mind.

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