Honda Just Solved the Piano Black Trim Conundrum

After two decades of testing new vehicles, I've learned to brace for one particular disappointment the moment I open a door: piano black trim. It photographs beautifully and looks great when brand new. However, it feels like a downgrade within weeks because it quickly scratches in normal use. So I did not expect a Honda to be the vehicle that changed my mind about the material entirely. But that is exactly what happened in the 2026 Honda Pilot Elite.

The 2026 Honda Pilot Elite uses a piano black finish around the shifter that stays soft to the touch and, at 7,000 miles on our media tester, showed zero scratches. After years of watching gloss black trim haze and scuff within weeks, this is the first version of the attractive trim material I'd actually call an upgrade - or recommend to buyers

The piano black trim surrounding the shifter area in our Pilot Elite tester is the best execution of this finish I have touched in any vehicle at any price. Our test unit was well past the point where gloss black normally shows its first haze of swirl marks, and it had zero scratches. None. Then I actually pressed on it, and the surface gave. It is pliant, not hard, yet it appears to the eye to be the same rigid, glassy piano black every automaker slathers across its consoles. Instead of the material that every automotive reviewer complains about, Honda has shifted to something far more advanced.

The Auto Media Harps on Piano Black In Reviews - Examples
Piano black has become one of the most reliably criticized interior materials in the industry, and auto writers have been sounding off on it for years. The gripe is always the same: it looks premium in the press photos and turns into a scratched mess the moment a real human touches it. Some outlets have gone as far as calling for its outright death, and the timelines they cite are damning, with one reviewer noting scratched trim at just 4,000 miles on a modern SUV. That is why what Honda did in the Pilot stands out. It solved the problem instead of restyling around it.

Don’t take my word for it that this is a widely villainized material. Here are two published examples of automotive media calling for its end:
1) Autoblog - Just stop it with the piano black plastic car interior trim
2) CarExpert - Death to piano black trim!

Online forums have been talking about the horrors of scratched piano black trim, from affordable Mazda3 groups to six-figure Porsche Taycam communities. One industrious Subaru owner took the time to figure out a labor-intensive multi-step polishing process to try to repair scratched piano black trim.

In the end, difficult engineering challenges can go one of three ways. We either live with the issue and adapt to tolerating it, we find a solution and keep the same type of product, or, as Elon Musk famously reminds people, we can get rid of things that are not technically ideal. It took Honda to finally solve an issue that has been driving both vehicle owners and reviewers crazy now for a decade. Tell us in the comments if you'd rather have a vehicle with this material or the old one that was easily scratched. 

Story Note: We reached out to Honda and asked what the name of this material was, and how they produce or source it. Mum's the word for now. 

About the Author:

John Goreham is a 14-year veteran of Torque News. An accomplished writer and a long-time expert in vehicle testing, Goreham also serves as the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and has a growing social media presence. He’s also a 10-year staff writer and community moderator for Car Talk. Goreham holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an undergraduate Certificate in Marketing. In addition to vehicle and tire content, he offers deep dives into market trends and opinion pieces. You can follow John Goreham on X and TikTok, and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Image by the author.