I was worried about that as well, so I was actually thinking about getting black vinyl wrap for the plastic parts. It will protect and I also think it will look better cause the original parts in certain views and lighting condition looks more grayish then black.
I've been thinking about this pretty hard.
I've ordered some samples to see how it will look. Thinking that if I do a black gloss wrap on the top, might as well match the window pillars as well.
The black plastic look was a positive for me. I didn't even realize that it makes the side profile look better, but it makes perfect sense. To me the well designed (IMHO) black plastic says "hey c'mon man, take me for a drive, don't worry about those gravel roads or a little mud from a fireroad, let's go have some fun!". I like to think my CX-5 would have a positive attitude like that lol.
I plan on beating this car up a little bit over the years and I understand it'll show a little of that abuse. I think a 7-10 year old SUV with a good amount of chips and dings is the sign of 7-10 well spent years! Having said that, I'll be taking good care of this thing, but I'm not afraid of a scratch or 5.
Agree 100% Again why I'm thinking vinyl vice paint. Easier and cheaper to fix.