Actually I think the exterior handles are aluminum, thick aluminum and they seemed heavy.
I remember reading a review, I think it was a review somewhere, that said the outer handles were plastic. But when I got to see the car in person I made a point to check them out and if they are not aluminum then my name is Mud! Besides, it makes absolutely no sense to my that they would be made out of plastic. The interior handles should be plastic before the outer ones. But then the interior ones shouldn't be plastic anyway. If they are plastic it must be the best freaking plastic on earth for the way they looked and felt.