How to buff-out plastic scratches?

What's the best way to polish out scratches on the shift console, side panels, and other black plastic trim parts? I was thinking that rubbing a soft cloth really fast for several minutes should do the trick, although this would cause the plastic to look pretty shiny in the spot where the scratch was buffed-out.. Anyone with a better idea?

Believe it or not, but using your finger nail to remove the plastic that curls up when scratched and to smooth it out, works really well. The follow with mothers back to black. Some time a mild cut paint cleaner (rubbing compound) has also worked well for me.