Base Interior?

[Knightshade]

Every light interior shows staining rather quick, no matter the brand or material.
Worst mistake I ever made was a beige interior for my last Mercedes. It looked incredibly fancy at the beginning and like somone had peed on the seats after 2 years....
you know you ****ed up when you`re left with a material that even normal tap water leaves stains on

My Lexus IS350 is approaching 10 years old.

Tan interior.

Apart from some wear-lines on the drivers seat the interior looks basically brand new.

And that's with vented seats.

So definitely not all brands suck at this.

(that said- I also don't let children, food, or drinks other than my own, inside the car )

 

[aronth5]

If a black interior is the only color .... I'll just wait until a tan or beige becomes available. However long that takes.

Doesn't help with what they look like but as far as when they become available this may help.
From Tesla's Model 3 Q&A

"Which future options will be made available to order, and when?
We are planning to introduce the following options in the coming months:
Fall 2017: White interior option, standard configuration (non-Premium Upgrades)"

 

[deemo]

I have a Model S with black textile seats, they are not really like regular cloth seats and they have not been an issue in hot climate (110 in Las Vegas and Phoenix). Unlike an ICE, a Tesla can be set up to keep the interior cool, run AC while parked. I also have tinted windows that ran about $500.

 

[tescroft]

I wouldn't buy an interior that doens't appeal to me just because there is a higher chance it is more dureable. You end up with something you don't like for several years instead of something your truly like. Usually, you're going to switch the car in a few years anyway (for other reasons than interior durability), so seats getting outworn is a problem a used car buyer might bother with. Brighter interiors create a more friendly atmosphere within the car. I personally don't like black interiors, it's depressing somehow.

 

[ArizonaP85]

Yes, of course you are correct, per the recent news. I was a bit loose with my terminology. But, even if synthetic is less porous than leather, the likelihood of staining/color wear on such a light/high-contrast seat will be high. But, in our area, a black interior will be a cooker......hmmmmm....

We have a couple of legacy cars in Phoenix, so even hotter than Vegas, one with black cloth interior and the other with gray cloth. No real difference between the two. However, both seem marginally cooler than our gray leather in Tesla if cabin not cooled.
The real hot part of any interior is the metal seat belt buckle!

 

[Stirfelt]

Several writers suggest tinting the windows as a solution to overheating on black seats.. Aren't Tesla's windows already tinted?
Is the suggestion to tint beyond the legal limit?

 

[nikeykid]

i'm now curious whether the phone dock will be available as an aftermarket option for non-premium trims. not really a necessity but i like how it looks and functions.

 

[insaneoctane]

[QUOTE="tescroft, post: 2259909, member: 38658".. . Usually, you're going to switch the car in a few years anyway (for other reasons than interior durability), so seats getting outworn is a problem a used car buyer might bother with. [/QUOTE]
Kind of depends on the buyer. I don't plan on switching my car every few years because it is less expensive. My goal is to drive my vehicle for 10 years if feasible. Definitely YMMV.

 

[Sportstick]

We have a couple of legacy cars in Phoenix, so even hotter than Vegas, one with black cloth interior and the other with gray cloth. No real difference between the two. However, both seem marginally cooler than our gray leather in Tesla if cabin not cooled.
The real hot part of any interior is the metal seat belt buckle!

Are you suggesting that in areas as hot as the Southwest, any color cloth is a less heat intensive seating experience than even white or other light "leather/pleather"? Thanks.

 

[gambit48]

Several writers suggest tinting the windows as a solution to overheating on black seats.. Aren't Tesla's windows already tinted?
Is the suggestion to tint beyond the legal limit?

I'm one of the big proponents of tint.

The roof area of Teslas often have a factory "tint" to it. We're not talking about that (although you can tint over that too). We're mainly talking about the side and back windows. Those aren't tinted. The heat mainly gets in through there.

Now, I know every state has different tint laws. However, there now are a few "high end" tint manufacturers that provide really outstanding heat rejection even in very light tint shades. You should be able to find a good solution to stay legal. I'd say tint technology has really improved over the past 5 years. There's a lot of really good stuff now that if you're worried about black leather (or fake leather) and heat, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

However, there are some people who tint beyond the legal tint % or in areas where they aren't allowed to tint at all (typically the front wind shield). That is an option if you're willing to take the risk. There's some REALLY light tint now that still blocks a ton of heat so the chances of you getting caught are pretty minimal I'd say. YMMV of course. I know some cities in my state have cops who specifically go out of their way to check on your tint and even carry around light meters. Other areas in the same state, you can drive by with limo tint and they won't bat an eye (particularly if you're in a higher end car).

 

[ArizonaP85]

Are you suggesting that in areas as hot as the Southwest, any color cloth is a less heat intensive seating experience than even white or other light "leather/pleather"? Thanks.

Pretty much. At least as far as initial skin reaction to 100% skin to leather contact. Family members' very light cream leather in the Midwest (on a rare sunny day!) feels hotter than our black cloth in Phoenix.

The big advantage to (most) fabrics is that they aren't perfectly smooth and even the tiny ridges, because there are so many of them, mean much less than 100% of you is directly contacting the hot surface.

Now, if you've parked for hours in the sun on blacktop on a 115° day, the underlying cushions on either fabric or leather seats will be very hot and radiate heat into you for a long time. Ventilated seats, now gone, mitigate that problem. Cloth seats, with more porous surface, imitate that a little so you don't sweat and stick to the seats as much as with solid leather.

 

[gambit48]

I can confirm. Since we get extreme weather swings here (after growing up in SoCal), I spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about the weather.

It's the same with the cold. Cloth seats aren't as cold initially as leather. Of course, you're unlikely to be in shorts when the weather is super cold but you may be (after skiing, I'll just strip off my ski pants and drive home in shorts with the heater off so I stay awake).