Black vs. Tan Interior

[Schlermie]

I like the tan interior, but I'm concerned about keeping it clean.
I like the black interior, but I'm concerned about it absorbing too much heat when it sits in the California (Silicon Valley) sun with the panoramic roof.

Are either of these concerns valid?

 

[NigelM]

There's plenty of opinions on the black interior vis-a-vis heat. I'd summarize by saying that even in Florida and Texas there are plenty of folks ordering the black interior. It's a popular subject, here's a couple of threads to browse:

Would-you-buy-the-panoramic-roof-without-a-sunshade
Pano-Roof-Smartphone-App
Panoramic-sunroof
Interior-pre-cooling-and-heating

As for tan, I have tan in my Roadster and have no problem keeping it clean. We've ordered our S with tan interior.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I considered Tan that'd go very well with the exterior Green that I'm going with but, yes, was concerned about maintenance headaches - more so with my almost-6-year-old son in the picture

So, chose Black instead and am not concerned about heat (I'm in the Bay Area too).

I mostly park indoors though both at work and at home. I'm not getting the pano roof either.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Keep in mind that Tesla's version of "tan" is really "black and tan." Compare Tesla to, say, MB CLS. The CLS almond/mocha interior uses this light color everywhere except above the dash (which would create glare on the windscreen). Tesla MS has tan only on the leather seating surfaces, arm rest, upper door panels, and below the dash, leaving black carpet, seat belts, seat backs, lower door panels, and the area around the door handles -- all the places that get handled a lot or scuffed. So, I think the Tesla approach will stay much cleaner than the comparable interior from MB or most other manufacturers.

 

[contaygious]

I don't get the problem with tan interiors. I have some wrinkles that are on my seat sure, but I sit on them so who cares? You can only see them when you are about to sit down. I mean maybe if you are going to sell your care in a few years then black is probably easier to keep clean, but I'm keeping mine for a long time so my personal enjoyment comes first. Much more open feeling in tan than black IMO.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Much more open feeling in tan than black IMO.

Maybe so; but, I checked out one of the betas (white car with black leather and no pano roof, on display in Santana Row now). The headliner (without pano) made it appear very roomy despite the black leather, black floor mats and such.

 

[Schlermie]

Thanks for your input everyone. You've somewhat alleviated my concerns, although I wouldn't compare the Model S interior colors with the Roadster. If the Model S had the Roadster interior colors, I would have no hesitations, because the Roadster gray is a dark gray, and the tan is more like a saddle brown.

 

[hcsharp]

Thanks for your input everyone. You've somewhat alleviated my concerns, although I wouldn't compare the Model S interior colors with the Roadster. If the Model S had the Roadster interior colors, I would have no hesitations, because the Roadster gray is a dark gray, and the tan is more like a saddle brown.

So the Roadster tan is darker than the Model S tan? I have a roadster w/ tan and I wouldn't want it any lighter. We chose tan for our S thinking it would be the same but now I'm wondering... How much difference is there between the two tans?

 

[Schlermie]

Quite honestly, I can't speak for the tan in your Roadster, because I don't know which model version you have, and the interior colors may have changed through the years, but simply judging by the online design studio, the Roadster tan is described as "Beige" and clearly darker than the tan in the Model S design studio. Not that either design studio is a perfect match of the actual leather used in production, but the Roadster appears to be significantly darker.

 

[Schlermie]

This is the interior I'm going with...

 

[NigelM]

This is the interior I'm going with...

Don't you think that's overdoing the 'minimalist' look? :wink:

 

[Trnsl8r]

This is the interior I'm going with...

View attachment 9399
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$1500 option?

 

[spatterso911]

This is the interior I'm going with...

View attachment 9399
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View attachment 9401

I heard those cloth seats are heated though. It's part of the Medieval Spartan Package:tongue:

 

[nrcooled]

Keep in mind that Tesla's version of "tan" is really "black and tan." Compare Tesla to, say, MB CLS. The CLS almond/mocha interior uses this light color everywhere except above the dash (which would create glare on the windscreen). Tesla MS has tan only on the leather seating surfaces, arm rest, upper door panels, and below the dash, leaving black carpet, seat belts, seat backs, lower door panels, and the area around the door handles -- all the places that get handled a lot or scuffed. So, I think the Tesla approach will stay much cleaner than the comparable interior from MB or most other manufacturers.

Once I saw that Tesla is using a Tan/Black setup I was sold. I was worried about my kids getting in and out of the car with dirty feet and having destroyed carpet in 2 years. When I saw that the floors and "touch points" were in black I was sold. I am going with the Blue/Tan combo if the Sunset Red isn't available when my number is called. Otherwise I want the Sunset Red/Tan combo.

 

[neroden]

I like the tan interior, but I'm concerned about keeping it clean.
I like the black interior, but I'm concerned about it absorbing too much heat when it sits in the California (Silicon Valley) sun with the panoramic roof.

Are either of these concerns valid?

Both concerns are valid. However, black is *also* hard to keep clean (yes, there are "light colored dirt" and "light colored stains"), so I'd go with tan if you're equally concerned about both.

 

[mknox]

Once I saw that Tesla is using a Tan/Black setup I was sold. I was worried about my kids getting in and out of the car with dirty feet and having destroyed carpet in 2 years. When I saw that the floors and "touch points" were in black I was sold. I am going with the Blue/Tan combo if the Sunset Red isn't available when my number is called. Otherwise I want the Sunset Red/Tan combo.

I stopped by the Santa Monica store yesterday, and they have a black Model S with the Tan interior. I too am sold on the Blue exterior, but have been struggling with the Tan vs. Black. Having seen the Tan in person, I can say that I doo like it.

I was, however, distressed by the amount of wear on the seat edge and door pillar materials. Very badly worn... in some spots right through. I pointed it out, and the rep just said it's because many more people have been in and out of the car than would normally be the case.

 

[Schlermie]

I was, however, distressed by the amount of wear on the seat edge and door pillar materials. Very badly worn... in some spots right through. I pointed it out, and the rep just said it's because many more people have been in and out of the car than would normally be the case.

I (and a few others) noticed I have an inclination to brush up against those worn areas as I wriggle my way free from the driver's seat. I think this is aggravated when you have long legs and a tendency to move the driver's seat back so your shoulder is in-line or slightly behind the B-pillar. With a little effort, I can get out of the driver's seat without brushing up against that pillar though. That will need to be a new habit I develop. Unfortunately, that's not a habit you can impose on passengers, but the passenger side will have less recurring usage.

 

[mknox]

I (and a few others) noticed I have an inclination to brush up against those worn areas as I wriggle my way free from the driver's seat. I think this is aggravated when you have long legs and a tendency to move the driver's seat back so your shoulder is in-line or slightly behind the B-pillar. With a little effort, I can get out of the driver's seat without brushing up against that pillar though. That will need to be a new habit I develop. Unfortunately, that's not a habit you can impose on passengers, but the passenger side will have less recurring usage.

Now that I've got an eye out for it, I noticed the wear on the cars at the Newport Beach store as well. Someone developing Opportunity Consoles should come up with a small, formed plastic guard for that area on the car!

 

[ddruz]

Does anyone have real life pictures of their car with tan + piano black and black + piano black they could post?

Has anyone received a silver car with tan interior and if so how does the combo look?

 

[Ceilidh]

I have black leather on my current car, which I purchased in Phoenix, AZ where the summers have days with 120 deg F heat. It got about as hot as other leathers I have had. So in Silicon Valley, do not fear the heat from black leather. Here, I barely notice that.

On the other hand, people often bring up kids and light colored leather concerns. I have 2 kids. My other car besides the Kia is a Sienna, with a light grey leather not unlike the leather I have coming in my Model S. I have had no issues keeping it clean. You just have to have proper cleaning products for the rare occasions where your kids do something really offensive to the leather, and it helps if you already pretreated the leather with a conditioner so it doesn't dry out, but with a new car you can wait a while before this is really necessary.

FWIW my black leather looks worse than my light grey leather. Same kids. Same family. Same exposures in general.

Cheers.