Latest black versus white seats

[commasign]

Very interesting, because that’s not commasign’s experience:

Best thing to do is test drive.

 

[EVDRVN]

Thanks guys. How about comfort/support in spirited drives and long drives? Any difference between the two?

'
The white seats are softer than the black because the fabric gives. If you have back issues the 3 seats in general have poor support that is for many. When driving a 3P in white seats its bouncy and disconnected in comparison to the black ones as the fabric gives in al directions. The side bolsters are low but the firmness is ok, the side seat bolsters are super soft and collapse on turns and do not hold you leg straight unless you are a tiny person, this makes your driver leg go left when resting. They are pretty much useless as mine flatten on parking structure climbs and turns on slower curves. The seat material is ok but the internal design is poor compared to next gen seats. I have already had one M3 seat replaced last week for mechanical failures and it is oddly much stiffer than my Oct build seat on the front seat part for sure. That seat has seen almost no use as well. The 3 seats need better foam, improved lumbar design, a better base cushion. May people love the seats "comfy feeling" as a driver I don't want mush I want support and good design, I find the 3 seats to be more perceptively good than functionally good. People that drive to the store and have never owned cars with good seat likely won't care or notice. At Tesla, walk from car to car and compare the feel of each seat in the white from an S/X to the 3, you will instantly see a quality and build difference. IMO Tesla should had Recaro design the seats and Tesla build them. I also think the 3 seats are going to wear poorly internally faster than any other Tesla seat because of the foam and design. The fabric should be fine over time. They are also very very hot in comparison to other Tesla leather seats and the white more so because it sticks to you, something to consider in hot areas, I noticed it in a cool weather test drive and I'm thin and 5' 11". If the seats we more like the S seats in white I would have paid $2K more for them for sure.

As a side note, the very first Tesla seats for the 3 were amazing and better than any S or present 3 seat today, they were not used because they were afraid it would cannibalize S sales, I bet they regret that decision now. IMO the seats on the 3P are not a good match for those that really drive the car and the white feels oddly wrong for anyone that is a car person. I expect European nationals to have strong opinions on this.

 

[SD_Engnr]

Very interesting, because that’s not commasign’s experience:

Understood. My reference was to track driving. Ask others that have been on the track. Whether it's Auto-X or full tracks, they'll have similar experiences to relay, unless they are small or lighter than 165lbs.

They are comfortable and supportive enough for driving around town.

 

[MarcG]

Best thing to do is test drive.

I plan to, made the appointment yesterday
They were nice enough to give me a P3D for several hours so I can make it to the hills and really test it out.

 

[commasign]

Understood. My reference was to track driving. Ask others that have been on the track. Whether it's Auto-X or full tracks, they'll have similar experiences to relay, unless they are small or lighter than 165lbs.

They are comfortable and supportive enough for driving around town.

Yeah, good point. I don’t go on the track, and I’m kinda small (5’7” and about 155 lbs). The side bolsters don’t go up very high which is fine for me but I can see how someone taller would find less support from the bolsters. That said, it’s been really fun whipping the 3P around town.

 

[EVDRVN]

Understood. My reference was to track driving. Ask others that have been on the track. Whether it's Auto-X or full tracks, they'll have similar experiences to relay, unless they are small or lighter than 165lbs.

They are comfortable and supportive enough for driving around town.

Yes, oddly I think the white may be better for long drives even though they are softer they flex more which seems to combat the bad panel design in some areas. My new seat is much better but it is the passenger seat P seats and really all should have higher side and bottom bolsters and improved on the bottom. You "stick" to the white seats so in a way they hold you better with less side support- funny.

 

[MarcG]

'
The white seats are softer than the black because the fabric gives. If you have back issues the 3 seats in general have poor support that is for many. When driving a 3P in white seats its bouncy and disconnected in comparison to the black ones as the fabric gives in al directions. The side bolsters are low but the firmness is ok, the side seat bolsters are super soft and collapse on turns and do not hold you leg straight unless you are a tiny person, this makes your driver leg go left when resting. They are pretty much useless as mine flatten on parking structure climbs and turns on slower curves. The seat material is ok but the internal design is poor compared to next gen seats. I have already had one M3 seat replaced last week for mechanical failures and it is oddly much stiffer than my Oct build seat on the front seat part for sure. That seat has seen almost no use as well. The 3 seats need better foam, improved lumbar design, a better base cushion. May people love the seats "comfy feeling" as a driver I don't want mush I want support and good design, I find the 3 seats to be more perceptively good than functionally good. People that drive to the store and have never owned cars with good seat likely won't care or notice. At Tesla, walk from car to car and compare the feel of each seat in the white from an S/X to the 3, you will instantly see a quality and build difference. IMO Tesla should had Recaro design the seats and Tesla build them. I also think the 3 seats are going to wear poorly internally faster than any other Tesla seat because of the foam and design. The fabric should be fine over time. They are also very very hot in comparison to other Tesla leather seats and the white more so because it sticks to you, something to consider in hot areas, I noticed it in a cool weather test drive and I'm thin and 5' 11". If the seats we more like the S seats in white I would have paid $2K more for them for sure.

As a side note, the very first Tesla seats for the 3 were amazing and better than any S or present 3 seat today, they were not used because they were afraid it would cannibalize S sales, I bet they regret that decision now. IMO the seats on the 3P are not a good match for those that really drive the car and the white feels oddly wrong for anyone that is a car person. I expect European nationals to have strong opinions on this.

Thanks a lot for the detailed review!

 

[Glamisduner]

if your worried about dye transfer just ceramic coat them. Gyeon leather shield. you just wipe it on and let them dry (have clean seats first).
The 3 seats are ok, but there is not enough padding in the seat part. I feel like I'm sitting on a bar at times, which is likely whatever is supporting the foam. I have a bad back, and find the back of the seat is supportive, but sitting on the bar isn't comfortable, especially since my back issue is my L5S1. I weight just over 220 lbs and im 6 foot to give you an idea My commute is about an hour each way and comfort for that amount of time is good, but I haven't been on a long trip yet. I might take the seat apart eventually and try to add something to spread out the hard area under the drivers seat towards the seat back. For some reason I don't feel it on the passenger side. It's not something tesla seems willing to fix either though so I guess the less comfortable drivers seat is just something I will need to deal with.

 

[Dana1]

Hi all, I'm considering purchasing a Model 3 Performance instead of a P100D now (as 18650 cells likely won't take full advantage of Supercharger V3 rates, sadly) so I have a question for current owners on Model 3 seats -- and yes, I did a bunch of searching on here and other forums before posting.

For background, I recently sold my Model S P85D, which had the next-generation seats on both rows, and I absolutely loved them. My girlfriend has a P90D with black textile seats that I find terrible, as I feel like I'm sitting "on" them instead of "in" them.

Anyway, I've read a bunch of feedback comparing the first-generation black seats to the newer ones, as well as various reviews of the white seats independent of the black seats. However I'm trying to figure out which seats I would order for a new Model 3, so I'm hoping some of you who have experienced both latest versions (for more than just a few minutes, preferably while driving) can provide your input on the pros and cons of the two?

For reference, this would be a weekend car for long trips, some of which through winding roads (and I like to push the limits of traction )

Thanks in advance!

Seats are always going to be individual preference...Goldilocks syndrome. I like my black seats. It would surprise me if the frames were different for the two colors. White just seems impractical to me but it probably depends on how well you take care of your car and how often you wear jeans.