Long-term ownership opinions on black interior in sunny climate sought

[ev-now]

I'm in the final stages of figuring out what we want of our Model S (most likely CPO, so some limitations on choices).
I'm down to interior. I've read many complaints about the A/C controls (72 isn't 72 unless you manually set the fan), and I've seen mixed reports on the Pano (some say too hot, some say just fine).

I'm in CO - 300 days of high UV sun. I have never bought black interiors since moving here having had a relatively bad experience with a Alfa GTV interior in a much less sunny location!
And as range will be important in the equation, running the A/C for 15+ minutes prior to starting the car (which will not be on charge when parked in sun) is not a great solution.

So my question is how have people found their black interiors in CA, FL, CO and any other really sunny locations?
Has anyone changed their interior on the second or upgrade purchase due to heat?

Any input gratefully received.

 

[Ingineer]

I'm in Norcal, (mild) and my black interior still got plenty hot in the sun. Tinting with ceramic tint caused a major reduction in heat load. I didn't get the windshield done, but many around here do. If I was in Socal, I probably would have!

It's tolerable now, and starting the A/C 10 mins before you get in (even on battery) doesn't eat that much range and can help a lot.

 

[eye.surgeon]

8 months of ownership of a silver/black with pano in Fresno, the hottest inhabited part of California. I haven't had much of an issue in terms of heat. I do miss vented seats. I don't think the leather color matters as much as the paint color, personally. If I had to do it over again I'd skip the pano, but not for heat reasons, just for less headaches long term and I can hardly see it from the front seat anyways...but I've never been much of a sunroof kind of guy. I've had several silver/black cars in this climate...again I don't think the leather color matters that much...but I mostly park in garages and covered parking. Precooling does wonders and there is very little range penalty. If I were you in your climate I'd be more worried about the range penalty in the winter.

Oh...I absolutely love my car.

 

[mgboyes]

running the A/C for 15+ minutes prior to starting the car (which will not be on charge when parked in sun) is not a great solution.

I don't get this. Cooling the cabin down by running the AC before you get in the car will use roughly the same amount of energy as cooling it down by running the AC after you get in the car.

Also 15 minutes even at max cooling is going to cost less than 2% charge - if you're that tight for range I'd plan for a charging stop anyway.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

Good window tint is all you need and then color doesn't matter. I have a dark blue car with black interior, and pano, here in west central FL. My car sits in the sun all day, every day. Precooling is all I need, very little range is used in 15 minutes.

Get the interior color you really WANT

 

[Barry]

I had a car with a black interior in the 70s. Never again.

 

[FlasherZ]

The leather in model S is much better than the vinyl in my '65 GTO, both black interiors. Personally, I haven't had a major issue with Model S's black interior on my car after 2 1/2 years. Like Ingineer, I applied a ceramic tint (mostly needed for my kids in the rear-facing seat). I live near STL where we get 90-100 degree days in summer.

 

[taurusking]

I have a silver with black interior...after tinting ...it does not matter much...

Like what other users said....get the color you want and have it tinted...problem solved.

 

[mikeg561]

I have the (new) blue car with black interior in Southern California. Pre-cooling for 15 minutes seems to take about 3 or 4 miles off the range. Not a big deal.

When I was researching my car, I thought I wanted the tan interior. Then several people, including 2 sales guys, told me the tan seats tend to show wear and discoloration a bit faster. That was my final decision point. I went with black.

Mike

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I have black interior leather and live in Arizona. It has never been an issue. I used to burn myself in other cars, but not in my Tesla. I also have my windows tinted with the ceramic-type, heat-blocking tint.

 

[JPP]

My wife and I have had a long history of black leather interiors in a series of Lexus (LS400/430/460, SC400/430, GS450h) for over 20 years in NoCA. Yes, gets hot and sticky. Takes a bit of time to cool down. The seat cooler fans in the more recent Lexus models helped a bit. Now both of us have Ss with black leather interiors. If you do not pre-cool, yes, hot. But with pre-cooling using the TM app or Remote S app, even better than our old Lexuses. No worries.

 

[gizmoboy]

My wife and I have had a long history of black leather interiors in a series of Lexus (LS400/430/460, SC400/430, GS450h) for over 20 years in NoCA. Yes, gets hot and sticky. Takes a bit of time to cool down. The seat cooler fans in the more recent Lexus models helped a bit. Now both of us have Ss with black leather interiors. If you do not pre-cool, yes, hot. But with pre-cooling using the TM app or Remote S app, even better than our old Lexuses. No worries.

What kind of tinting beyond factory, if any?

 

[Amped_up]

Old Blue / black with no pano in San Antonio. Yes, it gets very hot inside, even with the best heat resistant tint I could get, but a couple of minutes with the a/c on, even with no pre-cooling, gets the temp down fast. When I bought, I heard not so good stories of wear on tan seats, so I went with black. For my next one, I am seriously considering the gray interior. I didn't like it before, but now I think it looks pretty sharp.

 

[ev-now]

I am seriously considering the gray interior. I didn't like it before, but now I think it looks pretty sharp.

I'be mainly had gray, and really like it - doesn't seem a popular choice - at least in CPOd MS.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the input guys. 2% seems low for 15 min of cooling - but you are right, at that level, no worries.

- - - Updated - - -

If I were you in your climate I'd be more worried about the range penalty in winter.

Can anyone speak to temperature range penalty, after long-term ownership.

Regardinb cooling - in CO of course it can be real cold, but still have lots of solar gain - I assume the MS is smart enough to use external air for cooling automatically rather than run the compressor unnecessarily?

 

[TaoJones]

Windshield opaque sunscreen (collapsible 2-circle style from Costco) helped.

Photosync all around except pano panels helped.

In particular, the windshield tint reduced glare noticeably and heat somewhat less noticeably (I wanted the windshield tint to be effectively invisible).

But heat and glare are still unacceptably high through the pano, and the pano screens that Tesla sells are useless for all but as a bugscreen and even then not for noseeums.

My next steps will be to tint the pano panels very dark and to add custom removable opaque reflective pano panels.

Problem was evident in winter/spring in coastal SoCal and of course is exacerbated inland during summer.

If I compounded the problem with black seats, I'd rely upon precooling and upon Bick 4 for periodic leather conditioning.

 

[kirkbauer]

2 months with all black interior in Atlanta summer. I was worried but with a good window tint and even 5min of precooling and I am less sweaty than I was in my Lexus with light tan interior and cooled seats.

Only downside is the black carpet shows crumbs well.

 

[bollar]

Even with tan seats I find pre-cooling helps reduce sweaty back. Ventilated seats remains a needed option, IMO.

 

[Panoz]

"But heat and glare are still unacceptably high through the pano, and the pano screens that Tesla sells are useless for all but as a bugscreen and even then not for noseeums."

Dang it, you're got me worried about ordering a Pano roof again. Like anything, I guess, there are supporter and detractors on any feature. I must carefully consider this option. Unlike my other sunroofs, the Tesla Pano has no sliding panel to block out the light.

 

[bollar]

"But heat and glare are still unacceptably high through the pano, and the pano screens that Tesla sells are useless for all but as a bugscreen and even then not for noseeums."

Dang it, you're got me worried about ordering a Pano roof again. Like anything, I guess, there are supporter and detractors on any feature. I must carefully consider this option. Unlike my other sunroofs, the Tesla Pano has no sliding panel to block out the light.

That's not my experience. My Pano is not aftermarket tinted and I find it extremely dark and comfortable. You may want to try one first to see on which side of the coin you fall.

 

[TexasEV]

I agree with Rick. It doesn't get much hotter in the summer than Austin, TX and I have no problem with the pano roof. I vent it when I'm parked outdoors. I have 3M crystalline 70 film on the side and rear windows, nothing on the windshield or pano roof. Turning the A/C on when I'm on the way to the car is great, but when I forget it just takes a minute or so to cool down. I wouldn't be concerned about the pano roof if I were you.