Major indecision about exterior color

[TheAustin]

I have the blue, and love it with my grey interior (and matte Obeche, which is gorgeous)...I actually love the grey exterior color more than my blue, but couldn't bring myself to get a grey car inside and out (I really love they grey interior that much to pick my exterior color based on my interior color!)...But, if you don't like the grey, forget the silver, it looks WAY more drab and boring than they grey does!
So...If you want to do something different, as someone else suggested, the green with grey interior would look pretty amazing too (my previous car was green, which is the only reason I didn't consider it for my Model S)...It's definitely one of the least-seen colors, but it's still a beautiful color. On the other hand, the multicoat red is gorgeous too (And usually hate red cars)...I bet it would look great with the grey interior too.
So...Blue looks great with grey but is a more common color, green is more unusual, and red is more flashy. Now all you have to decide is, which one suits your personality the most?

 

[Tslagrl]

So...Blue looks great with grey but is a more common color, green is more unusual, and red is more flashy. Now all you have to decide is, which one suits your personality the most?

Ah, that's the issue! I am actually quite shy and reserved, but have been known to do wacky things......unconventional I think my friends would say :wink: A red car is the last thing people would expect me to choose.

 

[qwk]

I would go and see a few colors in person before deciding. That way there will be no regrets.

I chose grey, and wondered if I made a mistake when the MC red came out. I have a red loaner right now, and although it's a very awesome color, I would never order that color(after seeing it in person). It's very very flashy, and when I'm driving it, the red side mirrors standing out so much bothers me for some reason.

 

[JohnQ]

In your case, I would recommend either green or red. The green is very classy but the red is gorgeous. I definitely would have picked the red, had I not been able to get a custom color. Black and blue are too dark for my taste and you can barely tell the difference most of the time. White looks sharp but you already have a white car. Gray and especially silver are too bland in my opinion.

Sure, rub it in :smile:. That's very close to the blue that I'd want. I disliked the other colors so much that I waited an extra 4 months to get the red. Was worried about it being too much on such a big car (especially after seeing solid red on large cars like the Impala) but I think it works well.

Color is a very personal thing ...

 

[Cattledog]

OK, as an architect, I'll claim some aesthetic high ground I am likely not entitled to. But here goes.

If you're set on the Pano roof, I would eliminate the whites, silver, and red. The car's lines are beautiful and fluid - a large dark patch (pano roof) in the lighter/brighter colors interupts that fluidity (ducking from tomatoes).

I wanted to like the Brown and Green, I really did. Green for the statement and Brown for the difference, hoping it'd be metallic like weathered copper or oil-rubbed bronze. Both fall short for me.

So we have Black, Blue, and Dark Grey. Just gotta have a personality for black - only you can answer that. You lose some of the sculpted body shape too when the light is flat. Black's out.

Blue looks great with tan or grey interior (recommend Obeche Matte for both, carbon fiber with grey), Dark Grey looks great with grey or black interior, not as good a bedfellow with tan.

I'd finalize with Blue/Grey Int/Obeche Matte or Dark Grey/Grey or Black Int/Carbon Fiber.

Your call from here.

 

[wraithnot]

I need to confirm my order this Friday (23), but I'm still undecided on exterior color. I've never been this indecisive about something, its silly really, I've been reading these forums for weeks and watching youtube clips of Teslas and I still can't decide. Almost wish Tesla had a "pot-luck" option, LOL - because I know once I get the car I am going to love it whatever color it is.

I'd say the type of lighting where you will most often park the car is key. I got the blue without actually seeing it in person and at first I was a bit disappointed because it was overcast and it looked too much like black. But once I saw it in direct sunlight (especially with the direct sunlight coming from behind the observer) I absolutely loved it! Up close it's a really rich color and the metallic flecks seem to reflect a more redish/purple color than the rest of the paint. It's also a gorgeous blue color under fluorescent lighting.

I've also found whether or not I like the new red to be highly dependent on both the lighting and the color of the sky. The chrome accents seem to pop more with the new red and depending on the color they are reflecting, this can be a good or bad thing.

White it the only color I've liked in all lighting conditions. But I would still buy blue again since it's more unpredictable

 

[Sparky]

I chose green with the tan and lacewood. I'm very happy with the color and get lots of unsolicited compliments on the green and I like that it's uncommon. But, I had to see it in person in sunshine before it won me over. It doesn't show well on a web page. At night, it looks black, on a grey day, it looks nearly black. I'm in SoCal so I get to see it in the sun a lot. Love it.
I think the cyclone wheels are a great choice but if you decide on a more sedate color like silver, perhaps you can opt for the aero wheels to show some impulse that's not as much commitment as MC Red?
Re the silver; my wife and I were walking home from a restaurant last night and she spotted a silver Model S at the curb under a streetlight; she said "Wow is that a Tesla? Looks much sportier than yours. Much better lines"... oh well. Good luck!

 

[Longhorn92]

I'm thinking there are times I'd really like the car to be red and I might enjoy a bit of extra attention.....but ALL the time?..... maybe not.

To be fair, unless you are in certain parts of California where Model Ses abound, it is highly likely that you will get a fair bit of extra attention regardless of your color choice. It's just that kind of car (sleek, beautiful, electric, fast, amazing... in a word, unique).

 

[jthompson]

I have the black with tan interior and carbon fiber accents - LOVE IT! But if I had to do it again (and wouldn't have had to wait), I would've ordered the "Arrest Me" Red! But I did not want to have to wait for it, and I am glad I didn't. A guy who ordered 1 year before me got his Model S 6 months after I did (Dec 2012).

After saying all that, I have seen every color of Model S in the DC area, and every one of them is drop dead sexy!!!

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

It's very very flashy, and when I'm driving it, the red side mirrors standing out so much bothers me for some reason.

In that case, one could always have the side mirrors wrapped to look something like this:

Photo credit: Who knows

…but given:

Ah, that's the issue! I am actually quite shy and reserved, but have been known to do wacky things......unconventional I think my friends would say :wink: A red car is the last thing people would expect me to choose.

&

I'm thinking there are times I'd really like the car to be red and I might enjoy a bit of extra attention.....but ALL the time?..... maybe not.

…Tslagirl might feel that’s a little ‘too much’…

 

[DCinDC]

I went with Grey and FWIW have had TONS of compliments specifically about the color, including from an owner of a blue who is now considering trading his in to get the grey color. I think it looks classy and doesn't show dirt too badly. Blue was the only other color I considered, but like others have said it is pretty dark and often looks black. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for some reason it now seems more drab to me than the grey. Of course, my Acura and Toyota are also the same grey, which is kind of a funny combo in the driveway.

 

[JPP]

IMHO there are no bad Model S colors....

 

[bluefuego]

Ah, that's the issue! I am actually quite shy and reserved, but have been known to do wacky things......unconventional I think my friends would say :wink: A red car is the last thing people would expect me to choose.

Tslagrl... I can match you only on being 40 and female and the fact that MC red would probably be the last color other people would have expected I would get.. turns out I am quite the wallflower except when it comes to my Tesla! :biggrin:

In any case, I waffled between gray and MC red. In the end I felt that the gray was more drab than I wanted, so I pulled the trigger on red. Having had a black Volvo for 12 years in the Midwest, I immediately eliminated black and the other darker colors. Winter time road salt and grime just makes it impossible for me to keep a car clean (I am not that committed) and I just gave up and always had a dirty car. No regrets on the red - I do enjoy the attention that it gets. I have been to several Tesla owner gatherings and been the only red there, and I like that!

Now just to throw you for another loop.... I finally saw the silver in person (after committing to red) and actually really like it. It is a lot lighter than I would have thought from the color swatch at the gallery store. And from my experience, silver seems to hides salt and grime better than any other color. But I am not giving up my red!

So, yeah, no help... sorry!

 

[JPP]

bluefuego--glad you got the red....it was a major leap for me from a long line of black/black vehicles. Absolutely no regrets...

 

[shokunin]

We have blue and grey. The grey has far more metallic flakes in the paint than the blue. The blue gets dusty and dirty very quickly and is very noticeable (just like black). The grey hides the dirt and dust better making the car look cleaner longer. The grey also hides scratches better. Since there it is more "metallic" in the paint it's harder to notice swirls and scratches in the paint versus the blue.

Neither my wife nor I are fans of red cars, in the end for my wife, the choices were primarily between white and gray. Having seen several white Model S's on the road, I think we would have been happy with either.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

I really wish that there existed paint technology where the car owner could switch exterior color at the touch of a button. Think a chameleon paint of some kind.

Most of the time I want an unassuming look. Right now I think I'd choose the blue color for that purpose. But if I'm on vacation and want a more fun color, then I think multi red is what I'd want.

Right now the only solution is to buy 2 Model S, which is impractical for most people!

 

[CarlK]

Red plus (open) black pano roof looks awesome. I saw one on the road and couldn't take my eyes off it. Just get it you won't be sorry. Then get a couple pairs of red shoes and you're all set.

BTW I totally agree with you darker colors look better. The car is very big the lighter colors make it look even bigger and don't show the proportions as nice as dark color.

 

[ddruz]

Tslagrl - I bought silver specifically because hands down it is the Tesla color that hides dirt best and will require less washing to keep looking sharp most of the time (even though I don't think it is quite the prettiest Tesla color). Any professional detailer will confirm this.

If low external maintenance is a high priority for you, keep in mind that silver is generally much more attractive in person than in most pictures and consider it seriously before making your final pick. At least you won't regret not thinking about it later as you are washing your car all the time to keep it looking sharp.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I say go with your first choice, as that is always the best choice.

I selected MC Red, then a few days later reconfigured to Pearl White. I thought MC Red was too flashy for me and initially confused the color with Sig Red, which I liked. For a few days I liked the clean appearance of a Pearl White Model S, but then changed my mind again when I realized that my first car ever was a white Chevy Cavalier station wagon. I went back to MC Red, since this is basically my dream car and it's going to be around for a while. My only reason for not wanting MC Red was because I don't want to call too much attention to myself, but hey I will already be in a Tesla so that wish is out of the window. Go for broke!

 

[Plug Me In]

My decision was between blue and gray, which were the only two colors, of course, I didn't see in person before finalizing. I went with the blue which I really like as a color, but it shows dirt very easily and if you're keeping the car outdoors as I do, you might consider that. My car looks completely shiny and flashy for about 24-48 hours. There are some pictures on this site of the gray that are absolutely stunning with subtle blue/green undertones to the color. That being said I probably would go blue again if given a do-over. I think it looks better with the standard 19" wheels than the gray. Good luck, you'll have a great looking car whatever you choose!