Red not the best color for Model 3?

[Vern Padgett]

Today we picked up a Model 3 for my daughter, at the Marina Del Ray Distribution Center. In Pearl White. What a beautiful car. Welcome to the 21st Century!

My wife observed that red did not look as good on a Model 3 as on the Model S.

I'd never thought about that, but I tend to agree.

Thoughts?

Red is definitely the hottest color for the Model S.

I'm not recalling any Model X's in red---

 

[Carnook]

Model S in red or white
Model 3 in blue
Model X in anything but black

 

[Vern Padgett]

Thanks Carnook.

Please tell me why.

I am not a Ph.D. in the psychology of perception, but close.

I ask because I've not considered why the shape of a car would be a factor in what its best color would be.

Why does Model X in black not look best?

Why does Model S in white or red look best?

Is there an objective, empirically-based answer?

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

My perception is the opposite - the red looks perfect with the smaller size and the proportions of the 3; it doesn’t work somehow on the larger S. It’s all personal taste, of course.

Red’s definitely very popular with the 3; in about an hour’s worth of driving on the East Bay yesterday, saw 4 other Red 3s apart from our own!

 

[Vern Padgett]

gg_got_a_tesla
thank you for that.
I'm totally ignorant on this.
I'm sure there is an Industrial Psychological literature on color and cars, but I do not know it.
I do know that we did not see any Model 3's with red paint.
I'm waiting to configure my Blue Star (Model 3), and am leaning heavily towards Midnight Silver-- might look more at RED after reading what you posted--- Thank you --- Vern

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Indeed, Vern. This particular comparison had us sold on the red:

Pictures of production Model 3s

We chose wisely!

The culmination of our Tesla (acquisition) journey!

The midnight silver looks nice too; that was our second preference although we found it to be a bit dull in the end.

 

[TaoJones]

While I’m quite partial to the midnight silver, in part due to the blue flecks visible in direct sunlight, and while absolutely not a fan of red cars in general, if I owned a red car it would be the Tesla red.

Which I thought started out as a Toyota color but maybe not. Either way, there’s something about the red, especially with the white interior, that works nicely. And again, not a fan of red cars.

Have been holding out hope for a similar home run with the next blue.

Will have to stare intently at the next couple of red M3s to see if they don’t look as nice.

There was a hot pink wrapped Model S recently at an SC - replete with lightning bolts on the hood. First saw it a few years ago at Culver City. With all due respect to everyone’s color choices in life, I can’t help the involuntary *cringe* every time I see that one.

But I bet it would look great in red .

 

[iluvmacs]

I have a red 3 and think it looks stunning. I am so happy with Tesla's red. The blue is a close second. I think red edges it out due to the better contrast with the darker parts of the vehicle (aero wheels and dark tinted roof).

 

[Electroman]

Red looks stunning on the 3. Though I am a bit partial to the blue, red is very close to my preference.

Take a look at this random sighting video and tell me what you think?

 

[Big Dog]

attended a meet up in The OC, and fortunately several folks brought the Teslas, new and old, including 3 3's. Seeing the red in person outdoors closed the deal for me. (The blue is my second choice, but only with white interior.)

 

[drawfour]

Red looks stunning on the 3. Though I am a bit partial to the blue, red is very close to my preference.

That's some dark tint on the windows. I know I don't want black or white, because they typically show dirt too much. I had a "Silverstone" Nissan 350Z back in the day, which hides dirt quite well, but doesn't really stand out and sometimes on overcast/rainy days, I felt that I was hard to see. But I've been debating between red, blue, and silver/gray. I think I'm leaning towards red.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Have seen both Red and light Silver Model 3's.

Light silver one had the new 20" wheels. Very classy.

Would be proud to own either one.

 

[jomo25]

Having seen all the colors, Red and White 3s are best IMHO. We were set on Red and arent’ disappointed in any way. We saw white ones when we picked ours up and they looked sharp. But with a White X already, we weren’t going to go with White. Actually, I think Red looks good with the Aero covers too, which we have and so far are sticking with.

 

[Boourns]

For me it was always going to be red or blue. My wife and I decided I get blue and she will get her red Y or X down the road.

Here's a red I spotted late last year versus my blue.

 

[SMAlset]

I've been between red and white for my Model 3. Back and forth many times. White was my first color choice but then I saw a number of red Model 3s and would change my mind. I think Tesla's multi-coat red is very sharp. Not a red-orangey color. It makes the car look fun and sporty. About a month ago I would have picked red without hesitation. Then I saw one at night in a parking lot under some parking lot lights. Wasn't such a big fan of it at that point. To me it get dull looking on cloudy days or in the evening. In the sunlight, Wow just makes me fall in love with it again. BTW some people are color blind and red can be a hard color for them. My friend is like that. He bought a pair of those spectral glasses and was blown away by seeing things in a totally different way. Red seems to be a hot color choice in cars these days. Maybe because it's a color I'm considering I'm noticing a lot of red cars of various shades on the road.

White is white. Always looks the same. See a lot of white cars here in California too. Easy to see at night (unless you live in snow which we don't). I'm sure it shows dirt sooner than any of the other colors. We live in a hot summer area so I was thinking white might be nice this go round. I also wanted something to look nice with our MS that's midnight silver. Love that color on our MS but didn't want twins. I think the white will look nicer with the gray than the red, at least in the evening. We have a brownish house. Yeah, considered that too with both of them outside in the driveway. Also I'm not a fan of white interior seats so will be getting that in black and I like the oreo coloring better than red and black which I know is popular with a lot of people too. So it's going to be pearl white...at least this week. Color definitely influences people and a lot of money and research goes into packing and chosing the right color. At least with the Tesla, you know what's under the paint is great!

 

[S3XY]

For me it was always going to be red or blue. My wife and I decided I get blue and she will get her red Y or X down the road.

Here's a red I spotted late last year versus my blue.
View attachment 289436 View attachment 289437 View attachment 289438 View attachment 289439

We will likely be the opposite as my red 3 is on the way and plan on getting a Y down the road. Since the Y will be hers it'll be her choice of colors but I have to think that blue will be high on the list.

 

[suwaneedad]

gg_got_a_tesla
thank you for that.
I'm totally ignorant on this.
I'm sure there is an Industrial Psychological literature on color and cars, but I do not know it.
I do know that we did not see any Model 3's with red paint.
I'm waiting to configure my Blue Star (Model 3), and am leaning heavily towards Midnight Silver-- might look more at RED after reading what you posted--- Thank you --- Vern

I have no qualifications on this topic, but have found over the years that I have a greater and greater appreciation of ratios. I think it started with eating an Oreo vs a 'double stuff' Oreo. The ratios are out of whack on the latter. Taking that ratio concept to paint colors, I think it has a lot to do with the 'square footage' of body paint vs 'square footage' of dark wheel, dark glass, light glass, dark glass roof (if equipped), chrome, the various lines and the colors of each, and so forth. Ratios ratios ratios.

 

[Vern Padgett]

There was a hot pink wrapped Model S recently at an SC - replete with lightning bolts on the hood. First saw it a few years ago at Culver City. With all due respect to everyone’s color choices in life, I can’t help the involuntary *cringe* every time I see that one. But I bet it would look great in red .

That car was at the Culver City Supercharger yesterday! Sort of a purple-pink, no?

We were charging our Model 3. We'd just picked it up at the Marina Del Rey distribution center, with 45% charge.

I talked to the owner-- I'd talked to him about a year ago at the Hawthorne Supercharger. He's from New Zealand.

At first I thought it was a factory pink one from the first year (weeks?) of production, owned by one of the original purchasers of Model S. We talked with him at the Los Angeles Tesla Motor Club Tea about a year ago, in Pasadena.

 

[Vern Padgett]

I have no qualifications on this topic, but have found over the years that I have a greater and greater appreciation of ratios. I think it started with eating an Oreo vs a 'double stuff' Oreo. The ratios are out of whack on the latter. Taking that ratio concept to paint colors, I think it has a lot to do with the 'square footage' of body paint vs 'square footage' of dark wheel, dark glass, light glass, dark glass roof (if equipped), chrome, the various lines and the colors of each, and so forth. Ratios ratios ratios.

That makes good sense. A car with a solid black roof (like Model 3) and minimal chrome is going to look different in black paint (or white) than the same paint on a car that has different ratios of black and chrome-- thanks for the insight.

 

[TaoJones]

That car was at the Culver City Supercharger yesterday! Sort of a purple-pink, no?

We were charging our Model 3. We'd just picked it up at the Marina Del Rey distribution center, with 45% charge.

I talked to the owner-- I'd talked to him about a year ago at the Hawthorne Supercharger. He's from New Zealand.

At first I thought it was a factory pink one from the first year (weeks?) of production, owned by one of the original purchasers of Model S. We talked with him at the Los Angeles Tesla Motor Club Tea about a year ago, in Pasadena.

Well, go figure - that car was at the Hawthorne SC yesterday as well.

That was my original thought too - must have been one of those custom-painted cars for whatever it cost back then - $16K I think. Back then it had a Pepperdine license frame. Then I saw the hood. Gotta be a wrap; I should have looked more closely.

Here are a couple of images from the scene of the crime yesterday . I will say this - you can't not see this car. Right up there with Day-Glo Orange. Quite the achievement, in that context.

Congrats for the new Model 3, btw.

Addendum: I do like what he did with the nosecone. The picture doesn't do it justice.