Which paint color to order- best quality?

[srs5694]

I specifically ordered Red, over Blue, because I thought it would be more rare. Which according to your chart it is. But last week I was driving home from Reno and saw 5 Model 3s, 3 of which were Red. So apparently it's not so rare around here.

Two points:

• That's a tiny sample size. With just five observations, the results will almost certainly be skewed by chance.
• You may be psychologically biased to notice red Model 3s, since you now own one. If so, that would further skew your observations.

That's not to say that there aren't regional variations in what colors are popular. I have no data on the issue, but I'd be surprised if there weren't.

 

[XLR82XS]

Get what you want and put PPF over it -- Tesla paint is notoriously delicate and will scratch very easily. This from someone who doesn't even have a VIN yet LOL

Had my PPF installed ASAP after delivery. BEST THING EVER for these cars and their fragile paint.
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[Dan203]

Two points:

• That's a tiny sample size. With just five observations, the results will almost certainly be skewed by chance.
• You may be psychologically biased to notice red Model 3s, since you now own one. If so, that would further skew your observations.

That's not to say that there aren't regional variations in what colors are popular. I have no data on the issue, but I'd be surprised if there weren't.

Yeah you're always kind of bias toward noticing the car you own. When I was considering blue I kept noticing those everywhere too. I think the big point here is that the Model 3 is a popular car. And with such a big price variation from low end to high end there is a lot of different drivers who own them.

The most unique car I ever owned was the BMW 135i. They only sold them for 3 years and they didn’t make very many each year so they were super rare to see on the road. (in 2008 when I bought it they only made 10k total) I had it for 8 years and it still got looks all the way to the end. It's fun having a unique car like that.

 

[KSilver2000]

Maybe then each neighborhood area has their own trend.
In my area, white is definitely the most common car color, especially with SUVs as I mentioned.
Just today at a SC, 5 of the 9 or so Tesla’s were white. I’ll take a picture next time I’m at one.

I said I’ll get a picture from one of my local SC stations next time I’m near one.
(There’s some ICE here because this SC is just EV priority parking, not Tesla specific).
But, you can see how popular white is in my region. I tried to take as wide a picture with my phone. But, just outside of this shot on the right side was another white BMW M3. Of course, this isn’t an accurate representative percentage of white cars, but it does represent which color is most common here.

 

[garey]

I have a black P3D-

Tesla’s black paint is terrible. It is solid black with a gloss finish. There is no metallic property to the paint to refract light. It’s a single coat, unlike white and red. The car reflects everything. The black color and reflection distract your eye from the shape of the body. It sucks. I got mine wrapped in stealth PPF in the end.

The white is beautiful, the red is beautiful.

Every Tesla service center and flat bed delivery truck are full of white Tesla’s right now. So if you want something less common, go with red.

 

[KenC]

FWIW, black was recently taken over by PPG paints while the other colors are still BASF. In general, I’ve found PPG to be of better quality for cars. Maybe with the issues in paint they will eventually switch them all to PPG.

Interesting, why did they switch? Because of the problems with black?

 

[jimbayne]

I assume the multi-coat white and multi-coat red are the best... because they are multi-coat... right?
I wanted to order a Y with blue but after reading the description and currently owning a Nissan Maxima that is blue and scratches at the sight of something sharp, I decided to stick with the no-charge multicoat white. Not a total fan of white black or grey because soooo many folks have those colors, but there is no way I am paying $1000 extra for blue if it is possible inferior paint to the included one.

So it would be nice to know if the white is really thicker... multi-coat...?

 

[acarney]

I assume the multi-coat white and multi-coat red are the best... because they are multi-coat... right?
I wanted to order a Y with blue but after reading the description and currently owning a Nissan Maxima that is blue and scratches at the sight of something sharp, I decided to stick with the no-charge multicoat white. Not a total fan of white black or grey because soooo many folks have those colors, but there is no way I am paying $1000 extra for blue if it is possible inferior paint to the included one.

So it would be nice to know if the white is really thicker... multi-coat...?

Everything scratches. I don’t wear rings and there are micro scratches around the door handle at less than six months from my hands or leather jacket (no zipper on the cuffs)! Deal with it... or, get it covered with paint protection film. I had my front end covered and it is by far the easiest cleaning and most forgiving surface for a car! No scratches at all, I don’t have to be ultra ultra careful with washing it, it looks gorgeous still... it’s the way to go.

 

[OCR1]

I spent $500 on ceramic coating for each of our black Model 3’s and they have both held up well after one year. But I would go with white now since it looks very nice and it is free.

 

[Scott7]

I've had a white Model 3 for almost a year now. No regrets.

Scratches simply aren't a concern. I've never owned a white car before so this is quite a revelation. I literally cannot see any scratches at all even up close in direct sunlight. It's amazing! While there are certainly other reasons in favor of PPF (such as rock chips) I could not justify that cost only to prevent daily life scratches from brushing against the car, washing it, etc, as those are effectively invisible even without PPF.

I also think the Model 3 design with it's lack of reflectors, plastic trim, grill, and other doodads found on most cars makes for a a great "clean" look. The darker colors loose that effect IMO.

The downside to white is it's the least unforgiving if you are unlucky enough to get a car that has issues with panel alignment. Touchup on pearl is also very difficult.