Who enjoys their White Model S? Is Black better?

[petero]

We love our standard white "S" with tan leather interior and obeche gloss. White is easier to maintain and does not show the swirls and small scratches like black. We have two black cars. White is also a safer color being more visible at night. One negative to all MS, probably due to areodynamics, dust and dirt gather at the rear adjacent to the license plate. It will also be visible in black too and not so bad on grey or silver.

We chose the standard white over the pearl and used the $1500 for the pano sunroof. It looks very rich and unless you are in the bright sun, five feet away, you can hardly tell the difference.

 

[yobigd20]

Can't go wrong with either. I love both the white and black. I think almost all the colors Tesla has selected look awesome. IMO, the only two colors that do not look good, are the signature red (gasp! sorry, but I really don't like it), and silver. But for me, black *really* shines. Sure it doesn't hide dirt as much (edit: or at all, lol), but damn does it look good when it is clean.

 

[mknox]

This is a very personal decision and in my case, I really think it depends on the vehicle. I've seen cars that look great to me in white and horrible in black and vice versa. I tend to lean towards darker colors, but they are absolutely horrible to keep clean. They show every spec of dirt, every scratch and swirl in the paint, but look fantastic when cleaned and polished.

I personally don't care for Model S in either white or silver. I like it in the darker colors of (in order) Blue, Grey and Black. I really liked the Signature Red too.

 

[RKM]

Yes, black cars stay clean for about 10 minutes. Black has a classic look that will never look dated (IMO). Here's a black car on white background.

 

[mknox]

Yes, black cars stay clean for about 10 minutes. Black has a classic look that will never look dated (IMO). Here's a black car on white background.

Nice. How do you get it so clean in the winter?!? I run mine through touchless car washes, but they do a mediocre job at best. I'm guessing you have a heated garage or workspace to detail the car in.

 

[StephenM]

White shows the lines of the MS beautifully, and is easier to care for than black. I have the tan interior with matte obeche and it looks very classy

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Black is both the best and the worst color for a nice car. I've owned several black sports cars. They look fantastic when they're clean, reflecting the environment like a mirror. The downside with black is that it will quickly show dust, while other colors won't. My rule of thumb is this: if it's a car that you only bring out on nice days, black is a great choice. The Model S looks very handsome in black (not to mention blue or gray)!

Silver is one of the most forgiving colors, as far as looking clean even when it isn't. It could be said, though, that silver is not the most dramatic color for the Model S.

Since I intended to use my Model S as an every day car, I thought white might be a smart choice. By chance, one of the Tesla stores I visited had a pearl white Model S on the floor. I knew immediately it was the color I wanted. The metallic pearl paint gives the car an added glow. In addition, I like the way the black nose stands out against the white body, while it tends to blend in on a dark colored car.

Beyond practical considerations, each color sends a message. To me, the color white represents the future, and I like that.

 

[SCW-Greg]

All good input here on the pros and cons of white vs black. I'll add one more thing...
Some cars beg to be in black, while others shouldn't be.

Toyota Corolla, Camry - in black... Meh.

While high-end automobiles like the BMW, Mercedes, Maybach, and the Model S have that sophistication that carry so well in black.

 

[contaygious]

I just came from a black car and I thought it looked clean, but seems dusty in comparison to my white s. white shows the lines really well too. Black is nice, but less flashy. I always had dark cars before so went white. I also love the cf and white contrast with the dark rims.

If you like chrome then black is the way to go because it draws your eyes to the chrome trim vs. the white where its less noticeable.

 

[Kipernicus]

White is glorious on a sunny morning, positive, upbeat, pretty.

Love my white!

 

[mknox]

Maybe my predilection towards darker colors comes from the fact that when I grew up in South Florida in the early '60s every single car was white. People used to stick goofy balls and things on their aerials just so they could find their car in a parking lot awash in white vehicles. Air conditioning wasn't as popular, and I guess white was somewhat cooler.

 

[rogbmw]

Love our white 85.

 

[joefee]

Perf Sig White Leather, Pearl White w/CF….doesn’t get any better for me!

 

[TimothyM96]

Thank you so much everyone, especially the ones that posted pictures. I think I will be going with the White MS, but again it is just my personal taste. I may go with this interior as well, gives it the "sporty" look in my opinion. But, I think I will have to see the White in person when I go for the test drive next week (can't wait!).

 

[shokunin]

All good input here on the pros and cons of white vs black. I'll add one more thing...
Some cars beg to be in black, while others shouldn't be.

Toyota Corolla, Camry - in black... Meh.

Totally agree. I saw a black honda odyssey the other day and it just looked out of place. With the thousands of Odysseys out there I see a ton of white and silver. Very hard to see swirls on metallic silver, but on black, good luck keeping it clean on a minivan.

 

[joer00]

Moved from a pearl black Audi A5 to pearl white P85. It was originally a tough decission between black, gray and white. But the white especially with the gray 21 wheels, the black pano and the CF spoiler looks super awesome. AND after 2 weeks of driving and no washing it still looks like new. The Audi I had to wash every 3 days !

 

[NuclearPowered]

I see the problem with black, as demonstrated by pictures in this thread, is the contrast between the tire and paint.

It doesn't look as good when the tires are not fresh and shiny. They have that dull black color that detracts from the overall look of the car and stands out from the shiny black paint.

 

[neroden]

Hey all -

I have been lurking the forums for a bit and I'm currently in a dilemma. I will be test driving the Model S soon before I make purchase, but I wanted to get owners opinions. If you have a White Model S, have you found any problems with the car? Does it hide dirt quite well?

I love it. I got white for lack of heat gain, and because it was the only pale color available (which was a bit of a WTF, actually -- there should be at least one pale color other than white).

No color really hides the dirt on model S; it appears that Model S has aerodynamics which kick dirt onto the back third of the car extremely aggressively. Your car WILL be dirty, period. When the weather is actually *bad*, I've had to clean the rear camera off repeatedly.

If you really want to hide the dirt, you probably have to get one of the dirt-colored cars. Grey. Maybe brown if your local dirt is brown.

Edit: to be clear, the white looks beautiful even WITH the dirt. People are coming up and admiring it, and the back is covered with grime, which is funny. Somehow the dirt looks "artistic" or like I just finished running a race, on the white background.

 

[mjjvandenbosch]

Ordered a pearlwhite one (EU Sig Perf Plus #422)

Last car was silver, 3 black before that........Went with WHITE......Love it!

Is the interior also white. I would love a picture ?

 

[JerryNycom]

My interior is Tan.....