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Why is Black the least popular color?

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by eethan, Feb 6, 2019.

  1. Candleflame

    Candleflame Active Member

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    Ive got black and it is a nightmare to keep clean. Dust and waterspots are a big issue.
    But it looks sick when freshly cleaned.
     
  2. Whitehawk

    Whitehawk Member

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    Wichita, Ks
    Anybody who has owned a black car understands why black is the least popular color...plus the fact that Tesla paint applications tend to be subpar...which really shows up on black painted surfaces.
     
    • Like x 1
    • Disagree x 1
  3. Sisko99

    Sisko99 Member

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    My Cayman S was black...and despite loving the car, it being black was a nightmare. For the 30-45 seconds that it was clean....it looked amazing, but after that you saw ever spec of dirt and dust that landed on it. Within what felt like 5 minutes, it was just as dirty as it was before it was washed. When I first got the car, I was washing it every other day.....but I got tired of it and swore I'd never own another black car.

    My incoming M3P is white. Somewhere along the line (before I owned the Cayman), I determined that I loved the look of a white car with black trim. Looks amazing.....and light colored cars don't show general dirt as much as darker cars do. They also don't show nicks in the paint as much (hey..industry standard white primer....) which always pissed me off! My first Z was blue...and while I loved that color so much, it showed nicks like turning on a flashlight at night.
     
    • Informative x 1
  4. Let's Drive

    Let's Drive Member

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    Go with what you like. I've previously owned a black car and have no desire to do it again. Black looks great when clean, but that's probably because most don't do it (well enough). But then again, a clean car stands out, regardless of color. It really comes down to personal preference, but for me, it's a high-maintenance color, in a vehicle I partially bought for low maintenance. That and I just wanted something different this time around (on both the interior and exterior).
     
    • Like x 1
  5. JBT66

    JBT66 Member

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    I picked up the black when it was the default. I probably would have went with white if there wasn’t a price difference. I live in AZ so the white would have been nice.

    I do love the car either way. And yes she is gorgeous when she’s clean.
     
  6. Spacep0d

    Spacep0d Member

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    I like black cars. I've owned black cars. Too hard to keep clean, and the way these SoCal summers are going I'm not going to own a black car anytime soon. I prefer white vehicles with black accents and black wheels. Cool, cheaper default paint (for Tesla), looks amazing, shows lines well, I never get tired of it. I have a feeling that people in warm areas might feel the same, even if they have others wash their cars for them.
     
  7. LACALawyer

    LACALawyer Banned

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    Never buying a black car again.
     
    • Like x 3
    • Funny x 1
  8. dinonugget

    dinonugget Member

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    Bought a black car once. Even though it looked its best for a couple days after a car wash, I could never get rid of the swirl marks from waxing and washing. Not to mention that every last nick and scratch was visible, along with every speck of dust.

    Having a black car is like taking the piano black from the Model 3/Y center console and making it the outside of the car.

    I don't dislike the color black, but I don't think I can stand owning another black car in my life.
     
    • Like x 2
  9. EmOne

    EmOne Member

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    Funny one. I thought just like you; maybe I got *sugar* paint job on the rear bumper, but I, at 4500 miles, already have a severe case of "black acne" chipped paint just behind the L rear wheel (R side not nearly so bad for some reason) with worst being 3mm of bare plastic. The latter is good in that it won't rust, bad in that my first attempt with Dr. Colorchip got me nowhere. Maybe they didn't use any primer on my bumper. If I get energetic, maybe I will complain, but seems like Tesla not very responsive on any cosmetics that weren't reported in first hour.
     
  10. novox77

    novox77 1.21 Gigawatts

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    Optimum No Rinse (aka ONR)
     
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  11. coolmanfever

    coolmanfever Member

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    toronto
    If I have no budget, I would wrap my car into matte black and call it a day
     
  12. drdumont

    drdumont Member

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    Color is indeed a personal preference. But I have noted that the Model 3 examples on the website and 'most any time I see a pic of a Tesla, Model 3s are red. Not so much the other models.

    While picking up my red M3, my wife saw the blue ones in the mid day Texas sun. Game over.
     
  13. Candleflame

    Candleflame Active Member

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    i actually think the Tesla blue looks a bit shitty in direct sunlight but it looks ammazzzing in the dark or when its cloudy. Same with the red actually.
     
  14. drdumont

    drdumont Member

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    Kind of strong, wot?
    The first time I saw the matte finish, I thought the poor car had been vandalized. Apparently some folks like the sandblasted look.
    As I said, personal preference.
     
  15. TLLMRRJ

    TLLMRRJ Active Member

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    True. I saw lots of examples of black being poorly applied by Tesla. They made have improved, but the reputation may still be a problem.
     
  16. TLLMRRJ

    TLLMRRJ Active Member

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    Weird. I find it the other way around with my red Model 3. It really pops in a bright sunny day.
     
    • Like x 1
  17. drdumont

    drdumont Member

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    North Texas
    As do both of mine. Maybe the Australian sun has different chromatic/reflective properties. Mine surely "pop" on a bright sunny Texas day.
     

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