Experience with Piano Black decor?

Yes, it collects fingerprints.

Yes, it's very very shiny. So much so that sunlight comes through trees or buildings and reflecting off the piano black on the passenger side into my eyes has been a definite distraction while driving.

I love it, though, and wouldn't choose differently. For me the Model S is a sports car and the piano black gives the interior a high-class sleekness. I don't think of my car as a "luxury sedan" and think the various wood options are too old-school and more Cadillac than Corvette.

I don't have any pics at the moment. Maybe later if I get a chance to wipe off those fingerprints. :wink:

I have the Obeche Gloss interior (I prefer that over the matt finish) and it really shows fingerprints too. I keep a microfiber cloth with me for the screens, but find myself using it on this trim as well.

I choose Obeche matt and I love the look. I would have preferred cloth seats but I got leather because I did not care for shiny gloss black reflecting light back at me. At the time, in 2012, the only way to get a matte trim was with leather.

I ordered the piano black for the same reason as colasec; I thought the other options look kind of old schoolish (excpet carbon fiber but I didn't get the performance edition). I hope it turns out ok as far as the glare issue and can let you know when my car comes.

Colasec, do you think a tint job could help with the glare issue?

Love the black, it makes the rest of the interior look very classy and we keep a micro fiber cloth in the glove box to wipe both the piano and touch screen. To me with the tan interior and black if you introduce another material and color it look cluttered.

I have had my black Model S with black interior and piano black trim for about 5 months now. I just was not super fond of the other materials and thought the sleek, uncluttered look of the piano material was more in line with the car's aesthetic. I have to say, I love it, and even though I live in sunny SoCal, I have not noticed any issues with glare. Re fingerprints, for the most part the piano material is not in locations where you touch much with your fingers. For the occasional smudge such as near the ac vents, I just use the screen cleaning cloth I keep handy in the CCi from Teslaccessories.com. I did get the carbon fiber deck on the CCI, since I knew that deck - being a flat surface - would get more things placed on it and more finger smudge action than the vertical surfaces. My area is teeming with Model S and I've seen lots of configurations. Frankly, they are all gorgeous, and obviously this is a matter of personal taste, but to the OP's original question, if I were ordering again, I would get the same set up.

Ditto , Ditto and +1, I also chose the piano black for its simple elegance with the tan interior, micro fiber cloth required for the touch screen anyway and a quick wipe of the piano black keeps it looking great, LOVE IT would not change.

I got piano black because it was the only non-wood choice for an S85. (I would have paid extra for carbon fibre, but not $12K extra.) Fingerprints haven't been a problem but no kids. It scratches easily (at least someone managed to put a small scratch on it during a show. The look is great and I'm glad I got it. The reflections aren't as bad as I feared.

Jonathan Hewitt said:

Colasec, do you think a tint job could help with the glare issue?

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I got my windows tinted immediately after delivery, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I would think so. The only time the reflection has bothered me is when I've been driving past trees or something else that causes the sunlight to flicker; its flickering reflection off the piano black has appeared like movement in my peripheral vision. I can't drive with the rearview camera on either, for the same reason.

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As requested. The lighting is poor since I'm inside the car inside my garage. Plus, it turns out a shiny black surface is a hard thing to photograph.

I have the piano black interior and think it is very classy. Love it. No regrets.

Cheers.

@Thorbjorn and @JonathanHewitt, I took this quick video this morning - hope it helps.

I have piano black trim and it looks great to me. I have not had problems with fingerprints. I guess neither me nor my kids touch the trim area much My bigger problem has been dust on the trim which shows easily. I am sure it reflects a lot but I don't notice it at all while driving. Here is a picture, and you can see reflection from one of the interior lights on the trim:



If I were to order another Model S, I would definitely get piano black trim again. It looks beautiful, and I am not crazy about wood or carbon fiber trim in a car at all. If Tesla offered brushed aluminium, I would cosnider it as well seriously.

Colasec said:

@Thorbjorn and @JonathanHewitt, I took this quick video this morning - hope it helps.

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Well, it depends on what you mean by helped...I was trying to focus on the "reflections" but all I could think about was how your car was cruising along silently with some nice music playing in the background...and I was reminded how amazing the Model S is and it brought me back to the day I did a test drive. I need my car!! At least I got my bill of sale today via Fed Ex. I'm getting close!

Oh, and thanks for the video! It really helped. I think the piano black looks awesome, even with the reflections.

Now everything BUT piano black costs more. More reason for people to go with Piano Black

I love my Piano Black. No problem with fingerprints because you don't really touch it. Yes, it will show them, but I've found that once you clean it off you can avoid touching it pretty easily. It will show scratches, but again as long as you clean it carefully with a microfiber cloth, you should be OK.

I had the matte obeche as a P85 loaner and preferred my piano black (same interior--black leather), but to each his own...

Piano black looks fantastic in my car with the Alcantara roof liner and grey leather. Does it collect finger prints? Yes, but I do not see the reason to touch it therefore it does not happen often

allanhof said:

Piano black looks fantastic in my car with the Alcantara roof liner and grey leather. Does it collect finger prints? Yes, but I do not see the reason to touch it therefore it does not happen often

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Dust is more of a problem than fingerprints, and yes, it does look great when clean. But you can't get scratches out of it. I like it far better than the wood trim, but had I a choice when I purchased the car I would have spent the extra for carbon fibre (carbon fibre was linked to performance when I purchased. As I didn't want anything else in the performance model, $12K extra was a bit much just for the CF).