Review my choices

I will always vote for 'color' over monochrome shades. Any of them, but I prefer green. Red and brown are great, and blue is good too, although quite dark.

If you go grey in color, I would recommend dark rims. And I dislike dark rims. But on the grey car they just look stellar.

So basically either 19" wheels with grey metallic or 21" with black paint?

Depends on what you'll use it for. I have ours for roadtrips with the kids and commuting, and for that 19" is better for comfort, durability and range, so for me that choice was obvious.

As for factory delivery: yes, do it. It's a fun experience and driving to LA with superchargers is a breeze, you even have a choice of quick and boring I-5 or more scenic 101.

IanH88 said:

I'm on the verge of placing my order with Tesla, I don't need the car until July 1 due to my current lease running until then, but I want to make sure I get the order placed in plenty of time. Here are the specs that I'm thinking of, any comments welcomed;

85
Grey Metallic
Pano Roof
19" Silver Cyclones
Tan Leather
Carbon Fiber Decor
Tech Package
Parking Sensors
Hi Fidelity Sound


or

85
Black Solid Paint
Pano Roof
21" Grey Turbines
Tan Leather
Carbon Fiber Decor
Tech Package
Parking Sensors
Hi Fidelity Sound

As I've been reading the forums I've also been considering tinting and some kind of wrap after delivery, I'm not really into modding, but LOVE some of the looks I've seen that some people have achieved!

I'm also considering a factory collection and then driving straight home to LA after collection....has anyone done this, experiences would be welcomed!

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What are your preferences? I'm partial to the 21's (see sig), but I love the look and the wear difference / longevity was a trade off for it. It's really personal preference IMO.

Going with 19" wheels helps with a bit more range and better tire life so I would pick the Grey car. I know alot of people are going to disagree, but the aero wheels look like they were made specificly for the grey car so if they are available take a look at them.

It looks like it mostly comes down to color and wheels, then, both pretty personal choices. We can't offer much on the color. The 21"s are going to have a harsher ride, be louder, wear through tires faster, and are in greater danger of damage from curbs and potholes. The 19"s are cushier, quieter, and provide a little more headroom for damage. Ignoring looks as a personal choice, the tradeoff is performance. The 21"s have summer tires and better grip, while the 19"s carry all-seasons.

Given you're smitten with the look of the 21"s (noted by the selection of 19" Cyclones), the choice is more difficult. If you're already commited to paying $2500 for wheels and like the look, I'd be pretty tempted to just do it all the way and get the 21"s. Then again, the performance tires you're paying A LOT for over the life of the car may not make the investment worthwhile, depending upon your driving style.

Factory delivery is fun, and the drive back to LA would give you time to get acquianted with the car. If you're schedule is flexible (delivery dates change), I'd recommend it.

Color is your choice, but I would go for the 19" wheels (comfort, durability), air suspension (you didnt specify), tech, pano (you are in So Cal), park sensors, hi fi.

And by all means do the factory pickup - excellent introduction to how your Model S was manufactured, and a chance to experience the convenience of Supercharging on your way home!

Very nice choices, Ian.

Consider the Silver exterior if you go with the 19" cyclones.
And I recommend twin chargers, even if they are paired with the High Power Wall Connector.

grey is great for hiding dirt. Black not so
driving in wet weather my car still looks pretty good.

21" look good. 19"s ride better, handle better and there are way more options.

Having just had two blow outs on my 21"s, if I were to buy again today, I might go with the 19" cyclones. I have yet to see them in person on a car though.
I love grey with the silver wheels and black interior.

Owner said:

Having just had two blow outs on my 21"s, if I were to buy again today, I might go with the 19" cyclones. I have yet to see them in person on a car though.
I love grey with the silver wheels and black interior.

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They look ok but some don't like the staggered look. I'd really prefer a true 19" turbine option from Tesla. Maybe someday.

^ What everyone else has said. I have the grey metallic and have no regrets, I still love the color. Our other car is black, and it unquestionably looks awesome for the 30 minutes after it's been washed, then the pollen or some other crud in the air lands on it, and it looks less awesome. I have the 19" wheels (not the cyclones, wasn't an option back then), and have CONSTANT regrets about not getting the grey turbines, but I know I would have curbed them at least 4 times by now (I'm keeping count - helps me feel a bit better about the 19's!), and at least 1 set of tires. The easy compromise for you would be to get the mett grey and cyclones, and then get them powdercoated - as mentioned above, the darker wheels do look cool on the grey.

If the differences are for budgetary reasons (i.e. you're using the money you save by by going from grey paint to black to upgrade from 19" to 21" wheels) be advised that 21" wheels are also quite a bit more expensive to maintain.

You could replace the stock 19s with the 19 black Rial Luganos. Those have the look of the Tesla 21s, but the benefits of 19s. I saw them in person on xhawk101's MC red at Cars & Coffee and they look amazing.

IanH88 said:

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I'm probably going to go with the Grey with 19" wheels....I may go with stock wheels and then get some aftermarket ones. I'd love to say I'd keep the 21's in pristine condition but I've scraped my wheels a few times on my current car and know I'll do the same with the Tesla after a while. The extra range / ride swings it for me over the looks.

Any thoughts on the grey / tan combination?

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grey is probably good w/carbon. I have black leather/lacewood since I had grey leather in my last car

I think tan goes okay with any color but it is quite yellow for me. If I didn't go with black interior, I would have gone with grey not tan, but that is a very personal color choice for me.

I am very happy with my grey/black. Haven't had any issues with heat in the summer, but it isn't particularly hot here.

I remember when looking at this, a huge % of buyers did choose tan.

IanH88 said:

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I'm probably going to go with the Grey with 19" wheels....I may go with stock wheels and then get some aftermarket ones. I'd love to say I'd keep the 21's in pristine condition but I've scraped my wheels a few times on my current car and know I'll do the same with the Tesla after a while. The extra range / ride swings it for me over the looks.

Any thoughts on the grey / tan combination?

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We bought our Grey Model S used so I really did not pick the interior. It came with Grey leather which goes really well with the Grey exterior. Like Owner, I think tan would be my last choice for a Grey car, but that is a personal decision. If I were ordering new I would go with the textile seats, because leather of any color retains my body heat too well and I end up sweating alot.

IanH88 said:

I'm on the verge of placing my order with Tesla, I don't need the car until July 1 due to my current lease running until then, but I want to make sure I get the order placed in plenty of time. Here are the specs that I'm thinking of, any comments welcomed;

Click to expand...

The 21s will give you nothing but grief; you'll be burning through tires and damaging your rims constantly. If you plan to drive the car, rather than just show it off, get the 19s. Of course, if the looks are worth the thousands of extra dollars in replacements and repairs, go ahead, get the 21s, who am I to talk you out of it.

IanH88 said:

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I'm probably going to go with the Grey with 19" wheels....I may go with stock wheels and then get some aftermarket ones. I'd love to say I'd keep the 21's in pristine condition but I've scraped my wheels a few times on my current car and know I'll do the same with the Tesla after a while. The extra range / ride swings it for me over the looks.

Any thoughts on the grey / tan combination?

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I have the Grey/tan and I could not be happier, as it blends in with the (fabric) headliner color.
I also have the obeche gloss dash, and they are changing it to now for the grain be horizontal in lieu of my vertical grain.
Either the matte or gloss finish obeche seem to go well with the tan.

I have the 21's, and regrettably concur that they are prone to scuffing curbs.