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Need help from Pearl White owners!

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Hey all,

I live in NorCal and I'm about to confirm my order, but I am torn on the which color to go with. I really like the new steel grey, but at the same time I'm just IN LOVE with the depth and smoothness of the pearl white. I know that everyone I talk to in person says to "never by a white car due to how EVERYTHING shows up on it". I understand their opinions, but am wanting to get the feedback from actual owners of the pearl white! I guess I'm being overly optimistic that since the pearl white is multi-coat that dirt and stuff won't show up as much as the standard white?

I would appreciate your feedback!
 
Hey all,

I live in NorCal and I'm about to confirm my order, but I am torn on the which color to go with. I really like the new steel grey, but at the same time I'm just IN LOVE with the depth and smoothness of the pearl white. I know that everyone I talk to in person says to "never by a white car due to how EVERYTHING shows up on it". I understand their opinions, but am wanting to get the feedback from actual owners of the pearl white! I guess I'm being overly optimistic that since the pearl white is multi-coat that dirt and stuff won't show up as much as the standard white?

I would appreciate your feedback!

No major issues here. It shows dirt, but it can take a layer of general road dust without looking horrible. It's when you get the nasties like mud and bird crap that it obviously shows more.

I actually find black cars show dirt more than white. My all time favorite is silver for neutral dirt showage (new word, whatever). I'd think a gray would show dirt more than a white, but that new steel does look awesome when clean.
 
I agree with AnOutsider. Dark colored cars (which is most of Tesla's color lineup) show dirt more than white or silver. In fact, a black car will show dust only a few hours after it's washed. If you go with white, by all means spend a bit more for Pearl White. The Model S looks fantastic in Pearl White, particularly in bright sunlight...


PearlTeslaModelSmed.jpg
 
Thanks ToddR! I read your original Pearl White thread as well! Do you have and regrets, complaints, on choosing the Pearl White now that you have owned it for over a year? Would you choose a different interior color instead of black leather as well? Did you put an aftermarket opticoat on it to protect it?
 
I know that everyone I talk to in person says to "never by a white car due to how EVERYTHING shows up on it". !

I beg to disagree. I have owned both dark-colored and white cars over 5 decades of ownership and I find I have to wash the dark-colored cars more often. Heavy dirt (mud, slush) will always be noticeable regardless of car color but the most common dirt accumulation is dust and this shows up more in dark cars. Sometimes, I decide to clean my car not on the basis of body dirt but by indirect evidence presented by the wheels. Having it coated or wrapped is an added bonus because strong rain is almost like a free car wash (but you still have to wipe). By the way I have a tan interior based on reasoning shared with the white exterior: heat reflectivity versus heat absorption.
 
Yes my Sequoia Green shows dust and fingerprints instantly...I was flabbergasted one time when a Pearl White owner showed me how he could wipe several weeks worth of road dust off his Tesla's flanks, and you couldn't even tell it was there. My car would have looked chalky white in the same condition. Thank goodness for the California Car Duster! I might consider Pearl White or Silver for my Model X, based on this alone.
 
By the way I have a tan interior based on reasoning shared with the white exterior: heat reflectivity versus heat absorption.

I definitely want the heat reflectivity instead of the absorption, but I just know how it would look in person with a white car and tan interior. You like your tan interior with the white after owning now for a long period of time?
 
I definitely want the heat reflectivity instead of the absorption, but I just know how it would look in person with a white car and tan interior. You like your tan interior with the white after owning now for a long period of time?

I've seen that color combo on an S and it looks fantastic. Seriously considered it but ended up with silver/grey which looks great and is easy to keep looking clean.
 
I had a pearl loaner for a couple of days and it seemed ok but the weather was decent.

now I have a regular white loaner. First day I drove it to work and it had dust that got fog drips on it. my friend asked why the car was so dirty?

grey is awesome, silver is probably pretty good too.

black bad, white bad


...my neighbor bought my black Rav4, I came home last night and he was washing it (does so every 3-4 days maybe)
he said 'man, you should have said something about black cars'
I said 'sorry, the bees make it worse but the white car I am driving is just as bad as black.'
 
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Hey all,

I live in NorCal and I'm about to confirm my order, but I am torn on the which color to go with. I really like the new steel grey, but at the same time I'm just IN LOVE with the depth and smoothness of the pearl white. I know that everyone I talk to in person says to "never by a white car due to how EVERYTHING shows up on it". I understand their opinions, but am wanting to get the feedback from actual owners of the pearl white! I guess I'm being overly optimistic that since the pearl white is multi-coat that dirt and stuff won't show up as much as the standard white?

I would appreciate your feedback!
I've owned white and black cars...the black one showed more dirt.
 
It's been less than a week since the arrival of my steel grey MS, but I absolutely already LOVE the car and the color. Pearl white was my second choice, but since my previous car was a pearl white ISF I decided to try something different. I will say based on that experience that the pearl white hides dust very well. You may second guess yourself a million times before the car arrives, but there is no wrong choice here. When your car arrives, the color you chose will be the right one.
 
Thanks ToddR! I read your original Pearl White thread as well! Do you have and regrets, complaints, on choosing the Pearl White now that you have owned it for over a year? Would you choose a different interior color instead of black leather as well? Did you put an aftermarket opticoat on it to protect it?

No, I would still choose the pearl white/black leather combination. I like the carbon fiber accents too. The gray interior is okay, but to me the tan interior looks too yellow. I wish they had a nice tobacco color leather. Black and the new gray are very nice exterior colors for the Model S, but they are more difficult to keep looking good.

I've been on the car show circuit for years and have owned & maintained several Ferraris. I do all of my own cosmetic maintenance. I highly recommend against the vinyl paint paint protection offered by Tesla. I'm not even a huge fan of car wax, except the liquid instant-detail variety. I hear good things about opticoat, but have not used it. My car has 25K miles and looks showroom new. I wash it carefully and use soft white towels to dry it. The towels get washed after every use.
 
Dont settle Jay. If you really like the pearl white, just order it. I just pulled the trigger yesterday and ordered the pearl white P85. if you love the car, color doesn't matter. I'm sure you'll make sure that your car is clean each time you take it out of your garage. =) I live in Daly City and when I get the car, i'll put on a blanket each nigh so it doesn't get cold. =)
 
My last few cars have been white, diamond white and current pearl white model S-85. I like the way they stay cleaner than darker colors. I also use one of those California Car Dusters in between weekly washes. Had my pull handles wrapped in pearl white as well to add to the look and eliminate fingerprinting. Since I wear shorts a lot here in SoCal, would never have anything but tan interior.
old burt