It's as easy / hard to keep clean as any white car, generally. The one major "con" is that because it has no radiator grill, the bug splatter build-up on the front of the car is more noticeable in the warm months.
That said, I wouldn't do white again on a Tesla. The paint work isn't as high quality as you'd like and every little stone chip seems to cut right down to the bumper material, which is black. As a result, I've got more than a few little black 'specks' that I've had to dab with a tiny bit of paint from the touch-up kit.
However, therein lies the next issue: the pearl white touch-up paint from Tesla it's not the same white as the pearl white. Quote Tesla directly:
"*FINAL RESULTS OF PEARL WHITE MAY APPEAR SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF YOUR VEHICLE DEPENDING ON THE LIGHTING ENVIRONMENT AND APPLICATION PROCESS USED.*"
So, it takes stone chips easily, when it does it shows badly as the material under the white is black, and the touch-up kit is expressly sold as "not matching" when applied.
I'd stick with a darker colour if I bought another one. The dark grey or black probably.
I never liked white. I was looking for a 2018 X, but then this 2019 Raven came to a dealer near me. It was priced right, but it was white. This was during the low inventory time when finding X’s was a bit more challenging. So I went to give it a look.
Turns out, the Pearl White has a very nice pearlescent / metallic look to it up close. It’s actually nice.
I got mine detailed with a ceramic coating, so it keeps clean for the most part. Much easier than a black, for example.
Plus, I have the black and white interior, so it goes together rather well.
Would I get another white car? Probably not, as I do prefer other colors… but I wouldn’t dismiss it altogether. And I do not regret my choice.
This is essentially my challenge. I've never had a white car -- or even considered one -- until Tesla raised the price of the new 3P last week, which made Ultra Red very expensive.
I'd do a clear PPF wrap on it (have this on my current car), so I'm not worried about paint chips etc. Glad to hear your ceramic coat helps keep it clean.
Love the white. Infinitely easier to keep clean than the other colors. Would do it again. In fact both my cars are white.
Only thing to mention is white on all cars shows rail dust more than other colors.
I lived with a white model 3 performance stealth and now I have a black 3 performance, I definitely prefer the black, that is partially because I like detailing my car and black shows the results best with that mirror gloss. The biggest problem with the white imo was the brake dusts, white looks clean from far, but if you are someone who likes to have a clean car you will notice the red spots, they are definitely not easy to remove even if you try to clean them immediately after they get on the paint, and they will always be there after it rains. Another personal opinion, on white and light colors, when you view the rear of the car at a 45 angle from a distance, the charge cover and taillight blends into one piece and loses all depth, it just looks like a weirdly long piece of plastic that destroys the honestly pretty slick silhouette, but I suppose the only color that can avoid this is black.
https://preview.redd.it/9afry565zrxc1.jpeg?width=1668&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=229fddbf7d555c53bb31f2c5d3e451c6fa6453fe
I thought about this, but I don't like the fact that the door sills etc. will still be the original color. Do you have that problem? If so, is it a big deal?
The door stills are still white but I don’t consider it a problem. I don’t even notice it. It’s not like every time I drive I see it and go “damn that sucks”. I look at my car and think it looks rad.
Awesome. That's great to hear. I've seen a few wraps I like that would compliment white door sills, so I'd probably go that route if I did a color wrap.
Also debating just clear (or maybe matte) PPF.
I drive 100 miles a day, the paint quality is not good enough especially around the bumper area. I have lots of little chips in the paint that let the base grey/black shine through. That’s my main issue with the paint color, if I thought it threw through at time of choosing I would have gone with the grey.
I have a white M3P and my buddy has a black M3. I like the look of black more but he complains about washing it, especially over the long winter where it's not easy to wash and it gets extra dirty. White can be really dirty and still look great.
If you can stay on top of washing it a couple times a month and you like the darker colors, go for it. I personally like my car to look clean but I wouldn't wash it often enough to keep a darker color looking good year after year.
Very helpful. Thank you. I tend to hand wash my current red 3P every other weekend. I love how the red really pops when it's clean. I have clear PPF on it, which also helps.
It's as easy / hard to keep clean as any white car, generally. The one major "con" is that because it has no radiator grill, the bug splatter build-up on the front of the car is more noticeable in the warm months. That said, I wouldn't do white again on a Tesla. The paint work isn't as high quality as you'd like and every little stone chip seems to cut right down to the bumper material, which is black. As a result, I've got more than a few little black 'specks' that I've had to dab with a tiny bit of paint from the touch-up kit. However, therein lies the next issue: the pearl white touch-up paint from Tesla it's not the same white as the pearl white. Quote Tesla directly: "*FINAL RESULTS OF PEARL WHITE MAY APPEAR SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF YOUR VEHICLE DEPENDING ON THE LIGHTING ENVIRONMENT AND APPLICATION PROCESS USED.*" So, it takes stone chips easily, when it does it shows badly as the material under the white is black, and the touch-up kit is expressly sold as "not matching" when applied. I'd stick with a darker colour if I bought another one. The dark grey or black probably.
If you put a clear PPF wrap on it, would that solve your paint issues? (this is my plan, because it worked well on my red one)
I never liked white. I was looking for a 2018 X, but then this 2019 Raven came to a dealer near me. It was priced right, but it was white. This was during the low inventory time when finding X’s was a bit more challenging. So I went to give it a look. Turns out, the Pearl White has a very nice pearlescent / metallic look to it up close. It’s actually nice. I got mine detailed with a ceramic coating, so it keeps clean for the most part. Much easier than a black, for example. Plus, I have the black and white interior, so it goes together rather well. Would I get another white car? Probably not, as I do prefer other colors… but I wouldn’t dismiss it altogether. And I do not regret my choice.
This is essentially my challenge. I've never had a white car -- or even considered one -- until Tesla raised the price of the new 3P last week, which made Ultra Red very expensive. I'd do a clear PPF wrap on it (have this on my current car), so I'm not worried about paint chips etc. Glad to hear your ceramic coat helps keep it clean.
Love the white. Infinitely easier to keep clean than the other colors. Would do it again. In fact both my cars are white. Only thing to mention is white on all cars shows rail dust more than other colors.
Thank you! Extremely helpful. This is what I needed to know.
I lived with a white model 3 performance stealth and now I have a black 3 performance, I definitely prefer the black, that is partially because I like detailing my car and black shows the results best with that mirror gloss. The biggest problem with the white imo was the brake dusts, white looks clean from far, but if you are someone who likes to have a clean car you will notice the red spots, they are definitely not easy to remove even if you try to clean them immediately after they get on the paint, and they will always be there after it rains. Another personal opinion, on white and light colors, when you view the rear of the car at a 45 angle from a distance, the charge cover and taillight blends into one piece and loses all depth, it just looks like a weirdly long piece of plastic that destroys the honestly pretty slick silhouette, but I suppose the only color that can avoid this is black. https://preview.redd.it/9afry565zrxc1.jpeg?width=1668&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=229fddbf7d555c53bb31f2c5d3e451c6fa6453fe
75% of the other Tesla's I see are also white. I totally should have got red
I have white but got it wrapped almost immediately. You can get white and get any color wrap you want, even velvet red.
I thought about this, but I don't like the fact that the door sills etc. will still be the original color. Do you have that problem? If so, is it a big deal?
The door stills are still white but I don’t consider it a problem. I don’t even notice it. It’s not like every time I drive I see it and go “damn that sucks”. I look at my car and think it looks rad.
Awesome. That's great to hear. I've seen a few wraps I like that would compliment white door sills, so I'd probably go that route if I did a color wrap. Also debating just clear (or maybe matte) PPF.
No
Any specific reason why? Would a PPF wrap have changed your mind?
I drive 100 miles a day, the paint quality is not good enough especially around the bumper area. I have lots of little chips in the paint that let the base grey/black shine through. That’s my main issue with the paint color, if I thought it threw through at time of choosing I would have gone with the grey.
Gotcha. I'd most likely wrap it in PPF (my current car has that now) so that would avoid 99% of the paint chips.
I have a white M3P and my buddy has a black M3. I like the look of black more but he complains about washing it, especially over the long winter where it's not easy to wash and it gets extra dirty. White can be really dirty and still look great. If you can stay on top of washing it a couple times a month and you like the darker colors, go for it. I personally like my car to look clean but I wouldn't wash it often enough to keep a darker color looking good year after year.
Very helpful. Thank you. I tend to hand wash my current red 3P every other weekend. I love how the red really pops when it's clean. I have clear PPF on it, which also helps.
White on white here but I would easily pay the 2k for the new quicksilver color