I have an interior color question. I have never owned a car with black (ebony) interior so I apologize for this newbie question. I am considering a new TL and the choice of interior color has come up.

Does the black (ebony) interior get too hot in the summer time?
Would the taupe be better? But taupe shows dirt and smudges more though?

Any advice from those with dark interior would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

 

For me, I favor dark interiors....my last 5 cars all had black interiors. Of course, there is a tradeoff.....black interiors absorb more heat, so it gets more hot in the summer.....however, the upside is that it tends to show less dirt and imperfections than lighter-colored interiors....it look "new" longer. Also, if you have kids or carry passengers often, the darker color hides dirt and smudges better. Getting tinted windows helps to cut down on the heat absorption during the summer.

 

I have dark leather in my 04 TSX, but don't notice the heat as I have my windows tinted.

Tint your windows and you will have no problems.

 

For years I was a gray interior person, then a few years back in 06 the gray interior was replaced with taupe, which I thought was too light. The girl friend talked me into back interior. I was skeptical becaue of heat and black showing everything, but you know what they say... Once you go black you never go back....

I will not own a car without a black interior now, it looks classy to me, and actually hides dirt that would discolor a lighter interior. I have tinted windows so the heat is not an issue. In the AWD with the white stitching it looks awesome. What I don't like abotu the 09 is in my 08 the head liner was black also , in the 09 the headliner and pillars are a light color.

 

thanks for the help.
I decided to go with the black interior

 

Ditto...

 

And if you don't want to "tint" your windows, take a look at some of the lighter huper optik colors that have excellent heat rejection with very little loss to heat transmission.

 

Double ditto =)

 

That's my interior in GearDriven's avatar, and loving it! No tint yet and it was 80 degrees today in So Cal, so the car was warm in the afternoon sun but the AC system is decent enough to cool us down.

 

Was looking at the white with the parchment int, but I have changed my mind and will go with the ebony. Agree with the other post that the ebony is going to look nicer in the long run. Parchment is just too light. Think it will show the wear and tear. I have the 3G red with ebony and still looks good except for some of the wrinkles in the seat. But I throw some leather conditioner on it and cleans right up.

Has anyone noticed if their seats are starting to get the wrinkles? Was hoping that the new leather was better then the 3G.

 

Mine is still solid. Only been 3 months, but not a wrinkle anywhere on my seats. And I haven't used any leather treatment at all.

 

I'm starting to get a lot of wrinkles on the drivers seat left thigh cushion/bolster......this leather isn't the best stuff that's for sure. (The leather that was on my previous BMW was the best by far)

 

I've had my 4G since December, and it is already has more wrinkles than my 04 3G did.

 

I started to notice wrinkling on both seats today =(

 

Yep, even with only 3k miles and my 130lb behind, I have two wrinkes starting. I'll be treating soon with conditioner but I think it's not going to help. It's a softer and thinner leather than the 3G for sure.

 

I was torn between those two interior colors also. I choose the Taupe Ebony as the best compromise. I loved the ebony too, but live in Palm Springs were summer temps get close to 120 and that would make the inside hell on earth. I am getting rear seat covers, so the only taupe color would be on the driver front seats, center console, and side doors.

 

I've owned a black RSX with black interior for 7 years now and swore that I would never buy a black interior car again unless they get true ventilated seats that cool (not just blow air). I also had all of the windows except the front one tinted to a darkness that is illegal in most states, and it still was unbearable in the summer. The leather fried so much that I had to replace the entire passenger seat and base of driver's seat due to shrinkage. Granted, I lived in Vegas for 5 years where it remains above 100 degrees for 5 months straight...

So, I went with the Taupe/Ebony combo in case I get stationed out in Vegas again. It might get dirty, so I'll just have to stay on-top of cleaning it, but that beats having to start your car and run the A/C for 5 mins while you stand outside before you can even sit in your car.

 

Sounds like I made the right choice. I live in Palm Springs where it can get a few degrees hotter than Vegas. If I lived near the beach again, black it is, but until then I will have to go with a lighter color. I think the Taupe/Ebony is a good compromise. You get the black floor board and lower dash, with the cooler seats. My kids still use boosters, so I am opting for the rear seat cover too (which is only in black).

 

My dash is black and even though it doesn't get as hot here as in Palm Springs, I can feel the hot air currents coming off the dash in any temp 90 deg and above.
As far as reducing the amount of heat coming through the windshield when parked, those foil covered windshield shades that fold up when not in use work real well....and they are pretty cheap.
I bought one that was supposed to fit my TL, but had to trim it a bit for a better fit...not a big problem at all to trim it with shears.
Was in Vegas this weekend and when I folded up the shield, the side towards the window was almost hot enough to burn the hands while the other side was only warm.
IMO it is wise not to have a black interior in a desert climate.

 

Once you go black, you'll never go back!

I hated black for years, thought it was too hot and showed dust too easily. Did nto like the lighter color interiors in 06 so switched to black and wow I will never go to any other interior! All interiors get hot when the sun hits them, tint the windows and use a windshield shade when you park. I find black interior looks nice and classy also looks better longer (IMO) becasue lighter interiors start showing dirt quickly and are harder to keep clean.

 

I had a car with a black interior when I lived in Florida and I have no desire to go black again. Even though beige is harder to keep clean, it is far more pleasant during the summer and shows less deterioration from the heat.