Gray vs Black Interior - Keeping Clean

I've yet to think my black interior gets too hot. The fact that the exterior is white helps more than anything else (my old car was black/grey and was always hot).

I have noticed, though, that black leather/ette does get really hot if in direct sunlight. My cloth doesn't do that.

As for the scuffs, the black does hide em, but you see all the dirt and dust instead.

postoak said:

KWIK - really, you didn't find gray to be cooler? On another board (the one I defected from!) someone with black said that BLACK interiors showed scuff marks on the leather. That's the first I've heard of that. What was your experience?

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I don't think gray is any cooler and it is harder to keep clean. Yes, you will still see some marks with black, but not on the leather, usually on the door sill. Gray is much worse.

postoak said:

Hi, I've done searches on this topic and came up with nothing. I would like to order a gray interior because I think it would be a little cooler than black, but I'm also concerned about dirt showing up more on the gray. Anybody have experience with both? What are your thoughts?

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I have light grey on my E36 and it is definitely harder to keep clean. But to me it's worth it - it makes for a very cheerful interior, and it is absolutely cooler in the summer. The only problem is if your dash is grey, it will tend to reflect in the windshield more, but it's not a huge issue.

I think the only advantage is that dust will not show up as much. Scuffs show up easier in light grey and beige as time passes in my experience.

In the sun, I don't think it's going to be any cooler, it will just take longer for it to warm up. It won't scald you like black in sunlight, but the interior will still get very hot. (Sunroof with tilt is a great feature to help with this)

Hmmm, tough call -- but I've got to make that call tomorrow! I think, based on this input, that I'll go with black. My reasoning is this: I currently have a black (cloth) interior and I think it DOES show less signs of dirt on the floor than gray. That is real. On the other hand, I normally park in garages and I don't think the heat factor will matter in those conditions. Where it will matter -- say 3 hours in a mall parking lot on a sunny day in August -- I'm going into meltdown with either color. Seem reasonable?

I have had black, gray and sand interiors. In my experience, none of them have been any easier or harder to keep clean than the others. However, I have found that the color of the interior makes a huge difference in keeping the car cool in the summer. Sand stays the coolest, followed by gray. Black is, without a doubt, the worst interior color if you are trying to keep the interior cool. Two other things you can do if you want the interior to stay cool: choose a light color for the exterior, and tint the windows.

I am thinking Titanium Silver\Grey\wood or Steel Blue\Grey\wood

I saw the black and it does not look as good as the grey in the lighter exterior colors.

If you get black, or Topaz Blue or Red then you got to go with the tan or black interior.

Remember darker exterior color goes better with dark interior color and lighter exterior color goes better with light interior color.

What BMW should have done is make the whole dash and door panels, black and the seats grey.