PhillyPhan

So while I'm in search of our new 2017 ES 350 we're stuck on the pearl white exterior, but have been back and forth with the interior color. Living in AZ we wanted something lighter but hate the tan interior so it was either black or gray. I had gray in my Tundra and loved it. When I started reading up on the stratus gray last year for the Lexus I heard some people complain about staining on the seats and/or discoloration from jeans, etc. That's when we decided to stick with black. Now I'm back to wondering about the gray. Have any of you stratus gray owners seen any issues with your seats or anything else pertaining to the gray on the inside of your cars?

Gekko

Silver exterior and Black interior is the most durable and wears the best IMO. It's all I buy. Light interior colors get b1tched up way too easily. My Silver/Black 2004 ES still looks great after all these years.

PhillyPhan

I'm stuck on the pearl white, I've loved that color since I was a kid. I agree about the black interior though being the most durable. Even if it's dirty you can't tell.

lesz

I've owned a good number of vehicles with black interiors and a good number with other colors, including a few with colors similar to the parchment available on the ES. What I've found is that, when I've had the light-colored interiors, while I've liked the colors initially, I've eventually tired of them. When I've had cars with black interiors, to me, they have maintained a timeless and classy look throughout an extended period of ownership of the vehicle.

In my GX, I have gray leather, but it is a darker gray than the gray available in the ES, and I really like that darker gray. It is dark enough so that it doesn't show dirt, but it also doesn't show dust the way that black does. If that darker gray had been available in the ES, I might have chosen it, but, to me, the lighter color of the gray that is available in the ES has too much of a "pastel" look to it. A further reason why I chose the black for my 2017 ES is that I really don't like the 2-tone treatment that Lexus has decided, since 2016, to give the parchment, gray, and flaxen interiors, and the black is the only monochromatic option currently available in the ES.

Ultimately, though, different people are going to have different opinions about interior colors, and I would suggest not giving much weight to the opinions of anyone besides yourself. You are the one who will be sitting in the car every day.

lesz

Another thing that you might want to think about when choosing the interior color is whether you have a preference with regard to the interior wood trim.

Lexus seems to be shipping the ES with black interior with the linear wood trim, and those with the gray interior seem to be shipping with the bird's eye maple wood trim. I have a preference for the bird's eye maple, but I have to admit that, in the 9 months since I've had the 2017 ES with the black interior and the linear wood, the linear wood has grown on me.

PhillyPhan

Yeah the one I'm looking at right now has the black with birds eye maple which the wife and I both like more than the linear wood.

lesz

At the time when I bought my ES, all of the black exterior/black interior ES being shipped had the linear wood. I'm guessing that, with the pearl white exterior, Lexus must be using the bird's eye maple on some/all of the vehicles they are shipping with the black interior. As I said, I would have preferred the bird's eye maple, but the linear wood has grown on me.

chromedome

Dissenting opinion here, I've got a pearl white 2014 car with the black interior and it's a pain to keep clean. The gray interior looks a bit pastel, a bit like a crayon gray color, but it should hide dust spots and scuffs better than the black. I've got two microfiber towels in the car and I'm always wiping dust and spots off (one towel for the door and one towel for the dash).

The tan interior might show dirt stains more but it'll hide dust and scuffs better than black or gray.

Dstu10

This is correct, most black interiors come with birds eye maple. There may be a handful out there without maple but very very few. Black is by far the most durable. Tint the windows and you will be fine. I went with the Caviar w/black interior.

Fillykonk

My 2014 ES is Starfire Pearl with black interior. I don't believe Gray was an option that year but I probably would have gone with black anyway and especially over the parchment. After almost 3 years of ownership the black is wearing very well and is easier to keep clean over the other choices.

sderman

[QUOTE=lesz;9921706]. A further reason why I chose the black for my 2017 ES is that I really don't like the 2-tone treatment that Lexus has decided, since 2016, to give the parchment, gray, and flaxen interiors, and the black is the only monochromatic option currently available in the ES.

I agree 110%! My '14 ES has the gray leather interior, but only the seats are gray. The rest of the interior is black and this contrast looks slapped together, just uncoordinated and awful. Our '17 RX in Silver Lining Metallic has black leather (and black wood inserts) and with the entire interior black, it just looks great. My 2 cents.

irishbrahm

My '17 UL has a Stratus Grey interior. Contrary to sderman, I like the grey-black two-tone treatment (the seats are grey but the dash, floor carpeting/mats are black). I think the contrast looks good and goes well with the Nebula Grey Pearl exterior. And, of course, the black carpeting helps with the dirt.

With that said, I don't like the flaxen interior. Too busy.

A few years ago I was a fan of the parchment interior but no longer.

Cosmo2002

My 2016 ES 350 has Eminent White Pearl exterior and black interior with linear dark mocha wood trim. I absolutely love the combination, and actively sought out the configuration when I was buying. I live in a very warm climate (it's over 105 degrees right now), and I still love the black interior. Doesn't seem extra hot to me. The white exterior, to me, doesn't show dirt and is easy to keep clean. The black interior is also really easy to keep clean. In my mind, it's the only way I want it.

dchar

After having a few cars with black leather, I probably wouldn't get it again. The interior feels significantly hotter and takes longer to cool down. It might hide dirt and stains better, but it shows dust more. The lighter colors like grey or beige might need a bit more maintenance to keep looking clean, but not that much work. Black also makes the interior look darker and more boring; I like the contrast look of different colors.

I had a GS with Flaxen for a few years. Every few months I would clean the seats and jean stains would come off the leather easily; it would only take a few minutes. My mother has an ES with stratus grey Nuluxe and it looks clean after almost 3 years without much maintenance (she doesn't really wear dyed clothing often though).

Coulter

When you have tinted windows, I don't find the interior color to make a whole lot of difference in terms of heat. Especially since most factory auto glass already has some UV filtering built into it.

I love the way the lighter leather looks when new but I like the longevity of the darker colors.