well i confirmed they went to a lighter tan after '97 ("medium beige" from "ty taupe") but the rest of the interior was relatively unchanged. it's a mixture of tan and black trim. the parts that they lightened were the entire seats (cushions, hardware and seatbelt components) and then trim pieces like the leather center console top (just the flip lid, not the rest - which is still dark tan) and the accent pieces and door handles (but not the rest of the door, which is also still dark tan). the vanity light cover is about the only other thing that looks "lightened". that being said, the lighter seats do match the carpeting - which is light enough to where i think the black seats would look weird even though they'd probably work with the dark tan/black of the rest of the interior.

ANOTHER QUESTION:
has anybody actually experienced the difference between the supposedly "plusher" 2000-2001 leather seats vs. the older leather seats? are they really significantly cushier with more supple leather? i looked up the oem parts for replacement and the cushioning on the newer seats are actually cheaper to buy than the older seats, plus the price is identical for replacing the leather covering no matter what year (unless they just give make the better leather now and don't have the original leather for the older seats)...