Should I Purchase a Jet Black Metallic Car ?

[blackboypaul]

I am hesitant about purchasing a 2020 Jet Black Metallic due to the cost and maintenance of keeping it clean. Some people are trying to talk me out of it and to buy a silver one instead. Your opinion on how to maintain the exterior with reasonable time and costs would be most appreciated. Thanks

 

[DBAILEY]

Depends on your personality. I have owned 3 black cars in a row. The last 2 were not on purpose, they were just really good deals where color choice was not an option.

If you are the type that will be obsessive about not seeing anything, even dust settling, on the just cleaned car then NO. A black car will always look dirtier quicker than any other color. It will show washing swirls quicker than any other color. The metallic will help, but its still black. You'll be like some people on the forum rinse less washing their cars 3-4 times a week.

However, a black color car also looks amazing when polished and kept up. A polished black car will turn more heads than any other color.

 

[Rsurfer]

Depends on your personality. I have owned 3 black cars in a row. The last 2 were not on purpose, they were just really good deals where color choice was not an option.

If you are the type that will be obsessive about not seeing anything, even dust settling, on the just cleaned car then NO. A black car will always look dirtier quicker than any other color. It will show washing swirls quicker than any other color. The metallic will help, but its still black. You'll be like some people on the forum rinse less washing their cars 3-4 times a week.

However, a black color car also looks amazing when polished and kept up. A polished black car will turn more heads than any other color.

Well said. On the other hand, nothing looks worse than a dirty black car.

 

[Bruno Soares]

I've made that mistake twice. Black car will drive you nuts trying to keep it perfect. I don't plan on buying another in black. Love how they look clean. So you can enjoy that for about 2 minutes then it's dirty again.

 

[luvmyrv]

Same here...been there done that enough now, and that was before I was a detail junkie...don't honestly think I could handle it now!

 

[PaulMys]

Never!!

We have 8 Mustangs on our lot. Red, dark Blue, Orange, etc. They all hide dirt/dust pretty well. BUT.............

The two Black ones we have look AWFUL compared to the other ones.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

No.

 

[FUNX650]

I am hesitant about purchasing a 2020
Jet Black Metallic due to the cost and
maintenance of keeping it clean.

•IMO:
1.) It can be a real PITA to not have
an excess amount of time, and money,
to dedicate towards keeping a vehicle
clean...regardless the vehicle’s color.

2.) Get the color you want: Be happy.


Bob

 

[vobro]

If you like a clean, swirl free car then absolutely don't do it.

 

[limited0602]

Yes. While black is work, there are plenty of solid products out there that can help make it easy to maintain. My car was a mess after I bought it. Finally after two years, I used CarPro Essence followed by Megs M205 and have been using McKee’s Hydro Blue and Megs HCW at different times. A year later, 12k miles, many drive through car washes, hand washes, etc, it still looks better than it did a year ago. The only thing I can agree with would be the best way to clean black is by hand. I’ve owned two black cars. One I owned for 10 years and the replacement just over 4. Next ride will also be black...

 

[Rsurfer]

Yes. While black is work, there are plenty of solid products out there that can help make it easy to maintain. My car was a mess after I bought it. Finally after two years, I used CarPro Essence followed by Megs M205 and have been using McKee’s Hydro Blue and Megs HCW at different times. A year later, 12k miles, many drive through car washes, hand washes, etc, it still looks better than it did a year ago. The only thing I can agree with would be the best way to clean black is by hand. I’ve owned two black cars. One I owned for 10 years and the replacement just over 4. Next ride will also be black...

Drive through car wash with a black car for a year and looks better than it did a year ago??????????

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

HELL NO! Don’t do it!

Just kiddin. It’s like this with a black car. Everyone will like it and always comment on how nice and clean your car is.

For me tho through my eyes it literally starts getting dirty/dusty right when your done. Soon as your done detailing it you’ll get a chubby. Drive 10 mins down the road and you’ll want to grab a quick detailer and wipe it down. I plan to never buy black again.... hopefully... maybe....

I’d recommend a dark metallic grey


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TTQ B4U]

I am hesitant about purchasing a 2020 Jet Black Metallic due to the cost and maintenance of keeping it clean. Some people are trying to talk me out of it and to buy a silver one instead. Your opinion on how to maintain the exterior with reasonable time and costs would be most appreciated. Thanks

:xyxthumbs:

black is the way to go. ask me how I know. Pure black is a little more difficult if you're OCD. On dry days it will become metallic after day 1 from dust. Metallic is far more forgiving. Polish them out to a jeweled finish and they will reflect light amazingly well. Dusty or not my cars are glossier than most clean ones and it's very noticeable. The joke from a lot of my friends is that my cars shine even when it rains.

Metallic Black Here:

Pure Black Here:

 

[DETAILROOKIE]

I've owned many Black cars in the past and even though they are a pain to maintain, they are also the most rewarding when it is maintained properly. If you enjoy gloss and maintaining your car, go Black.

Dont go Silver, the color is not rewarding and boring, you will regret it unless you want an easy color to maintain.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[luvmyrv]

Very nice black car, no doubt when clean, black rules, but it's the in between that gets aggravating! I am still trying to figure out why you included a picture of your bikes though! :buffing:... just kidding, I realize it's an awesome reflection.

 

[limited0602]

Drive through car wash with a black car for a year and looks better than it did a year ago??????????

Yes, it still looks better now compared to a year ago. I only use touchless car washes maybe once a month or two if that matters outside of hand washing.

 

[Desertnate]

I'm now on my second black metallic car. Doesn't bother me a bit, I just don't let it own me.

I've owned gray and silver cars and found them to be very unsatisfying when I detailed them. I'd pour hours into them and after I was done they really wouldn't look that different. They would hide the grime pretty well, but for me they never had the same "pop" and grabbed my eye like a dark colored car does.

With my black cars I'm careful with them when it comes to cleaning and maintaining the paint. When they do get dirty, I won't wash them until I can do a proper wash. If it's winter I'll do touchless washes and simply let them be a little dirty until spring. They look spectacular when clean and even when a little dirty they still look better than 90% of the cars on the road, so I'm still pretty happy. I just don't let myself freak out when they aren't perfectly clean.

 

[vobro]

I'm now on my second black metallic car. Doesn't bother me a bit, I just don't let it own me.

I've owned gray and silver cars and found them to be very unsatisfying when I detailed them. I'd pour hours into them and after I was done they really wouldn't look that different. They would hide the grime pretty well, but for me they never had the same "pop" and grabbed my eye like a dark colored car does.

With my black cars I'm careful with them when it comes to cleaning and maintaining the paint. When they do get dirty, I won't wash them until I can do a proper wash. If it's winter I'll do touchless washes and simply let them be a little dirty until spring. They look spectacular when clean and even when a little dirty they still look better than 90% of the cars on the road, so I'm still pretty happy. I just don't let myself freak out when they aren't perfectly clean.

It's funny but I've poured hours into black cars and they look great but the inability to get every bird dropping,water spot,insect splatter before it's to late is the deal breaker for me. That's not mentioning others finger f*****g the paint,rock chips(more visible) and things like purses,bags and jackets rubbing on the paint. Black is just to much work for me which I don't mind but it's the inability to hide minor issues and constantly chasing the dragon. I'm all in on a garage queen though!

 

[Desertnate]

It's funny but I've poured hours into black cars and they look great but the inability to get every bird dropping,water spot,insect splatter before it's to late is the deal breaker for me. That's not mentioning others finger f*****g the paint,rock chips(more visible) and things like purses,bags and jackets rubbing on the paint. Black is just to much work for me which I don't mind but it's the inability to hide minor issues and constantly chasing the dragon. I'm all in on a garage queen though!

I've found some of the same issues to be just a big of problem with other colors too. I had a silver car and another in white with primer appeared to be black so every rock chip created a black spot. Grey with a white primer tended to show the same as black when it comes to rock chips. Bird droppings and bug splatters I get after no matter what color because of the damage they do by etching the paint. I had a gray car get etched from bugs on the cross-country drive home from the dealership.

Finger smudges are a pain, but I try to not let them get to me. Fortunately, I've not had too many issues with purses/coats marring the sides of the vehicle. My wife's maroon car is a whole different story....

I think it all comes down to your "pain tolerance".

 

[Paul A.]

Let me offer my perspective...

I've owned 2 black(ish) metallic BMW's. The first was my Orient Blue 2004 330 coupe. That color was almost black. The second was a Black Sapphire 2007 335i coupe. I wanted black or nearly black to refine my detailing skills AND to refine my wash and care practices. I considered black ownership as my doctoral thesis in detailing and keeping a daily driven black car as close to flawless as possible.

I had the cut, buff and polish stuff pretty much dialed in but focused on the regular wash and dry's to AVOID or at least reduce the chance of marring. It worked! I found out rather quickly it was the drying step that introduced the greatest chance of very light marring. Now its very light foam gun and gentle cleaning, the drip method to collect water off after the final rinse and the Big Blue Towel to BLOT dry, never wipe. Follow up with a blow dry for nooks and crannies and done.

Correcting the light marring is easy for me. But, almost completely eliminating the light marring in between my semi annual corrections was what owning black taught me.

However, if the "in between" weekly wash times bother you, black is NOT your color.

Having refined my techniques for my black DD's it has helped with ALL colors I now do.