MB paint v. BMW paint

ben54 · 07-11-04, 11:51

Just looking for any opinions as to which is better. In particular, each manufacturer's black non-metalic paint.

I know better is vague, but I guess I'm most curious about severity of orange peel, durability of the clear coat, and depth in the paint.

I'm also curious about Lexus' black, but I think it is in a different category (i.e. single stage).

GoodnClean · 07-14-04, 01:49

In my experience Mercedes tend to have a nicer finish, BMW has more orange peel.

jrocc1212 · 07-14-04, 02:07

Yeah, everytime I see a Mercedes roll by, I drool at the paint job. Almost looks like NO orange peel and super clear reflections.

Bill D · 07-14-04, 02:08

In addition, Mercedes now has that Ceramiclear finish

jmsc · 07-14-04, 03:10

CeramiClear on their paints besides M-B?

I talked to a local M-B dealer yesterday and they knew nothing about CC on their cars. They only sell them I guess.

ben54 · 07-14-04, 04:24

Those were my thoughts also.

Bill D · 07-14-04, 04:57

I'm almost certain Mercedes is the only one right now

jmsc · 07-16-04, 11:16

today about their ceramiclear clear coat finish. The local dealers were totally clueless.

I was told that M-B as of 1/2004, most but not all, of their cars have Ceramiclear. The E, C and S models have them. The way to find out on each car is to look for the paint code on the inside of the driver's door and if the code has a C in the first spot it has the new clear coat.

I asked the M-B rep if other mfg's were using the new CC and he said BMW was just starting. He didn't think Porsche nor VW nor Audi was nor anyone else.

ben54 · 07-16-04, 11:20

If you're on the fence between the two cars, would Ceramiclear be a factor to consider or is it just hype (like dealer applied sealant)?

G35stilez · 07-16-04, 11:34

I want CeramiClear pretty bad. Scottwax and Mike Phillips have done jobs on them before so wait for their responses. My repainted car's clearcoat is pretty soft compared to other factory jobs so I may look into CeramiClear in the future.

Audi clear is quite tough to begin with as is VW so CeramiClear wouldn't matter much for them.

As far as blacks, I would stick with something clearcoated. MB would be my choice as Bimmer's aren't the smoothest paint around.

jmsc · 07-16-04, 11:42

ceramiclear also on my new car. So my choice would be MB at this time. This is not a sealant but a highly regarded new paint by PPG industries.

You may want to contact BMW-USA and ask them directly.

Yes. New Lexus black is SS (i.e. no clear coat).

Bill D · 07-18-04, 10:56

Quote:

Originally posted by GSRstilez

Audi clear is quite tough to begin with as is VW so CeramiClear wouldn't matter much for them.

He he, if Ceramiclear makes it any tougher to polish than current Audi paint already is , or worse yet, imagine current Audi base coat topped with Ceramiclear :scared , I don't think I'll ever own another Audi!