Purchasing a New Vehicle - Metallic Color or Non-Metallic Color Option

[ronin16]

My general question is deciding on selecting an exterior color on a new vehicle purchase this summer. I would like to choose alpine-white as the exterior color. This color would be a non-metallic option. Should I only go with metallic color options?
Will I need to use different polishes/waxes/paint protectants when caring for a vehicle with non-metallic paint?

Any insights or recommendations would be welcomed.

Thanks,

Paul

[XxBoostinxX]

I personally love metallic paint. IMHO, it doesn`t show defects nearly as bad as any non-metallic paint and I love how it looks in the sun. Even a metallic black is not nearly as bad as non-metallic. But in your situation with the color being white, I am not sure it would matter much. I think you should buy what you want or you will regret it later.

[Migue]

IMO The metallic is most likely in the paint itself and not the clear coat, so caring for it at home will be the same as the standard plain white. I`m sure some waxes will look better on one than the other but that is where your own personal preference and experimenting may come in for the most part.

If it is PEARL and not metallic, then it might be mixed with the clear coat and i would personally steer away from that due to complications if a repaint/body work is ever needed. I honestly feel very similar about the metallic white as well, may look great but if body work is ever needed, it could make things a bit more challenging (not for you but for whoever is doing the repairs/repaint).

*Adding: I like both looks , metallic looks great in the sun and it may also make the vehicle look less dirty than a plain white and like already mentioned, may hide defects better as well. On the other hand, when plain white paint is properly polished and sealed IMO it looks really nice and so clean. To me it "pops" more and looks much cleaner since there is no metallic giving it a "yellowing" appearance. To other people it looks too plain, so it`s all about personal preference.


Good luck with your decision and i`m sure others will chime in and give you more ideas/thoughts on the subject.

[Accumulator]

ronin16- Welcome to Autopia!

While the vast majority of my vehicles have been metallics (usually some version of silver), white is *incredibly* easy to keep very nice looking.

As noted, Peral White is virtually impossible to color-match (voice of experience) so I`d stick with a straight white.

I used the same stuff on my white vehicles as on my [other color] ones.

[512detail]

I will only buy metallic paint personally...I like how it looks in the sun and I like how its easier to hide defects due to the flake

that`s my opinion though..metallic white- pearl...looks great but I don`t know anything about repainting if any body work was needed

body shop I used fixed my metallic black and it looks factory (they even put some scratches in it for me to polish out)

[Accumulator]

I will only buy metallic paint personally...I like how it looks in the sun and I like how its easier to hide defects due to the flake..

Compare to my other-side-of-fence take on this-

The flake in metallics only makes inspecton harder for me, it doesn`t really conceal marring in the sense that a [messed] up clear isn`t obvious IRL. Example: the Granite Metallic GMC I had was the *hardest* vehicle to detail I`ve ever owned and I`ve had a lot of black cars.

White, OTOH, *does* conceal light marring IME but I can spot it OK in the shop when I want to. Little swirls/etc. that`d drive me nuts on silver don`t bother me on white. IRL, I find that white has to be *really* marred up before it bothers me.

Last white car I had was *really* messed up, IMO it needed a complete paintjob and I was dreading that. Guy saw it in a tuner`s shop and thought it looked showroom (!), made me an offer I couldn`t refuse even though I tried to talk him out of it for his own good ("man, this car has *needs*.."/ "I`m not worried, just look at it...here let`s talk money"...OK.. ).

Eh, might just be one of those things where I`m, uhm...different. But I can live with flaws on white easier than on any other color. Well, flaws other than rust-blooms from ferrous contamination (so I decontaminate when a vehicle needs it). Accumulatorete is always thrilled when I buy a white vehicle because she knows I won`t be all Autopian-Obsessive about its paint being perfect.

[ronin16]

Thanks for the replies. This will be a BMW vehicle, so they do not offer a pearl metallic white, in the options I will select, only their long-time alpine white. All your feedback is great. Thanks Paul.

[Accumulator]

ronin16- It`ll be interesting to see what you end up going with! Some vehicles just don`t look right (well...to me) in white, while others look so good I can`t imagine wanting any other color.

[Pats300zx]

After owning red and black cars my entire life. My next car will definitely be white !!!!

[XxBoostinxX]

Compare to my other-side-of-fence take on this-

The flake in metallics only makes inspecton harder for me, it doesn`t really conceal marring in the sense that a [messed] up clear isn`t obvious IRL. Example: the Granite Metallic GMC I had was the *hardest* vehicle to detail I`ve ever owned and I`ve had a lot of black cars.

White, OTOH, *does* conceal light marring IME but I can spot it OK in the shop when I want to. Little swirls/etc. that`d drive me nuts on silver don`t bother me on white. IRL, I find that white has to be *really* marred up before it bothers me.

Metallics are definitely much harder to detail. I can put a light on the paint at one angle and polish it, then when I move the light I find more defects and start chasing. I have found it is much easier to polish metallic paint with LESS above lighting. That way the light doesn`t wash out the defects. I also think that metallics are usually harder paint.

I agree. White paint usually looks great and is super easy to care for. There is a point where it can get so dirty that it drives me crazy though. Silver can hide pretty well also.

[RMD]

I have an Alpine White now. It`s much easier to keep it looking good than the last BMW steel gray metallic I had. I will go with Alpine White on the next one too. Recommend it.

[Stokdgs]

ronin16 -
Welcome to the Forum !

Alpineweiss III is a beautiful perfect shade of white that BMW uses and has been around for decades..
Of course, the newest paint will have been mixed to today`s standards...

I have seen a lot more Alpineweiss Bimmers around than ever before, as well as other marque`s wearing white...

You cannot go wrong with ease of maintenance with this color...

As already noted above, defects in it will not show up as easily and if this is ok with you, then you are good !

But if defects are a concern, it will be a little harder to spot them in this color but they can all be removed and the car will even POP more than before when it is all polished and a good LSP or Coating is applied...

Lastly, if you live anywhere South, a white color always repels heat better than any other color out there...

Good luck !
Dan F

[JSFM35X]

Alpine white is great from a looks and maintenance perspective. If you put your time in, it will pop nicely. If you let it go a bit it`s still going to look good and hide minor stuff. I had a 1988 m3 eons ago in alpine white. Just and awesome color I guess that`s why it`s still around. I wish I kept mine.

[Accumulator]

Sounds like everybody likes this shade of white!

Re spotting marring on white, Bill D once suggested that fluorescent lighting...yeah, the kind that I say is useless for this!...can be good on white paint. Sure enough, I tried it and found that while I couldn`t just retire my other lighting, it did work better *on white* that I ever would`ve expected, especially for certain types of marring. Never woulda thunk it...

[ronin16]

Folks, thanks for all the replies on metallic vs non-metallic. I ordered (new 3yr lease) my 2017 BMW with the option, Alpine-White, non-metallic. I am returning a 2014 BMW with Estoril Blue. I have cared for the vehicle using Autopia Care Blackfire polishes, waxes, etc. With the non-metallic paint can I continue to use Blackfire products or should I go with another vendor for external care? Thanks for the help. Paul