Color Question

[JHZR2]

white is my top choice as of right now. I have an emrald green metallic pickup truck, and it looks great, but the darker you go, the harder it is to hide swirls. Black is too hard, IMO to do anything right on if it is a daily driver.

Ive seen the lemans blue and it does seem prone to swirls.

I own multiple silver cars, and while some say it is a boring color, it always looks good and hides dirt and scratches (both of which I try to avoid at all costs) pretty well.

Cashmere metallic and the red interior seems to be a good looking combination at the build your own on the BMW site. havent seen a real picture though.

My issue with white is if it can start to look dull or motley compared to metallic paints, which have an inherent reflection and depth to them. The tan paint on my 81 MB looks good, but oxidation must be kept in check, otherwise it looses shine. Ive never had a white car, so I do not know how much maintenance they are.

Its good to see that you say it is easy to keep looking new...

[4wheelcycle]

I chose Cashmere Silver because it is very close to the color of New England winter road grime, so it is not so noticeable if I don't get a chance to wash my car very often in winter!

Back in the 1980s I had a bright red V6 Fiero that I used to call "Stop Me Red" - the police never passed up a chance to pull me over. Cashmere Silver is sort of an old fogey's color - it definitely does not stand out in the passing traffic.

Also, as others have noted, and as my dealer pointed out, darker colors show swirls and scratches much more than lighter colors.

P.S. Cashmere Silver is actually just as fast as Sedona Red!

[nordique14]

Off topic...

OP, what do you think of your Volvo C30? It stacks up dimensionally very similar to the 1-series (he 1-er is only 4 inches longer). The engine has close to the same hp as the 128i. how does it handle and ride?

[Mega Man]

Originally Posted by Want135

...I have read of BMW's leather and upkeep on Jet Black I moved to LeMans Blue with Leatherette, but i don't know how i feel about LeMans (as i haven't seen it in person)...

I would go to the dealer and check out all the ones you're interested in, in person. Seeing it on a computer screen, or in a brochure won't be quite the same as seeing it actually on the car in person.

I believe white is easier to maintain. All of my previous vehicles (with the exception of my motorcycle; would've gotten it in white if they had it) have been white.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think I read somewhere that the red color (either Sedona or Crimson) for the 1 is exclusive to the 1. So if you want to be unique in that regard, red would be awesome; except I read somewhere that red has the most upkeep (it oxidizes the easiest).

[Want135]

Originally Posted by nordique14

Off topic...

OP, what do you think of your Volvo C30? It stacks up dimensionally very similar to the 1-series (he 1-er is only 4 inches longer). The engine has close to the same hp as the 128i. how does it handle and ride?

I love the C30. Great utility, decent get-up-and-go, handles well enough for my current purposes, and I love the look of it. The ride is smooth but not too smooth where you begin to feel disconnected. The rear seats are far more spacious than they looks as well; I have several friends over 6 feet that I have stuck back there for 2+ hour trips and have gotten no complaints.

One of the biggest differences I have noticed between the C30 and the 135 when I test drove, despite the massive power difference, is the steering is extremely light on the C30. It almost feels too easy to turn the car. Many reviews you read are of the V 1.0 not the V 2.0, which has lower and has sport suspension so typically it handles better than reviews indicate.

I was coming from a '95 Grand Marquis before I bought the C30 so I thought it was a rocket ship. However, after about 8 months with the car and a few rides in friends s2000 and 335i (I realize these are completely different cars) I began to miss RWD, and also got a fever for more power (and unfortunately I don’t have more cowbell) and an opportunity has arisen for me to have private sale on the C30.

In comparing the 128 to the C30, I think the utility and the look of the C30 would push me to get it considering that they have similar numbers in so many areas but the 135 is a different animal.

[nordique14]

^^^ thanks for the mini-review. My wife has the C30 R-Design on order. We pick it up end of April. Sounds exactly like the kind of car she will love as she does not need an overly harsh ride and she like a lighter steering feel.

[singular]

When it's clean - Black beats everything else... for about 3 hours.

My last car was white and was totally abused for almost 10 years: drive through washes, months without any wash or wax, etc. Even so, it almost always looked good.

[BerkTechnology]

Our 1er is AW and it looks niiiiice. It's clean and the maintenance is fairly simple. Go for it!