[GS2019]

Hi, I'm in the final stages of ordering an X5 but can't decide on the external color, I love the M sport line but is it very hard to maintain and keep the black or CB clean? Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Adblue]

Originally Posted by GS2019

Hi, I'm in the final stages of ordering an X5 but can't decide on the external color, I love the M sport line but is it very hard to maintain and keep the black or CB clean? Thanks in advance for your replies.

I had Carbon Black 5 Touring before and Sapphire Black X5 now (waiting for the wash and ceramic coat). I didn't have ceramic coating on the 5er but when I washed it and put spray on wax or hybrid-ceramic spray it looked very nice and clean till it got dirty again. So I would wash it when it needed the wash or needed the car looking clean for something in particular. Since I like detailing and washing the car this was just a nice and satisfying pass time.

My detailer who will do ceramic coating told me that the lighter/brighter color the easier it will be to keep looking good (not sure if he meant not having to wash it as ofter or just in general keeping the paint in better shape).

I'd say get the color you like not the color that will be easiest to maintain. Carbon Black I liked a lot, it has a nice shade of blue to it (I don't know why it's called black to be honest), it looked really well on 5er.

[dananelson1]

GS2019 Agree with above; get the color you most love. I have Sapphire black right now on my current x5 and as they say when it's clean it's a thing of beauty. Considerations: will it be garaged each day/night; do you drive on dirt or gravel roads regularly; and did you enjoy washing weekly. Mine is garaged and outside of rain it stays pretty clean. I most notice it getting dirty when or If I leave it outside overnight on nights that get wet/Dew. AND, in spring when we get loads of pollen floating through the air.
CB is a very nice color IMO (it would be my go to if I ordered Black...has a nice blue tint).
I'm on order right now for Phytonic Blue - proper blue, bold, and a color I think is awesome!
Good luck.

[GS2019]

Thank you for your responses. I agree the black color on X5 is amazing when it's clean. Phytonic Blue is nice - congrats!

[Adblue]

I have seen X5M in Red (whatever the propper name is) and it looked very good too.

[GS2019]

Originally Posted by Adblue

I have seen X5M in Red (whatever the propper name is) and it looked very good too.

Wish Red was an option but it is not available in X-line or M-Sports line here in the USA.

[Cross1681]

Depends on what clean and maintained means to you. I have CB live in FL so dust and sand but less Rain and I find it very reasonable. That being said I do a hand wash every weekend and have it ceramic coated.

[Luminor513]

I have two black sapphire cars, and also live in Florida. Both are ceramic coated and washed every week by my detailer who only uses brand new microfiber towels each time. To keep black pristine, and keep swirl marks from taking over the entire car, it requires a lot of maintenance. If you want less maintenance, I would lean towards lighter colors.

[GS2019]

Originally Posted by Cross1681

Depends on what clean and maintained means to you. I have CB live in FL so dust and sand but less Rain and I find it very reasonable. That being said I do a hand wash every weekend and have it ceramic coated.

really nice

[P1]

I find black easier to keep clean than white. Trick is to use quality sponges, soaps and waffle weave drying towels. Now, one of my BMW is Jet Black and it's a pain. But my Black Sapphire Metallic is a breeze. Keep it metallic, and you're in good shape. Go non-metallic and you're in for a lot of frustration.

[Melbourne_X5M]

I’ve had a lot of cars. Cars of every color.

The fact is not whether or not it is clean. It is whether or not it looks clean. The same vehicle exposed to the same elements over the same period of time will have the same amount of dust or dirt on it - regardless of its color.

I love detailing my car. I might even be fanatical about doing so. If you are the same, get whatever color you love to look at most. You won’t let it look dirty for very long!

[Afjeld]

Originally Posted by GS2019

Hi, I'm in the final stages of ordering an X5 but can't decide on the external color, I love the M sport line but is it very hard to maintain and keep the black or CB clean? Thanks in advance for your replies.

Ceramic coating helps a lot 😎 This is my third BSM ...

[GS2019]

Originally Posted by Afjeld

Ceramic coating helps a lot �� This is my third BSM ...

What a Beauty! Hopefull you drive this beauty around than keeping it inside

[Afjeld]

Originally Posted by GS2019

What a Beauty! Hopefull you drive this beauty around than keeping it inside

Thanks 🙏🏼 Yes I do 😎

[bmwloverinct]

X5's look great in black but generally black cars are not as easy to keep looking clean. Also depends on where you live. I'm in the Northeast with wicked pollen in the spring and snow and salted roads in the winter(the salt spray they use on the roads is the worst).

[Lando72]

Try living in the UK with different weather every day. Still would choose black over anything else though. It’s worth looking bad sometimes, because it looks so good when it’s clean, and a white car just never looks quite as good.

[jeffm82]

I mean, as long as you get the color you love, you'll be willing to take care of it like it's your baby. Just pick the color you love most pal!

[Greyback]

I've been using an anti-static spray the past couple weeks and it really helps. Usually, the back of my X6 would be completely dirty within a day or two, now with the anti-static spray, I can go nearly a week without a noticeable build up of dust.

[hiki08]

Originally Posted by jeffm82

I mean, as long as you get the color you love, you'll be willing to take care of it like it's your baby. Just pick the color you love most pal!

Well said!

I had an obsidian black Merc before - daily driver. I like things clean but it's not always that clean. Hand waxed by myself, no other coatings. I managed a wash once every 2 weeks without feeling too bad for the car. And it was so satisfying to look at after each wash. Be sure to use proper wash technique to minimise swirl marks!

[GS2019]

Originally Posted by hiki08

Well said!

I had an obsidian black Merc before - daily driver. I like things clean but it's not always that clean. Hand waxed by myself, no other coatings. I managed a wash once every 2 weeks without feeling too bad for the car. And it was so satisfying to look at after each wash. Be sure to use proper wash technique to minimise swirl marks!

What is your recommended technique to minimise swirl marks? Any good videos I should review?

[hiki08]

Originally Posted by GS2019

What is your recommended technique to minimise swirl marks? Any good videos I should review?

In very basic and general terms, you need to appreciate that once your car has been driven, or has been parked since your last wash for some time, there will be a layer of dust, soot or whatever on the paint. Air won't generally be enough to blow that layer of grime off (e.g. humidity would make it stick; there could also be tar and bug guts which may require special (generally citrus-based) products to safely remove). All of these impurities will potentially cause the clear coat on your paint to scratch (even if very minuscule) if you drag it across the surface (with your hand, with a dry microfibre, etc.).

With the above in mind, it's about taking that layer of grime off while minimising the chance of dragging it along your paint (since that's what causes marring).

I did things much simpler back then which I'd cringe at doing now, but hey it worked back then (usually at the self-wash booths in the gas/petrol station). Steps back then were:

1. used water to pressure wash the dirty car to wash off the top layer of grime. Be wary too much pressure can potentially cause the dust to run along the paint and mar too; too little pressure and the water won't do anything.
2. then spray the soap onto the car, and let it stand for a few minutes - try not to let the soap dry (pick a wash booth that's not under direct sun)
3. pressure wash the soap and loosened dirt off
4. if I'm feel naughty, I'd use the soap scrub at the station to scrub the wheels (people seem to use that scrub for the whole car... so no guilt using it just for the wheels)
5. 5. park the car aside, in a shaded spot and use a couple of microfibres to dry the car. I would do this in the order of high visibility/cleaner areas to the lower visibility/dirtier areas. In other words, I start drying from the bonnet, then the waist line on either side down to the waist area (1 foot or so from the lowest part of the car), then the mid/upper portions of the rear and the front bumper, roof, and lastly the lowest areas of either side and rear of the car and wheel arches if painted. I used a straight line motion rather than a circular one when going over with the microfibre.
6. use a glass cloth to give your windows a wipe. I'd usually use kitchen tissue to give the wiper blades a clean (you can do so with your cloths if you don't mind them getting very black).

And voila!

I used Autoglym Super Resin Polish once every 6 months or a year to fill up some of the microscratches I induced from the relatively wash method above. I'd then top with Meguiars Gold Class carnuba wax. I felt this combo worked perfect for the dark paint.

Car detailing has been elevated to a whole new level the past 15 odd years I reckon. So I've also changed my ways significantly. Too much to say here, but the following are pretty popular detailing channels on Youtube that I enjoy(ed):

• Obsessed Garage (the only one which I still follow but the videos are way too long for me)
• Pan the Organizer (I liked his older videos. These were decent:
  and
  )
• Chicago Auto Pros

Obsessed Garage has their own website/store (great way for you to see the products they (Matt) recommend for each step without watching all their videos; they only sell things they recommend). Their Facebook group is also very helpful if you want to be serious about detailing.

PS. you don't need a foam cannon, but it's nice to have (I use it for a pre-wash nowadays).

[GS2019]

Originally Posted by hiki08

In very basic and general terms, you need to appreciate that once your car has been driven, or has been parked since your last wash for some time, there will be a layer of dust, soot or whatever on the paint. Air won't generally be enough to blow that layer of grime off (e.g. humidity would make it stick; there could also be tar and bug guts which may require special (generally citrus-based) products to safely remove). All of these impurities will potentially cause the clear coat on your paint to scratch (even if very minuscule) if you drag it across the surface (with your hand, with a dry microfibre, etc.).

With the above in mind, it's about taking that layer of grime off while minimising the chance of dragging it along your paint (since that's what causes marring).

I did things much simpler back then which I'd cringe at doing now, but hey it worked back then (usually at the self-wash booths in the gas/petrol station). Steps back then were:

1. used water to pressure wash the dirty car to wash off the top layer of grime. Be wary too much pressure can potentially cause the dust to run along the paint and mar too; too little pressure and the water won't do anything.
2. then spray the soap onto the car, and let it stand for a few minutes - try not to let the soap dry (pick a wash booth that's not under direct sun)
3. pressure wash the soap and loosened dirt off
4. if I'm feel naughty, I'd use the soap scrub at the station to scrub the wheels (people seem to use that scrub for the whole car... so no guilt using it just for the wheels)
5. 5. park the car aside, in a shaded spot and use a couple of microfibres to dry the car. I would do this in the order of high visibility/cleaner areas to the lower visibility/dirtier areas. In other words, I start drying from the bonnet, then the waist line on either side down to the waist area (1 foot or so from the lowest part of the car), then the mid/upper portions of the rear and the front bumper, roof, and lastly the lowest areas of either side and rear of the car and wheel arches if painted. I used a straight line motion rather than a circular one when going over with the microfibre.
6. use a glass cloth to give your windows a wipe. I'd usually use kitchen tissue to give the wiper blades a clean (you can do so with your cloths if you don't mind them getting very black).

And voila!

I used Autoglym Super Resin Polish once every 6 months or a year to fill up some of the microscratches I induced from the relatively wash method above. I'd then top with Meguiars Gold Class carnuba wax. I felt this combo worked perfect for the dark paint.

Car detailing has been elevated to a whole new level the past 15 odd years I reckon. So I've also changed my ways significantly. Too much to say here, but the following are pretty popular detailing channels on Youtube that I enjoy(ed):

• Obsessed Garage (the only one which I still follow but the videos are way too long for me)
• Pan the Organizer (I liked his older videos. These were decent:
  and
  )
• Chicago Auto Pros

Obsessed Garage has their own website/store (great way for you to see the products they (Matt) recommend for each step without watching all their videos; they only sell things they recommend). Their Facebook group is also very helpful if you want to be serious about detailing.

PS. you don't need a foam cannon, but it's nice to have (I use it for a pre-wash nowadays).

Thank you very much hiki08 - very detailed info on carwash. I will try to use these tips.