[mhodx5]

I am really struggling with this decision. Pros and cons to either color?

[roadkillrob]

Tough one have had both, Mineral White is great looking, especially with msport and lots fo gloss black trim - would be even better with black wheels. Reasonably easy to keep clean, it is a tri-coat finish so hard to touch up.

Carbon Black is one of my all time favorites, black at night, blue in the sun, absolutely stunning in the sun in my book, harder to keep clean for sure and a bit hot in the sunnier locations.

[mrjoed2]

Originally Posted by mhodx5

I am really struggling with this decision. Pros and cons to either color?

Black is a beast to take care of. Looks dirty in a couple days after a detailing. Shows every fingerprint & smudge. Must wash/wax/ polish very carefully to avoid micro scratches & swirls. And hot to the touch in Florida within a couple minutes out of the garage. I have a black 4 Runner & it is my last black vehicle. Selling soon - I'm am torn between Arctic gray & Phytonic blue M50i.

[mrjoed2]

Originally Posted by roadkillrob

Tough one have had both, Mineral White is great looking, especially with msport and lots fo gloss black trim - would be even better with black wheels. Reasonably easy to keep clean, it is a tri-coat finish so hard to touch up.

Carbon Black is one of my all time favorites, black at night, blue in the sun, absolutely stunning in the sun in my book, harder to keep clean for sure and a bit hot in the sunnier locations.

How do you find the detailing on your Phytonic blue? Seems very nice, not too dark a blue.

[James_G0540i]

Carbon Black (or black) is a nightmare colour. Agreed it looks awesome, but be prepared to wash/detail and clean every hour. Seriously, it shows absolutely everything, smudges, fingerprints, rain/water splash...everything.

White looks good, and believe it or not it's not as bad as Carbon black. I just think its a little plain for a luxury car like an X5. Reminds me of whitegoods like a washing machine or dryer - more applicable to a Toyota.

Consider looking at a unique/luxury colour, like Arctic Grey. Go and see them in person, forget the brochures.

[X5_CC]

I used to have an Audi that was "moonlight blue," which I think is quite close to carbon black. My current X5 is mineral white.

I am very happy with mineral white. I think it looks sharp, and you can get by for a while without washing it. It stays much, much cooler in the sun than my old Audi... I never thought it would make that much of a difference. It also hides minor imperfections, like scuffs and light scratches. Though it didn't hide when I backed into the garage door and took some chips out of the rear spoiler

If you're getting an xLine with chrome, I think the chrome looks better against a dark color, though.

[Tim2189]

I just got rid of my carbon black F15 and picked up mineral white G05.
Carbon black looks great when clean but a pain to keep clean. You’ll see rock chips and swirl marks more on the carbon black.

[MystroX5]

White hides dirt but will never “pop” like black. No color will look as good as a perfectly clean polished black paint.
I have owned enough white and silver colors and these “safe” colors are a compromise as a convenience for me. The reality is black is a more “honest” color showing you what your pant really looks like. Some do not like honesty with their paint colors.

IMO BMW does blue better than anyone and Carbon Black is the sexiest color BMW makes. I worked very hard to locate a 50i M-Sport in Carbon Black when I was buying. It’s got all the coolness of black but when the sun is out it will standout even against the cleanest black car as the blue looks like it is set 10’ behind that black finish.
The new M8 needed to be introduced in Carbon Black instead of blah Burgundy and dirty grey.

[James_G0540i]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

White hides dirt but will never “pop” like black. No color will look as good as a perfectly clean polished black paint.

That's all good and fine if you keep your car in a museum or permanently in a showroom, but the reality is our roads are dirty dusty places, and rain and storms exacerbate the filth out there.

So if you want to spend 99% of the time cleaning, and the other 1% actually driving, that's fine - I guess it's a personal choice.

I agree, black or carbon black look absolutely awesome when clean and polished - the G05 looks the best in those colours and probably most BMWs, but people shouldn't fool themselves about the maintenance behind keeping it looking that way.

If you want to keep it looking that way, I can tell you now its a daily chore. I had Carbon Black on my first G05, and it was a lot of work !

Just being honest....

[Ken6096]

Love the carbon black but chose Pythonic Blue. XD . IMO black look more luxurious and better than white in every way. White look better in smaller car. Blue just look more sporty than both.

[Gtz1wickedest]

carbon black is a great color but as others said you have to take care of it after every drive. Every little dust spec shows along with it being a fingerprint magnet. It was an expensive color to own. Ordered me a mineral white this time around for the G05.

If you do go with the carbon black I would highly recommend getting it ceramic coated you'll be cleaning it less often.

[Ninefourteener]

Don't think about "now".... think about 10 years from now.

Same circumstances, same care, same owner, same cleaning products and waxes, etc...... and the white car will ALWAYS look better than a black car.

I ONLY buy white or Silver cars.... because they hide imperfections best, and maintain a quality-looking finish for longer.

I had a Mineral white 328i.... beautiful color.... but it was hard to get a spoiler painted to match it, it was hard to get touch-up paint, etc.

My 340i... I went with Alpine white.

My X5 M50i... I also went with Alpine white.

[imyb]

Don't be put off the Carbon Black, I went out of my way to get a hold of one.
It doesn't matter what car you get, you have to clean it, albeit black cars need more cleaning.
If you're like me and don't care about a bit of dirt here and there then Carbon Black is the ultimate color.

[ams3177]

Originally Posted by mhodx5

I am really struggling with this decision. Pros and cons to either color?

For me it will be Carbon Black hands down. My F15 was carbon black and so is my G05. I agree that it is a bit high maintenance but when maintained well it is a head turner 😁.
I get my cars ceramic coated so they are a bit easier to maintain and resist micro scratches and in my opinion for Carbon Black some kind of ceramic coating is a must.

[chriscross]

I drive a mineral white F16 now and do like the way it goes with the cerium grey grille, mirror caps, etc. (was part of pure extravagance package before the M performance cars adopted it). If you will order an M50i or M50d and keep the cerium grey trim, I can only recommend it.

But if you'd like to murder the car out with the extended shadowline trim, go for carbon black. (unless you're into the panda look).

As far as cleaning goes, I wouldn't worry about it too much. When you use the car daily, a little bit of dirt and dust doesn't matter much. When you want to have it clean and admire it on a sunny day, have it washed and enjoy looking at it clean. As already said, you'll be very happy with carbon black on those days...little less on the other, dirty ones

[robby818]

Darker colors look more luxurious and so I prefer them over whites, but I am not a huge fan of carbon black. If you are going to get a blue, I think it should show more blue than black but not look like purple.

Imperial Blue is my favorite BMW blue. On the G05, I like Sapphire Black or Arctic Grey.

[jphcbpa]

My previous x3 was Alpine and I was looking for darker for the G05 and went with Carbon Black. IMO, the best colorway and agree it does show more dust and pollen. However, it is the best looking vehicle I have ever driven when after a wash. I tend to rotate between black and white cars. For 10 years I had an FJ Cruiser that was black before that a white expedition. Next go around I may go back to white.

[ScotX5]

Originally Posted by mhodx5

I am really struggling with this decision. Pros and cons to either color?

Carbon black.

[champkindwhammy]

My beast is black on black and looks fantastic! I personally feel the ugly ass grills need a dark color and the extended shadowline to make it look right. And the black 22" wheels are really stunning. But obviously I'm biased

[mhodx5]

Thanks for all the input.

[sjak92]

I've had both colours, Carbon Black on an F10 and Mineral White on the G05 now.

I wasn't sure about the white until I saw it n person. The colour is incredibly glossy. It really pops and is complimented by black accents on the car in shadow line trim. I absolutely love it and having had white before, i know its the easiest colour to maintain scratch free and clean.

Carbon black is amazing, but only when clean. It really pops but gets dirty instantly. I fairly sure it scratches from merely looking at it to and is a nightmare to maintain.

I'd go for mineral white every time

[buckybadger]

Black is king! But terrible to maintain, stay away!