Colors colors colors!

Originally Posted by adc

I liked Arctic as well when I saw it in person. It looks *nothing* like the Internet pics, nor like the puny brochure sample. I actually held the brochure on the car's hood and they were very different.

One vote for Arctic here, must be the underdog color of the E90 line...

adc
03 330 ZHP

No question that Artic looks totally different in person. In fact, when I walked in to the dealer to order my 330i, I was ready to order Graphite w/ terra int. But when I saw a 330i on the floor in Artic I felt compelled to change my mind - I ordered the combo that I saw on the floor - Artic w/gray int. Gorgeous! And I'm not a great fan of gray, but it looked perfect with the Artic exterior.

I'm waiting for Arctic with lemon interior. I'll just have to stop hopping into my car with wet, brand new, blue jeans. I was also going to get Graphite until I saw Arctic "in the flesh".

Originally Posted by egtlover74

E90 red looks so much different in person. I was going to order Electric red but changed my mind as soon as I saw the color in person. Sparkling Graphite looks better in the shaded area or in doors. It has little bit of purple tones under the direct sunlight. Silver looks much brighter in person as well. So, never choose a color based on pictures... See it in person... As for me, I decided to go with Titanium Silver and it is in order....

It's fun to read these "which color" threads, to see the diverse (and all valid) opinions.

I actually like the subtle purple tone you sometimes see with SG. I saw SG in a showroom once and could see subtle brown tones at a certain angle. I liked it. Maybe I'm weird, but that's one of the appeals to SG, IMO.

Forget the bmw website for color decisions, exterior and interior. The Terra is very different looking from what the website shows.

Originally Posted by adc

I liked Arctic as well when I saw it in person. It looks *nothing* like the Internet pics, nor like the puny brochure sample. I actually held the brochure on the car's hood and they were very different.

One vote for Arctic here, must be the underdog color of the E90 line...

adc
03 330 ZHP

Arctic Rocks!!

Went to a dealer planning to buy a 550i (Silver & Black) and saw a beautiful Arctic w/ Terra parked in front of the showroom ready to be delivered. I switched cars after the test-drove...and color combo generated a greater gut reaction than any of the other colors I saw on the lot (most were on hand).

Originally Posted by Evil Cardinal

Hey everyone, glad to be joining this community. I just placed my order for a 330i in Norcal, but I keep flipping about what color I should outfit my machine with. The colors on the bmwusa website are quite misleading--the alpine white, for example, looks a little metallic/shiny, but in real life, it's really just white!

Does anyone have pictures of what those colors will actually look like in RL? E.g. a Beemer with an arctic coat (I suppose it doesn't have to be the E90)? I am currently vacilitating among arctic, graphite, and white. Or maybe monaco blue. Aah, I'm indecisive and I sense my dealership getting annoyed with my fickle moods.

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I was under the impression BMW's only come in Jet Black with Black Interior........Now try and tell me other than trying to keep it clean is there anything on Planet Earth more gorgeous than a Black BMW........?

Originally Posted by jdouville

Went to a dealer planning to buy a 550i (Silver & Black) and saw a beautiful Arctic w/ Terra parked in front of the showroom ready to be delivered. I switched cars after the test-drove...and color combo generated a greater gut reaction than any of the other colors I saw on the lot (most were on hand).

Other than the color, what made you switch from a 550i to a 330i??

I dropped my car off for service one day at Peter Pan BMW (here in NorCal) and the entire front line of the dealership was e90s in every offered color. IMHO, the SG was too dark and I preferred Silver Grey of the e46. Alpine White seems like it would look nice with Grey or Terra interior. I have to say that I was surprised at how much I liked Sonora... a nice gold tone with hints of brown.

i say go with the alpine white bmw they are beautiful

I have SG with Terra and aluminum trim. I think it looks real sharp yet I've received (unsolicited) commentary ranging from "that is a great color combo" to "that is awful". Botttom line - I like it and so did the valet at the rest the other nite, who parked it in a prime spot.

Talk about underdogs! I ordered for ED a Deep Metalic Green 325xi. I saw one when on vacation in Florida and fell in love with it. Add tan leather and poplar wood and you have one stunning car! The green is very dark as is Monaco Blue. In some light, it almost looks black. I did not want a Bimmer that looked like every other one on the road. I've only seen one here in MA and there are Many, Many BMWs on the road here in Greater Boston. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I know, so all of these discussions on colors is rather silly. My previous first choice was Barrique Red. GO FIGURE!!!

I ordered an Artic White with Terra and Poplar. My past experence with an Artic Whited 2001 330i was that it was easier to keep clean didn't show swirls scratches much. In addition, the underlying primer is an offwhite so even a rock chip or scrape can be difficult to spot unless you are looking for it.
Just hope the Terra and Poplar combo go well together, never actually saw them together, only individually.

Mystic Blue. Got it two weeks ago.

The color in this picture is accurate (assuming your monitor isn't messed up).

Whatever you do, don't get Barrique Red. I want to have the only one out there.....

see them in person during the day and at night and then make a decision, you cant really go wrong, in the end youll have a new E90

Originally Posted by carnuts3

Other than the color, what made you switch from a 550i to a 330i??

Sorry to intrude!! I test drove both with very open mind!! They are both very very different cars!!

5 series drives/handles altogether different from 3 series!
If I like 5 series I might not like 3 or vice versa!!

BTW!! I fell in love with that 330i with sports package!! I cant wait to see if new 2007 offers 335 version.

BTW May I ask, if some one has driven 330i with and without sports package, what is ur opinion!?thnx

Advice to Evil Cardinal: the only way to know what any of these colors will look like in real life, is to look at a real live BMW in that color. Printing media and computer display screeens, no matter how high their quality, will introduce unavoidable variations. For that matter, the best way to look at a live car is in daylight, and not under artificial light in the showroom.
I have ended up with Alpine White for both of our E90's, and have no complaints. White, red and black are the only three colors, out of 11 available, which do not cost $475 extra. Also, be aware that all of the extra cost metallic colors are subject to matching problems when the inevitable fender bender requires repainting. However, if you are willing to drop the extra $$, the Titanium Silver is elegant, and does not show dirt too badly. Avoid black unless you have obsessive-compulsive disorder and a willingness to wash your baby every few days.
Note: there are a few of those guys with OCD and black bimmers who hang around this forum. I apologize if I have offended you.

There definitely are a lot of valid opinions, and no two will agree.

For me, most of my view of my car will be from *INSIDE* it, I chose my interior color first. I love Terra, it looked good in the brochure, and even better in person.

From there, I wanted a color that I thought would look good with Terra, which left (to my eye) the following colors: Black (both of them), White, SG, and Green. While other people have matched Terra with other exterior colors, I couldn't "feel" them personally.

Based on those choices, I chose SG due to the purple/earthy hue in some lighting conditions, while normally looking grey.

As to exterior colors, I actually thought Sonora Desert Metallic and Barrique Metallic Red were two of the best exteriors, but both appear to best compliment beige interiors, and I don't like the way the dash looks with beige on it. I prefer the black dash/footwells/etc.

--gos

Sparkling Graphite was not as impressive as I thought it would be in person. Titanium Silver is great but it is a common color among all lower end cars like Accord, Camry, etc., Even though maintaining is a pain, I special ordered a 330i Jet Black with Black Leather. On delivery I tinted it with 35% black tint all around (except windshield) and added a black E90 spoiler. With the wheels (#162) that comes standard on the Sports package the vehicle is one looker. I have no regrets. Having said above, color is a personal choice and in BMW's case never choose a color from its catalogue or pictures, go see it in daylight.

Some color facts to consider (hearsay, ignorance to be pardoned):
a) Dark colors make vehicle look small
b) Silver is number one color in US (sales volume) with best resale value