Black Sapphire vs. Jet Black?

I have nearly decided to go with black when ordering my '05 X3 3.0i, mainly because I think it looks best with the black bumpers. I've read previous posts about swirl mark issues with black paint, so my question is... would either Black Sapphire or Jet Black be less likely to show marks, scratches, dirt, etc., or is it a toss-up? Thanks for your thoughts.

Originally Posted by sum52

I have nearly decided to go with black when ordering my '05 X3 3.0i, mainly because I think it looks best with the black bumpers. I've read previous posts about swirl mark issues with black paint, so my question is... would either Black Sapphire or Jet Black be less likely to show marks, scratches, dirt, etc., or is it a toss-up? Thanks for your thoughts.

Blk Sapp Metallic will do a better job of handling these issues. With that said: it is still black. So, these issues are still there vs other colors. The jet and blk sapp both look great! Remember don't let the dealer detail your car.

Sorry if this question seems straightforward but what's wrong with the dealer detailing your car? I would think they know better than anyone else how to do it?

Originally Posted by peoe2

Sorry if this question seems straightforward but what's wrong with the dealer detailing your car? I would think they know better than anyone else how to do it?

Who do you think is detailing your car at the dealer and how careful are they? Do it yourself so you wont get swirl marks and streaks, scratches, etc.

Your dealer makes MONEY by selling and repairing vehicles. He does not make any money detailing. So how good of a job do you think you are going to get?

Professional detailers do it for a living so they KNOW what they are doing.

Originally Posted by peoe2

Sorry if this question seems straightforward but what's wrong with the dealer detailing your car? I would think they know better than anyone else how to do it?

Common misconception...

Watch how they "detail" a car or even wash a car before they give it back to you...

I would be willing to bet a pressure washer and a big dirt-clogged brush on a pole soaking in a 5 gallon bucket of dirty water will be order of the day...perfect for adding swirls and scratches

Originally Posted by Desertnate

Common misconception...

Watch how they "detail" a car or even wash a car before they give it back to you...

I would be willing to bet a pressure washer and a big dirt-clogged brush on a pole soaking in a 5 gallon bucket of dirty water will be order of the day...perfect for adding swirls and scratches

And if they drop the rag on the ground or use it to clean the wheels, I'd be willing to bet that rag would still see the top of my hood, my trunk, my interior trim and so on. In fact, that may be how they scratched my car in those areas. The tell-tale sign was marks in an arc a la someone standing beside the car and wiping in an arc. Something I don't do. The arcs were front to back on the hood with the apex toward the center so I figure the person was standing near the front wheel on both sides when they gave me this symmetric scratching. And they probably stood by the rear license plate when they did the trunk because that arc goes side to side with the apex toward the rear window.