Buying a new car based on paint.

E

edonthenet

New member
We are in the market for a new car. Our choices are the Infiniti G35, Lexus IS, BMW 330I, VW Passat 4Motion & Audi A4.

Of course we are not basing our decision on the paint, but I would score the car based on paint quality/durability. As some of you here are pro detailers and have most likely worked with these cars, how would you rate the paints on them?

Thanks for any info.

Ed
 
As for the G35... If you do a lot of highway driving, get a clear bra! Mine has crazy rock chips... But it is not too hard to work on...



Also what color are you buying?
 
Not white, but close to it. We are lemon lawing a new White-Gold Tricoat Pontiac Bonneville so we are looking at replacing it. I love the color but they can't fix the car right, so it's going.
 
IMO the Lexus will have the most rewarding "cleaning result'. The caprets leather and paint clean up very impressivly.

I looked at the exact same lineup you have there and bought a used GS300 Black on Black. Best decision I made. I too looked at paint durability, although not in any scientific manner. I just looked at what used cars looked like on the lot. Both the GS and GX can stand to have a clear bra installed. :D

There were a lot of things that led me to the GS. PM me if you want any info.
 
I have a 2001 BMW 325i steel gray with black leather 51k miles. The paint is very very nice, leather is ok, some scratches, not as tough as my 4runner leather, but more supple.



Some pitting on the front, but not much at all. paint seems to stay swirl free, but I am an autopian.



My Mom has a 98 ES300. Overall the car is in very good shape for 90k, but swirls are tough to get out. I hear the same with Audi.



Not because I own one, but without a doubt the 330i. The downside to the BMW, is you "WILL" have many visits to the dealer for repair, but you'll have a warranty.



Good luck.



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/18990325interior.jpg



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/18990photos_365.jpg



http://autopia.org/gallery/data/500/18990bmwhood.jpg





Steve
 
My vote is for the BMW, I've detailed a TON of BMW's.. more than any other car. The paint is thick, durable, and not so hard to clean. However, you may think that my opinion is biased... I own 2... and Im in 2 BMW clubs, etc. From what I know, Audi's paint is very hard to correct, but is durable. I've never done a Infiniti before, so I dont know about that. And as far as Lexus, I've only done 1. It had a lot of swirl marks, A LOT. I don't know if its just because it is hard to care for or because it wasnt cared for. It was relatively easy to clean up. Never done a VW.



A couple other notes:

- BMW dealerships have statistically the worst customer service, however I've never had any bad situations.

- If you are buying the car new, you wont have to worry about anything maintenance wise, the service warranty is wonderful. I've had many friends that had great situations with repairs. Ex: One friend had a bad head gasket, and the entire engine was replaced free of charge in suspect that problems may occur later in all because of this.

- But yes, things might happen. At what milage do you usually trade in your car for another?

- check out http://www.dealershipratings.com/
 
I'd go for VW/Audi paint. From what I've seen it is less likely to have orange peel (or to a lesser extent) than other paint manufacturers.
 
I was in a similar market recently, some of the same cars came up in my test drive rotation. G35, 330, Acura TL, Cadillac CTS. Bought the Caddy, bigger, quicker, great handling, 20K miles and no problems with the paint, no rock chips, finish looks like new. Minimal textured plastic outside (wiper base only). Lots of big flat panels - a breeze to polish and wax. I struggled with what to buy - happy I did what I did.



Good luck!
 
I've driven the e90 330i and it is a hell of a car. I would get that car over the others in a heartbeat just for the driving dynamics. My current car is an e60 550i, and since it is silver it is a breeze to maintain.
 
Quickstrike said:
I'd go for VW/Audi paint. From what I've seen it is less likely to have orange peel (or to a lesser extent) than other paint manufacturers.
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Might depend on the model/production facilities. The OP on our A8 and S8 is just awful, let alone for cars in that pricerange. I do still like it though, lots of things matter more to me than OP.
 
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