[lbjgh]

Down to Carbon Black or Alpine White

Both would be OK

[x3heh]

White: reflects more heat, probably a less heated interior during the sunny days.

Black: Looks awesome when detailed, but catches much more sun and retains much more heat.

[tuco44]

Really your choice. I have had both and prefer the white, but only because of ease of maintenance. Both colors look great on the X3 MSport.

[lbjgh]

I think my wife logged in and threw a couple votes in for white.

I was at the car show in Toronto today and they had a carbon black 5 series beside a X5 AW. They both looked great. The carbon black was very 'blue' under the lights but I've read the colour tends to change with the lighting. The white looks sharp but maybe a little stark especially from the side. The 3/4 view (front/rear) look good in white. I'm not too worried about heat being north the 48th.

[Polar_Bimmer]

Honestly, I don't really like the black, it looks more luxurious (such as limousines) but also too serious and even sad as hearses. And a black car doesn't attract attention, it goes unnoticed. Also too messy.

I like a lot more white, but everything is a matter of personal taste

[Nahoa]

Black in my mind is either an M3 coupe or a Suburban. Both work for what they are, but the X3 is neither.

[jk]

white- more visible in most traffic conditions, especially at dusk. easier to cool. actually looks cleaner when a little dirty compared to black.

also, can't hurt to please your wife.

[Horsey]

I have a similar dilemma for my new x3 35d M Sport ... For me it was between black sapphire and alpine white. People I asked were very helpful and suggested the two greys just to make life harder.

Black is always a safe colour ... And there are loads of nice "bad ass" cars in black, but I wanted to avoid looking "tough" not that the x3 has the body to carry it off like some others. So as much as I think black looks cool I am going to give that a miss.

And so it's to white ... I have been ridiculed for joining the WAG set ... *sigh*

Hence the suggestion of grey ...

But no ... My order is currently white and now I have seen your pictures, its staying white!

... But I am pretty sure whatever the colour, it's still a fantastic car ...

In case it helps, I will add 3 votes for white (me, my wife and my mum).

[Rogerbu]

2 more votes for White.

My views (as instructed by SHMBO)
I love the Black(s), but having had both White & Black in the past the blacks are a pain to keep looking nice. In addition the Blacks look best with the Oyster interior. Light colour Leathers are also a pain to keep looking nice.

[swallowtail]

LOL, exactly the same dilemma I had. I liked white, but then I saw a Carbon Black one at the dealer with the oyster interior, and that was it, no more questions asked. :-)

[AngusW]

Sorry, but you are all wrong - Vermillion red/oyster head and shoulders above all these non colours! Not that I'm biased of course.

[Nahoa]

That is a nice combo!

Nice thing is that this car seems to take well to whatever color grabs you most. Haven't seen a single pic that really put me off.

For the more subtle, classy, yet still sporty option Mineral Silver is clearly the choice, though -- why else would they use it in all the brochures and ads?

[AngusW]

Subtle, classy - nah, bold, brash, in yer face VR!

Seriously though, mineral silver was a very close second for me - I swung towards the red because I liked it with the oyster interior, and couldn't really find an interior that suited the mineral silver. The rebel side in me needed to come out as well!

[ricardoyak]

Another vote for Mineral Silver - I have that with Oyster interior. I like the overall silver and cream appearance inside and out.

Probably better with SE as again the black wheel arches and interior black of oyster are consistent and the Xline Pack again gives some nice accents.

I passed an MSport in Space Grey yesterday and that looked good. For me Black and White are a bit too much of a cliche for BMWs.

But life would be dull if we all liked the same things.

[tank531]

What the X3 really needs is a 'metalic' white. If you are keeping the car I wonder what AW will be like in 5 years - will the colour become dull or 'lost'?

[lbjgh]

Originally Posted by AngusW

Sorry, but you are all wrong - Vermillion red/oyster head and shoulders above all these non colours! Not that I'm biased of course.

I like the Vermillion Red too but that colour was vetoed by my wife.

The M-Sport isn't available in Mineral Silver so that's off the list and I've driven silver cars for the last 12 years so silver is off the list too.

The X3 at the auto show was Vermillion Red with Beige Leatherette and you could see dirt on the seats from the hundreds of arses that jumped into the car so I'll be going with the dark seating surface.

White doesn't seem to be statistically as popular here based on this Toronto newpaper extract:

TORONTO — What do car colour choices say about Canadians? According to a new study by Leger Marketing, commissioned by Ford Motor Co. of Canada, Canadians apparently don't like to stray too far from tradition.

When it comes to current cars, the conventional silver/grey is by far the most popular, with 22.3 per cent of Canadians choosing that hue. Black (14.1 per cent), blue (13.6 per cent), then red (11.6 per cent) are well behind.

Possibly due to our messy winter weather conditions, the colour white, often a top warm-climate pick, is a distant fifth choice (6.9 per cent). Rounding out the choices are green (6.0 per cent), gold (3.8 per cent) and orange (0.4 per cent). Eleven per cent of Canadians surveyed chose a colour other than those listed.

“People form an emotional connection with colour and there is something very personal to buyers about the hue of their cars,” says Susan Swek, Ford Motor Company’s chief designer, Colour and Materials. “Our internal research shows up to 40 per cent of car buyers say they would walk out of a dealership if they couldn’t buy a car in the colour they wanted.”

Below, Swek provides some specific attributes associated to the top five colour choices in Canada:

Silver — “Since silver and grey are technical colours, they communicate a sense of aspiration and at times, an embrace of futurism.”

Black — “Overall, black communicates strength, aspiration and a respect for the classic and the elegant.”

Blue — “Darker blue is perceived as more traditional. However, a bright or light blue is the opposite and is seen as the least ‘classic’ of the other colour groups.”

Red — “A colour which screams sporty and energetic but in certain shades can also be associated with distinction.”

White — “White is clean and modern. Premium specialty whites (also known as ‘tri-coat whites’) are also associated with luxury and ‘premium-ness’.”

[lbjgh]

Agreed. Even a metalic/pearl white as an option would be nice.

Originally Posted by tank531

What the X3 really needs is a 'metalic' white. If you are keeping the car I wonder what AW will be like in 5 years - will the colour become dull or 'lost'?

[jk]

the alpine white isn't a pure white, btw. i have a [stark, pure] white subaru wrx, a pearl white subaru turbo legacy, which looks a bit cream next to the wrx, and now the alpine white x3. the x3 is the "darkest," or most-off white.

[nonagon]

I agree, BMW should consider offering more interesting options for white; Mineral White, or at least a metallic white. The non-metallic finish of the AW looks good but is a bit plain. I have Carbon Black and love it. It is hard to keep clean though.

[JoeyO]

You're paying all that money for the M-Sport and it will be lost on the black from a distance away. So get the white. It makes the moldings stand out more. Even from a distance away.

[Bustofa]

Saw an M Sport X5 in AW yesterday and it looked great.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by Bustofa

Saw an M Sport X5 in AW yesterday and it looked great.

+1 This is the still by the far best combination of colour and X3/X5 IMO. Something about the dual exhaust at the back makes it look much better than the X3's rear, particularly in M sport trim