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      06-10-2013, 07:21 AM   #1
BenDiem
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Disappointed in paint quality w/'13 X3

All,

This past weekend, I got real intimate with my early production '13 X3. I hand washed and waxed it for the first time after 13 months of ownership.

I was shocked how poor the paint quality is when I compare it to my First Gen 2006 X3 and my current '13 128i, which I also just hand washed and waxed this past weekend.

The body/metal/paint of the '13 X3 also appeared thinner/of lesser quality than my previous '06 X3 throughout the car. Hmmm... Has anyone else noticed this? I just mention it because the quality of the two vehicles appears like day and night.

The 128i cleaned up very nicely, but the X3 some how just appeared to be no different than any Asian make (having owned several Japanese cars, their only flaw in my eyes is poor quality paint and thinner metal) automobile, with respect to the quality of the metal and the quality of the paint, or lack thereof. Although my X3 is relatively clean, there are several spots/stains & stone chips that just did not clean up at all. My '06 X3 was blue water metallic, and the new X3 is white. Would that have made a difference? Do metallic colors have a clear coat, and perhaps white does not?

Don't get me wrong, I love my X3, I just question if the quality went down a bit when the production of the car went from Regensburg, Germany to South Carolina???

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      06-10-2013, 10:40 AM   #2
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Yes it's not the greatest quality - the price we all pay for being 'environmentally friendly'!

Stone chips seem to happen so much easier than on other cars I've owned
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      06-10-2013, 04:14 PM   #3
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I believe even solid colours have a clear coat as the paint is so fragile....
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      06-10-2013, 06:26 PM   #4
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I think the paint is much better on my 14 x3 than my 08 335i, but overall the water based paint process then went to in 05 or 06 or whenever it was just is no where as good as the previous planet murdering solvent based stuff!
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      06-10-2013, 08:18 PM   #5
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If you really are concerned with the quality of the paint. Wouldn't you have washed it and waxed it before 13 months of ownership? How does one tell the depth of paint(thinner) just by looking at it? Unless of course there are areas of bad spray coverage.
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      06-10-2013, 08:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Radioactive View Post
If you really are concerned with the quality of the paint. Wouldn't you have washed it and waxed it before 13 months of ownership?
+1. I was detail washing and putting my baby's first coat of wax on the weekend after taking delivery of mine!
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      06-11-2013, 01:42 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilGenius View Post
+1. I was detail washing and putting my baby's first coat of wax on the weekend after taking delivery of mine!
+1. It is poor paint quality and that's why it's worth putting in the time or paying someone else to seal it and wax properly. It needs protecting. My main issue with my X3 is the fragile paintwork and it's kept clean and given wax twice a year alongside Zaino etc at more regular intervals
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      06-11-2013, 06:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
+1. It is poor paint quality and that's why it's worth putting in the time or paying someone else to seal it and wax properly. It needs protecting. My main issue with my X3 is the fragile paintwork and it's kept clean and given wax twice a year alongside Zaino etc at more regular intervals
To add to the "fragility" statement of BMW paint. My e46 was built in 2002 and shockingly, it was even softer than the newer paint of my 14 F25! It was a nonstop battle to keep the paint pristine and swirl-mark free; to the point that I wouldn't allow anyone else to touch the paint to wash/wax/etc. Now that I'm "reset" to brand new paint again, I'm using my lessons learned from my e46:
1-clear bras do no good to keep road rash at bay. Ya need padding there for rocks, etc, so I'm looking for a traditional vinyl bra to put on only on interstate-speed roadtrips
2-In florida, the sun seems to kill wax, thus waxing will happen much more often with my x3.
3-I've used zaino, expensive specialty waxes and sealants, and regular wax. I discovered quite by mistake, that a cheap tub of plain old carnuba wax does as good as, if not better than all of the pricier options as far as longevity of the protective layer. I was even shocked by this one!
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      06-11-2013, 08:34 AM   #9
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I am far from a paint expert but it seems to be very soft. I have titanium silver and seem to find a new chip weekly. I did put a clear bra on the front bumper, hood, and mirrors and that's helping. I also, to my pregnant wife's detriment, park as far away from others as possible.
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      06-11-2013, 10:41 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jafeinst View Post
I am far from a paint expert but it seems to be very soft. I have titanium silver and seem to find a new chip weekly. I did put a clear bra on the front bumper, hood, and mirrors and that's helping. I also, to my pregnant wife's detriment, park as far away from others as possible.
Forgive me if I am wrong here.......but is it not that the paint is 'hard' if it chips easily??

Or have I got it the wrong way round, either way I'm sure someone will point me in the right direction.

Mac10
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      06-11-2013, 03:00 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jafeinst View Post
I am far from a paint expert but it seems to be very soft. I have titanium silver and seem to find a new chip weekly. I did put a clear bra on the front bumper, hood, and mirrors and that's helping. I also, to my pregnant wife's detriment, park as far away from others as possible.
Was it difficult to get the front bumper done with the clear bra?
I only got the hood, side mirrors and door handles done. Is it necessary to get that done to prevent damage to the paint and how much does it cost?
I hear that it is difficult to do it.
Thank you!
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      06-11-2013, 03:43 PM   #12
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Mac- Like I said, not a paint expert. I used the term "soft" as it doesn't so much chip as dent. It looks like I have little divets where a car door hits or something else bumps into it.

Herb- Clear bra was great on the bumper. The tint guy at my local BMW dealer did it with the 3M product. I had a few issues with it bubbling up where water hit it(rain, car wash). It turned out that 3M issued a new material that required a different adhesive- this solved the problem and it has been great for 8 weeks- no issues and not noticeable.
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      06-12-2013, 07:27 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Radioactive View Post
If you really are concerned with the quality of the paint. Wouldn't you have washed it and waxed it before 13 months of ownership? How does one tell the depth of paint(thinner) just by looking at it? Unless of course there are areas of bad spray coverage.
Knowing I was not going to keep this car long term I've taken it to a quality brushless car wash facility for the past year. I bought the car for a 48 month term loan, but l'll have it paid off in 36 months. I'll probably trade it in on a Cayenne S. Porsche quality trumps the X3's paint/metal quality. No car/SAV is perfect, however. The negative with the Cayenne is its poor resale value. The X3's resale value is better than the Cayenne.

Pls don't bring up leasing. I refuse to pay for something I'm just renting.
Let the pro-leasers respond, lol...

I've always paid extra for the wheel cleaner and wax option when utilizing the car wash. Of note/interest, my wheels look great! I'm pleased with the metal on my rims. I used wheel wax on the car when i brought it home. They still look new! Interesting, eh? Perhaps I can't have it all, lol...

Trust me, the paint and the metal is of a poorer quality than BMWs of yore. I've owned many. It's reality. This does not take away from the enjoyment I get when I smash the loud pedal. I still love my BMWs. I just can't get over the poorer quality paint and metal on my X3 when I compare it to all of my previous Bimmers...

Cheers/B
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      06-12-2013, 07:59 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BenDiem View Post
This does not take away from the enjoyment I get when I smash the loud pedal
- love this
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      06-13-2013, 04:59 AM   #15
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I spent yesterday reviving a 10 year old VW Polo I've inherited. It had never been waxed and had not been cleaned for over 6 months.

The dirt was really tough to remove, the 1st pic shows the roof, most of the car was in a similar state. The paintwork came up wonderfully. Of course this is not water based and the clear coat has done a great job. The paintwork is loads better than on my 20 month old X3. There's no orange peel effect either. If only we could have paint like this today.

Before


After


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Last edited by clivem2; 06-13-2013 at 05:58 AM..
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      06-13-2013, 05:24 AM   #16
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Great work. Having previously owned a red MKIII Golf (bought at 3 years old and about 9 years old when sold) I can concur. It still looked fantastic after a few hours of hard graft - think I used Auto Glym paint restorer.

They don't paint 'em like they used to...
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      06-13-2013, 12:41 PM   #17
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They don't make paint like they used to but thats not the only reason for orange peel.

I used to work with a guy who was Quality manager of the UK arm of a large multinational automotive paint company.

Orange peel is often said to be as a result of the more environmentally friendly paints which is partially true. But the main reasons are the speed of application ie too much paint too quickly or dried too quickly (time is money). This can happen even with the solvent based paint. Secondly a slightly "orange peel" finish hides some of the imperfections that happen as a result of the build process so you don't see the smaller imperfections of the body. So it can be somewhat deliberate.

If you have seen the megafactories X3 program this orange peel could be seen in the functional e-coat which is the base layer.
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      06-13-2013, 02:12 PM   #18
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I don't think the paint quality is great. I have an E46 330i and the paint is nicer than my X3. Both cars are in Silver and I find the uniformity of the silver not good on the X3. The bonnet or hood is quite blotchy under bright sun. Not too happy!
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      06-25-2013, 06:19 PM   #19
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It's not just BMW... I owned a 2013 Audi A4 for 2 years that spent 1/2 it's life in the garage & I couldn't believe how easy that paint chipped... So the day after I picked up the X... it went straight the shop for the clear bra treatment.

OP... 13 months before a hand wash??? Kinda lost me at hello....
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