Hey everyone,

I am looking to possibly get a F30 M Sport in the future with a Beige interior, but have some questions for you Mineral Grey owners. Do any of you regret picking this color due to the fact that it is kind of hard to keep clean and that it somewhat hides the lines of the car since it is a dark color? Also, does it get too hot in hotter climates? The other color I'm considering is Glacier Silver, since it is a much easier color to maintain and it highlights the lines of the car better, but it might not go well with the Beige interior. I currently have Space Grey on my car and like that it is not too hard to maintain and that you can still see the lines of the car pretty well. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

[HFW003]

Prior to my current vehicle I had a MG for six months which happened to be over the summer and down here summer is quite warm.

The MG, in my opinion, is no harder or easier to keep clean than any other colour. I have never really got the difference a colour seems to make to the appearance of being clean. You just need to wash the car once a week and you will be fine.

As far as the heat goes, again I have never noticed any significant difference a colour makes to how hot the car gets. All cars get hot, put the AC and away it goes. My wife has always had white cars and I get the darker coloured one so I do have a knowledge of the difference.

My MG had the Veneto Beige and I didn't really like the colour, it is too "yellow".

I now have a Havana 328 with the Oyster interior colour much better.

With saying that mate, it's your car, get what you will like!

Good luck

[Cup o' Joe]

I think the mineral grey looks is extremely sexy. When its clean, it shows the lines of the car in a subtle way (and has an incredible wow factor..I get compliments on the color all the time), and I feel fits the car well.

That is when its clean. Mine seems to always show watermarks, or look kind of dull when its covered in a layer of pollen and dust. I wouldn't say it looks bad when it's dirty, but from across a parking lot, it just doesn't "catch the eye" as well. Still a very sexy car though, and I'm glad I didn't go with any other color.

As far as the heat, we've been having some warm and humid days here, and the black interior is literally untouchable (1st degree burns on my right elbow from the arm rest) if its been sitting in the sun for over and hour. The interior is also uncomfortably hot. I am going to set up the BMW app for my iPhone to be able to pre-condition the vehicle. I also have yet to get tints. A good ceramic film will cut down dramatically on these.

Best way for you to decide: go to the dealer on a sunny day. See how hot the beige interior gets (I haven't sat in one) on a dark colored car. Also see how the exterior color options look. Photos and videos can only show so much.

[Glideslope]

I had a similar impossible choice between Silver and Grey Metallic for my F30. My previous car was silver which was not only easy to keep clean in rainy Seattle, but also seemed to look good while winter dirty.

Black/Silver/Grey were my finalists, but I ruled out black due to the difficulty of keeping it clean (in a predominantly rainy place).

I moved to grey as my wife's X3 is silver and some ladies in the office suggested the grey looked better... so, there you go!

I haven't experienced a winter with the car yet, but it's been a blast the past two weeks with a clean car and dry-clear days.

As for interior heat, I have 15% ceramic tint and a sunshade to keep her cool when not parked in a garage. Tint on a grey car looks even sweeter!

good luck, let us know which way you go!

[Glideslope]

I know you do this, but I sought out grey and silver bimmers while not clean (at my work parking lot, etc) to get a feel what they look like under "normal" operations... and not fresh out of the detailer (if you know what I mean). Our wives always look good in their wedding dresses (on the wedding day), yes?

[OC40]

Originally Posted by beemer3

Hey everyone,

I am looking to possibly get a F30 M Sport in the future with a Beige interior, but have some questions for you Mineral Grey owners. Do any of you regret picking this color due to the fact that it is kind of hard to keep clean and that it somewhat hides the lines of the car since it is a dark color? Also, does it get too hot in hotter climates? The other color I'm considering is Glacier Silver, since it is a much easier color to maintain and it highlights the lines of the car better, but it might not go well with the Beige interior. I currently have Space Grey on my car and like that it is not too hard to maintain and that you can still see the lines of the car pretty well. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

MG all day, everyday! I have a MG MSport. I think the MG is best for the lines other than the EBII. I consistently receive compliments.

[steveMizdaman]

Originally Posted by OC40

MG all day, everyday! I have a MG MSport. I think the MG is best for the lines other than the EBII. I consistently receive compliments.

agree...I was originally going for the EBII but the dealership with the MG gave me an excellent deal I couldn't walk out on...very pleased with it...and cleaning it I don't see any difference than any other color car.

[claykin]

Color is a very personal choice.

Fact: MG will get hotter than Silver in direct sun. Some of that heat absolutely transfers into the cabin. Test: Take a laser thermometer to your dealer and measure horizontal metal surfaces on a hot sunny day.

As far as cleaning is concerned, this is also so subjective. All cars get dirty. Some colors hide road dirt better, other colors hide rain spots better. You'll never win over mother nature...

However, who cares. Its not a big deal. Just tint your car and you'll be fine.

GET THE COLOR YOU LIKE BETTER.

[RoundelM3]

I previously had Sparkling Graphite on my 07 E92, and I really like the Mineral Gray on my 2013 335i. It's not dark enough to be all that hot in the summer (and it gets really hot here too), plus I think it shows the lines of the car very nicely. Glacier silver is a great color too, but maybe a little too light for me. I got the coral red interior this time instead of black or beige (only 3 choices with M-Sport) and the car really stands out. Tinting the windows gives it a great look (as it would with glacier silver as well).

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by roundel335

I previously had Sparkling Graphite on my 07 E92, and I really like the Mineral Gray on my 2013 335i. It's not dark enough to be all that hot in the summer (and it gets really hot here too), plus I think it shows the lines of the car very nicely. Glacier silver is a great color too, but maybe a little too light for me. I got the coral red interior this time instead of black or beige (only 3 choices with M-Sport) and the car really stands out. Tinting the windows gives it a great look (as it would with glacier silver as well).

Beautiful car. MG with Coral Red and some tints.

Those 400 style wheels look great. I am having a hard time deciding 19" 403M vs 18" 400 on the M-sport 335i. I wish there was a way to see them side by side in person, hard work!

[CHCCubs]

In terms of keeping it clean I had some of the original apprehension as the OP. My previous E90 was space grey which I found didn't show dirt most of the time since it was a lighter shade of grey compared to the mineral grey on my F30. That said, I find that mineral grey doesn't really show dirt any more so than space grey and in my opinion looks even better than space grey did when clean.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

Beautiful car. MG with Coral Red and some tints.

Those 400 style wheels look great. I am having a hard time deciding 19" 403M vs 18" 400 on the M-sport 335i. I wish there was a way to see them side by side in person, hard work!

Thanks for the compliment! The 19s look great too, but for me, the 18s ride better and are also less expensive to replace.

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by roundel335

Thanks for the compliment! The 19s look great too, but for me, the 18s ride better and are also less expensive to replace.

I am thinking on the same lines.

TireRack tells me the replacement of RFTs will be about $140 more for the ContiSport Contact 5 SSR 19" vs 18" OEM staggered.

I have no clue about the Ride quality, as I haven't test driven any. My current E90 has 17" wheels. Theoretically I can expect worse ride quality with 19" vs 18". And potentially more damage on potholes. Did you test drive before you ordered or perhaps after? I believe you are speaking from hands on experience.

[claykin]

Wheel size is irrelevant. Its the tire sidewall size that makes the difference.

The OEM 18s have 45/40 sidewalls.

The OEM 19s have 40/35 sidewalls.

Basically, the OEM 19s have a sidewall thats roughly 1/2" shorter. Yes, slightly harder ride but in the F30 cushy chassis its hardly noticeable. IMO the 403M wheels look better and the extra inch helps.

[bmrm396]

cant wait to get mine! blue m brakes should help give it some pop too

[bavarianboar]

Originally Posted by bmrm396

cant wait to get mine! blue m brakes should help give it some pop too

How do u get blue ///M brakes? Standard on 335i msport line or added option which is not on configuration on bmwusa.com

[claykin]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

How do u get blue ///M brakes? Standard on 335i msport line or added option which is not on configuration on bmwusa.com

M Sport brakes are a $650 option for MY2014.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

I am thinking on the same lines.

TireRack tells me the replacement of RFTs will be about $140 more for the ContiSport Contact 5 SSR 19" vs 18" OEM staggered.

I have no clue about the Ride quality, as I haven't test driven any. My current E90 has 17" wheels. Theoretically I can expect worse ride quality with 19" vs 18". And potentially more damage on potholes. Did you test drive before you ordered or perhaps after? I believe you are speaking from hands on experience.

The other part about 19" wheels is their weight - as they are physically larger, there's more metal in them, and unless you get the super-light models (significantly more expensive), there is more unsprung weight. You are correct about the larger wheel/shorter sidewall being more susceptible to pothole damage, and, in my experience, the 19" wheel on a 3-series, especially with runflats, provides a somewhat stiffer ride. That may not matter if you're tracking the car, but it gets tiresome in "normal" driving. And yes, 19" tires are more expensive than 18" when buying replacement tires.

That said, on the F30, BMW has gone up on tire section from what they put on the E9x series - they're 45 in the front and 40 in the rear, where my E92 had 40 front and 35 in the rear, so the 19s may not be quite as harsh on the F30 as they were on the E9x. But I'll stick by my recommendation of 18" as the more economical/comfortable choice. My favorite non-runflat tire is the Continental Extreme Contact DW summer tire - good price, great ride and handling, and good treadwear rating. I have them on my wife's 128 and will be putting them on my F30 when the runflats wear out.

I still have a hard time deciding between Glacier Silver or Mineral Grey. It is reassuring to know that Mineral Grey doesn't seem to get as hot or is as hard to maintain as I thought based on these responses. I'm still trying to determine if Mineral Grey hides too much of the lines of the car even though I have seen it a couple of times in real life.

[jw30]

Originally Posted by bavarianboar

I am thinking on the same lines.

TireRack tells me the replacement of RFTs will be about $140 more for the ContiSport Contact 5 SSR 19" vs 18" OEM staggered.

I have no clue about the Ride quality, as I haven't test driven any. My current E90 has 17" wheels. Theoretically I can expect worse ride quality with 19" vs 18". And potentially more damage on potholes. Did you test drive before you ordered or perhaps after? I believe you are speaking from hands on experience.

I wanted the 19s but went with the Luminance Red 18s in the end on my 335i m sport and don't regret it. Also love the MG and glad I went with it over then glacier silver. Not near as bad as everyone said. Always looks excellent.

[ybbiz34]

Originally Posted by beemer3

I still have a hard time deciding between Glacier Silver or Mineral Grey. It is reassuring to know that Mineral Grey doesn't seem to get as hot or is as hard to maintain as I thought based on these responses. I'm still trying to determine if Mineral Grey hides too much of the lines of the car even though I have seen it a couple of times in real life.

My vote would be for Glacier Silver. It is classy and easy to keep clean. Furthermore, Glacier Silver really makes the lines and details on the F30 "pop" (this is especially true for the M Sport Line).



Of course, I am biased.

[Peach]

My color combo is MG w/ grey interior and brushed aluminum trim. It's very euro looking and I love it. This is my 3rd BMW and the lighter interior makes the car seem more refined. My previous 2 cars were titanium grey with black int & alpine white with light grey int.

My white M3 always had break dust spewing on the fender walls. I personally think that MG hides that kinda stuff very well. MG never gets old. It does hide the lines a little at first glance but the second time you really lock eyes on the car it's very sexy and cool.

Sometimes I do miss the titanium grey color. For some reason that was the best looking paint job I've ever had on my cars. Just seemed think and expensive like it had multiple coats with a gloss over coat. My alpine white M3 looked very German

Good luck with your decision - cant go wrong and the car is awesome - except for the steering