SILVER OR BLACK? Those are the colors my wife and I agree on as our top 2 choices.
White interior (wife and I agree we want) and 18” wheels.
Recommendations?
Want to know more about our situation? Feel free to read below.
——————-
We have 17-18 year old Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles as our current primary vehicles, and I’ve got an addiction to old cheap Mercedes convertibles, sedans and rally cars. We’ve got vehicles that can do it all, A-to-B, but where our fleet falls short is in something clean, free of exhaust odors, and without a saggy headliner. We’ve got nothing that covers all those, and when we go to a formal event I honestly think my wife and I are beginning to feel a bit embarrassed. Am I a “junk man?” Yep. I like saving things, keeping them out of landfills and giving them another useful life. I believe I’m a fierce recycler. I’m the guy that is picking the recyclables out of the trash at parties and moving them to a recycle can, and sometimes when not too embarrassing will toss recyclables into the bed of my ridgeline to recycle them myself. I believe that even if the items end up in a landfill, I’m contributing to the infrastructure and clean recyclables in the streams to help create the potential for more profitability in the recycling business. I believe I care less of what people think of me than how I feel about myself. So that’s me. But think about my poor wife who has to deal with me and my crappy old cars, and CONSTANT projects.
It’s time for a new car. She wanted a 7-8 seater SUV, but I’ve worn her down and convinced her we should capitalize on the government incentives of a Tesla or ID4 (and skipped checking out an ID.4) for the $7500 federal incentive despite my belief that a PHEV is more environmentally friendly with a lower carbon footprint for the smaller battery. But the government is telling us to buy something with a $7500 rebate, a M3 or MY, the M3 having the smallest required investment to get that $7500, plus a taxable $2500 from my state. That’s probably ~$9000 after tax money in the end. The smoother ride, and probably knowing my son and I both think the M3 is better looking than the MY, my wife finally conceded on the M3 despite wanting the highest seating position.
So as you can see, I’ve worn my wife down. I expect she will be the primary driver of this vehicle. She may take her pilot for large grocery runs, but she deserves the new car. She works in a job where she cares what people think. She brings us to most formal events.
Here is her color preference in order:
Black
Silver
White
Red
Blue
She understands I’m so cheap that I may buy a silver, and being so worn down by it all, she’s probably fine with silver. But I also think I like the black. Her Pilot is black, and we’ve never regretted it. I never ever wash my ridgeline, but she washes her Pilot a couple times a year. Since the M3 is smaller, it might get a space in the detached garage ultimately, but for convenience, it will probably mostly live in the driveway.
I like that the black will be less likely to display the “cheap” blacked out trim. I’ve never been a fan of blacked out trim. AMG did it as an option back in the 1980’s before plastic bumpers, and I’ve given it plenty of thought and don’t like it on anything other than a black car. I just think it looks like the cheap solution for an old car that someone doesn’t want to pay to restore properly.
So there’s a lot pointing to Black as the right color for us, other than me being so damn cheap. “$1500 for a color that’s just a little darker than the free free color? Nah.” And knowing that we are looking for a car that’s perfect for formal events. Silver is a nice luxury color for $0. So that certainly works. And the black trim doesn’t contrast like it does on white. So it’s not bad.
Also I read that Black is just about the worst as far as resale value and keeping clean. That’s a strong argument for Silver.
But sometimes things are more about how they make you feel than being all about the logic (price and resale value). And does resale value really matter for a couple that keeps their cars for 17-18+ years?
If I’m not careful, my decision may be forced into silver with there being More inventory in that color, and needing to take delivery before December 31. It’s also possible that we find issues with whatever we try to take delivery of and make a last minute change in the color decision.
But I’m wondering if based on any of the above if I should refine my search a bit more. At the moment, it’s really the only option with some flexibility.
Final thoughts:
————————-
Black is luxury, and perfect for the formal events.
Silver is easier to keep clean.
White interior (wife and I agree we want) and 18” wheels.
Recommendations?
Want to know more about our situation? Feel free to read below.
——————-
We have 17-18 year old Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles as our current primary vehicles, and I’ve got an addiction to old cheap Mercedes convertibles, sedans and rally cars. We’ve got vehicles that can do it all, A-to-B, but where our fleet falls short is in something clean, free of exhaust odors, and without a saggy headliner. We’ve got nothing that covers all those, and when we go to a formal event I honestly think my wife and I are beginning to feel a bit embarrassed. Am I a “junk man?” Yep. I like saving things, keeping them out of landfills and giving them another useful life. I believe I’m a fierce recycler. I’m the guy that is picking the recyclables out of the trash at parties and moving them to a recycle can, and sometimes when not too embarrassing will toss recyclables into the bed of my ridgeline to recycle them myself. I believe that even if the items end up in a landfill, I’m contributing to the infrastructure and clean recyclables in the streams to help create the potential for more profitability in the recycling business. I believe I care less of what people think of me than how I feel about myself. So that’s me. But think about my poor wife who has to deal with me and my crappy old cars, and CONSTANT projects.
It’s time for a new car. She wanted a 7-8 seater SUV, but I’ve worn her down and convinced her we should capitalize on the government incentives of a Tesla or ID4 (and skipped checking out an ID.4) for the $7500 federal incentive despite my belief that a PHEV is more environmentally friendly with a lower carbon footprint for the smaller battery. But the government is telling us to buy something with a $7500 rebate, a M3 or MY, the M3 having the smallest required investment to get that $7500, plus a taxable $2500 from my state. That’s probably ~$9000 after tax money in the end. The smoother ride, and probably knowing my son and I both think the M3 is better looking than the MY, my wife finally conceded on the M3 despite wanting the highest seating position.
So as you can see, I’ve worn my wife down. I expect she will be the primary driver of this vehicle. She may take her pilot for large grocery runs, but she deserves the new car. She works in a job where she cares what people think. She brings us to most formal events.
Here is her color preference in order:
Black
Silver
White
Red
Blue
She understands I’m so cheap that I may buy a silver, and being so worn down by it all, she’s probably fine with silver. But I also think I like the black. Her Pilot is black, and we’ve never regretted it. I never ever wash my ridgeline, but she washes her Pilot a couple times a year. Since the M3 is smaller, it might get a space in the detached garage ultimately, but for convenience, it will probably mostly live in the driveway.
I like that the black will be less likely to display the “cheap” blacked out trim. I’ve never been a fan of blacked out trim. AMG did it as an option back in the 1980’s before plastic bumpers, and I’ve given it plenty of thought and don’t like it on anything other than a black car. I just think it looks like the cheap solution for an old car that someone doesn’t want to pay to restore properly.
So there’s a lot pointing to Black as the right color for us, other than me being so damn cheap. “$1500 for a color that’s just a little darker than the free free color? Nah.” And knowing that we are looking for a car that’s perfect for formal events. Silver is a nice luxury color for $0. So that certainly works. And the black trim doesn’t contrast like it does on white. So it’s not bad.
Also I read that Black is just about the worst as far as resale value and keeping clean. That’s a strong argument for Silver.
But sometimes things are more about how they make you feel than being all about the logic (price and resale value). And does resale value really matter for a couple that keeps their cars for 17-18+ years?
If I’m not careful, my decision may be forced into silver with there being More inventory in that color, and needing to take delivery before December 31. It’s also possible that we find issues with whatever we try to take delivery of and make a last minute change in the color decision.
But I’m wondering if based on any of the above if I should refine my search a bit more. At the moment, it’s really the only option with some flexibility.
Final thoughts:
————————-
Black is luxury, and perfect for the formal events.
Silver is easier to keep clean.
Although I feel 99% confident she's going to be very happy with this choice. My wife sure is... we "fight" over our Model 3 at every opportunity when needing to decide who *gets* to drive the car and who *has* to drive the family van.
