Solid Black or Obsidian Black?

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I know black is hard to keep clean but I took it on anyway just for the times when it is clean. No car looks its best dirty even if silver, so I'd rather have a colour that looks great when clean!

Black is not technically a colour anyway... neither is white. :D

"Black as the clouds Jonny!" :D

"I think we better be going now Jonny".
 
Obsidian has the edge but....

Obsidian is best - because of the "pop" when it catches the sun.

But

Black is black and will always need more cleaning than a metallic colour, if I wasn't "a poor boy from a poor family," I would always choose a brighter metallic colour - anything but black or silver)
 
Obsidian!
 
I suppose I'm showing my age when I say I see black as the cheaper option and metallic black as the luxury version.

It never occurred to me that someone would deliberately spec a premium car with the "cheaper" option. When I see one I've always assumed that it was a company/lease car (no choice) or that someone was so maxed out on PCP to get into a premium brand that they had to forgo the £350 to get into the metallic one.

I was born in the 60's and I grew up in the 70's when the arrival of metallic paint in the mass market was a real status symbol on your average motor.

It never occurred to me that it would have been a deliberate decision to go with flat black.

Every day's a school day.
 
I too was born in the 60's and to my eyes the obsidian black looks like solid black with a cost of dust over it. Money is not the issue here. Just because there's a premium price to pay for a metallic doesn't mean it's any better. It's just marketing. Solid black looks way better to me.. a proper deep classic black and that's what I'll be ordering.


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Your car, your choice.

Having owned an Obsidian Black E63 and my wife having an Obsidian SLK I know what you mean about it looking "dusty" in low light even when it's clean, but personally I'd still go for the Obsidian over flat black for the "pop" in good light. It also hides the standard Mercedes orange peel better than flat black, imo.
 
I too was born in the 60's and to my eyes the obsidian black looks like solid black with a cost of dust over it. Money is not the issue here. Just because there's a premium price to pay for a metallic doesn't mean it's any better. It's just marketing. Solid black looks way better to me.. a proper deep classic black and that's what I'll be ordering.


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LOL. It's all about perception.

I think I was indoctrinated by the original GTV6 which, in 1981, only came in red, silver or metallic black. As did the Sud Green Cloverleaf

They sort of became a holy trinity of colours for an impressionable 17 year old.

It stuck.
 
I have some sympathy for the OP.

SWMBO's A190 is 040 Midnight Black, it is a gorgeous vibrant glossy black, expecially when freshly cleaned. In all honesty, I prefer the look of this paint to Obsidian Black which looks a little 'gimmicky' when viewed alongside. I often see the comparison as my son's CLK is in Obsidian.
 
Apologies, but SWMBO's A190 is 696U Midnight Black Uni.

Other comments still apply though.
 
I assume solid black won't be just plain black paint these days. Won't have a clear top coat just like metallics do ?
 
.....but don't ask for people's opinions on a forum if you don't like hearing what they're saying :)



How on earth have you interpreted that I don't like what people's opinion are?! You are mistaken. I love the various opinions because that's what they are..Opinions.. there's no right or wrong.. it's interesting and it's all an education


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I personally don't like solid black. It almost looks like a shiney blackboard.

Obsidian is ok (and the only alternative) but there are better blacks out there. I used to love Fords Panther Black for example. I remember a dealership advising they've never had a solid black car in the showroom and when they spec their showroom orders they always default to metallic.

I've had many black and white cars and now I'm into colours (mines brilliant blue and hers is Hyacinth) which again aren't for everyone.

Colour is so personal, the decision can only be made by you.
 
Just to throw my spanner into the black works here, there is a third Mercedes option: Magnetite Black. It's what I have. I'd say it's a tad more sparkly than Obsidian and takes on a larger variety of hues in different lighting conditions.

knighterrant-albums-mercedes-c350-cgi-sport-saloon-march-2012-picture5864-c350-angle.jpg
 

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