gthaker

On ES350 there are 10 exterior color choices, of which 2 have "metallic" in their name. What is the significance of "metallic" paint? Does this signify a type of paint and say anything as to its shine, longevity or anything else? I am considering "satin cashmere metallic", it can be a bit harder to find, but the autumn shimmer is nearly impossible, I hardly have seen any in most dealer's inventory.

1. Atomic Silver [Silver]
2. Autumn Shimmer [Brown]
3. Caviar [Black]
4. Eminent White Pearl [White]
5. Matador Red Mica [Red]
6. Nebula Gray Pearl [Gray]
7. Nightfall Mica [Blue]
8. Obsidian [Black]
9. Satin Cashmere Metallic [Beige]
10. Silver Lining Metallic [Silver]

lesz

There are actually 3 main types of automotive paint finishes. They are metallic, pearl, and non-metallic.

The metallic and pearl finishes have metallic flecks mixed throughout the paint. They make the finish sparkle, and they can make the color show varying shades in different kinds of light.

The only non-metallic color available on the ES is the obsidian. The downside of the obsidian or other non-metallic blacks is that they will show surface scratches and polishing swirls more readily than other colors. Also, dust will be more visible than with lighter colors. But non-metallic blacks have a significant advantage if any paint repairs are ever needed, whether they be minor touch-ups, refinishing to repair a scratch, or collision repairs. That advantage is that a non-metallic black is, by far, the easiest color for which to get a paint match that makes the repair virtually undetectable.

Metallic colors can be trickier when repairs are needed. With metallic colors, a refinished panel or even a touch-up of a small stone chip can look darker from one angle and lighter from another area because how the color looks depends on the orientation of the metallic flakes in the paint, and it is virtually impossible, when repainting to have the metallic flakes end up being oriented in the same way as the factory paint. So, when repairs are needed with metallic paints, the paint technician often needs to blend the new paint into adjacent panels. Doing so doesn't make the paint match any better, but it spreads out the new paint over a larger area and makes it less noticeable. Light silvers and light golds are among the hardest metallic colors to match.

Pearl finishes present even a bigger challenge with getting a good match when repairs are needed. Regular metallic colors are painted in a 2-stage process. One stage is the color, itself, and the other is the clear coat on top of the color coat. But pearl finishes are done with a multi-stage process that can have anywhere from 3 stages to as much as 5 stages. With a multi-stage pearl, it can be almost impossible to get a good color match and, more often than not, new paint needs to be blended into adjacent panels. With the multi-stage pearls, it is almost impossible even to touch up a pinhead-sized paint chip without having it stick out like a sore thumb. The Eminent White Pearl (and other pearl whites) and the Atomic Silver are some of the most difficult colors to match, and, if you search the forum threads, you will find posts from people who had nightmare experiences after having had to have paint work done on their cars with those colors. (Also note that the Nebula Gray Pearl, in spite of the word "pearl" in its name, is not actually a pearl finish. Instead, it is a 2-stage metallic, and it is one of the easier metallic colors to match).

bc6152

Great explanation Les.

gthaker: I have a 2013 ES painted Satin Cashmere. I wash the car frequently, usually put a wax on it and don't run it through a commercial car wash - ever. The paint looks as new and has a shine like a mirror. IMO it is one of the better ES colors for looks and luster. Good luck in your search.

Swishbro

I assume you've painted cars in the past? A friend of mine has been in auto body for @ 42 years and his shop did some paint work on my previous car, a BMW, that had 'clear water metallic' paint, which is a light blue. I have to say that you would never be able to tell which parts on the car were repainted.

I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, just that I've never heard that about metallic paint.

NdYAG

"Pearl" paints have flakes of mica in them - it sparkles in a more deep pattern compared to a regular metallic. Hence the word "mica" in some of the paint names.

I have a "Matador red mica" paint and had tried to touch up a few scratches. When viewed at some angles the match is good but awful at others.

lesz

It should be noted that different people can have different levels of sensitivity with regard to how well paint repairs match.

I am, for example, cursed with extreme sensitivity to color mismatches. I can walk through a mall parking light, and, without even thinking about it, my eye will catch on cars that have had paint work done on them, and even the slightest paint mismatch is something that I will notice. For many others, those mismatches are not something that they notice, and they are not something that bothers them. For me, even slight paint mismatches are like fingernails scratching on a chalk board (for those who are old enough to remember chalkboards).

For those not bothered by even slight paint mismatches, picking a vehicle color that is harder to match is probably not that important because, even if you paint repairs done, you probably won't notice them (but others may). For those like me, consideration of how difficult a color is to match is an important part of the consideration of what color vehicles I will buy and what color vehicles I will avoid buying.