Hi, I'm in the midst of selecting between the Caviar and Eminent White Pearl version of the Lexus RX 350 (4th generation) with black interior (Luxury Package, no F-Sport). Being up in Canada, my fear is that the white may not be as suitable for our winter roads....any owners of either the Caviar or Eminent White want to share their perspective on ease of keeping the car clean and chip free? In my opinion the caviar just exudes a bit more class and sophistication but I do like how the white showcases all of the lines of the vehicle's design language. I'd like to drive this beauty for the next 10 to 15 years if possible so would appreciate any insights into both colours! Am very torn between the two....

 

I recently purchased the 2016 RX 350 in Nightfall Blue metallic (rather dark color). I think I'll like it, I had the Burgundy Claret Mica before and liked it also. I found that this one has a "brown" interior on the dash and all hard areas, headliner is still Grey. Seats are Beige/iIvory with Brown trim, with the Bamboo steering wheel and Bamboo accents on the center console and doors inside. I've never had a Brown interior before , did not know it was offered, and I like it. Not an answer to your question but thot I'd comment for others reading your post.... thanx

 

I'd think about it this way. Sure, white may be a pain to keep clean in the Winter, but what about the Summer. I'd think Caviar would show dust and sand more in the summer than Eminent White. In addition, darker colors are much harder to maintain due to swirl marks and scratches. That kind of thing can be masked with white. That said, I ordered my car in Autumn Shimmer, the brown color which is dark. Why? I was not a fan of the vents under the fog lights and wanted a darker color to hide that. I also loved how Autumn Shimmer would switch between brown, orange, burgundy and black depending on the light. This really shows off the lines along the side of the RX, but also gives the car an elegant touch (again, my opinion). Personally, I don't know which I'd pick between Eminent White and Caviar. I like both for different reasons.

In the end, go with your gut feeling. Look at both up close and personal and then decide. I used this page to compare colors: http://gazoo.com/car/newcar/photo_im...9&GENERATION=6

 

I love the look of the Caviar! But I ultimately decided on Eminent White Pearl (I should have my custom order in about a month!!). Based on ease of keeping clean, I've owned white and dark gray cars, and the white masked dust and water spots the best. That wasn't why I chose white though: I was hit from behind in my gray sedan twice by non-attentive drivers in the last year and a half, and I attribute it to being down low and blending in with the road too much. So I got myself a big mean pearl white machine

 

Go with white if you like using automatic car washes. Black, even metallic black, is a chore to keep swirl free. If you dont really care about swirls then black looks pretty sharp on the F Sport. Personally, i think in F-Sport trim, it's the best color on the RX, especially with the LED headlights. Looks mean. If i was getting a non F sport I'd go with Silver or White.

 

Dark cars look great in the showroom under fluorescent lights this however is not the real world. After a good rain storm look at a light color car next to a dark color color and compare which one looks cleaner. Next on a sunny day do the same and now notice the swirl marks between the two. Where you are located, I assume you can not wash you car for quite a while in the winter months. With the chemicals placed on the road to de-ice a dark color car will look filthy.

 

I owned a black RX450h abd a red RX350 at the same time and the black one requires twice as much wash/detail/polish......and looks crappy after 30 minutes driving. The red one is not that difficult to care for though.

This time I will her a Eminent White Pearl 450h with Brown leather.

 

Thank you all for the quick reply and insights! This is all very much appreciated. I've heard that the paint coatings on the latest generation of RX350 is self healing. Is that just a marketing thing or is this real? If it is, I would presume that swirls and scratches would both heal fairly equally on both the white and caviar versions?

 

Did lots of research on this. Marketing...

Otherwise they would really tell people.

It's been on the LS for a while now.

I had high hopes in this stuff. My dog scratched my rear trunk lightly. I waited a week in the hot sun to see if it would go away and it did not. Had to buff it out the old fashion way.

 

I've had my Cavier RX since January. Every wash has been done at Lexus and there aren't any swirl marks on the car.
My neighbor has A white NX that's about two months old. They both get dirty. To me the white shows dirt more than the black.

 

Thank you all for the insights! Despite the causes for concern with upkeeping the caviar black as an exterior, especially during the winter, I have decided to go with that caviar as it is able to hide some of the shadows underneath the fog lamps of the front of the car much better in the regular luxury version. I was thinking black exterior with a black interior might be a bit too much but ultimately it looks classy and should be able to withstand its time quite well.

 

I had a chance to negotiate for a caviar RX, but I just couldn't do it. From the day I began driving to now, I've only had black cars. I'm tired of seeing the tiny scratches and swirls etc. The white RX looks so sexy. But you've made your decision so, cool.

 

Great choice.mine is three months old today has been washed at least three times a week by hand and or Lexus ....not one swirl marks that I can see and like other owners have said there is dirt you're going to see it on any color you want something that catches your eye as I have been told dozens of times CAVIER does it. ...and when the sun ain't shining ...rare ...or at sunset ...

the paint job really stands out

 

Sorry, did you say you wash it by hand three times a week? What will happen if I put it through an automatic wash?

 

Washing it 3 times a week a bit excessive? But to each his own. If you put it through the autowash your car will disintegrate!