Gloss or satin black alloys?

[JapanRed]

As above. Gloss or satin black on the X5 below.
I’m heading over to the wheel specialist in Leeds this afternoon to get it booked in. They said they’ve got examples of both to view but wanted to get opinions from PistonHeads first.

Cheers.

[Lemming Train]

Unless you want to look like a drug dealer, neither. It looks perfectly fine as it is.

[SlimJim16v]

[donkmeister]

Complete aside... Is that the dealership or your personal garage? If the latter... Bravo!

[Ahbefive]

Personally I think the wheels look best left silver.

If you must paint them black I would personally go gloss as I have satin on my Focus RS and they are a nightmare with regards to watermarks after cleaning.

[InitialDave]

I'd leave it as-is myself. Anthracite perhaps, if they need painting anyway.

If you want to see how it looks before deciding, maybe spray them with plastidip.

[swisstoni]

Your wheels, your choice. I much prefer gloss.

Edited by swisstoni on Monday 21st January 16:10

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

I liked black when they first started showing up on cars...now every chav has them.
I'd stick stick to silver especially on a 'every council house has one parked outside' BMW.

[MDMA .]

Anthracite suits silver/grey better than black IMO.

[Sad Ken]

I always though black wheels looked like the wheel trims had fell off....

....back in the day when most cars had trims

[Gary29]

Satin

[Dog Star]

Black will really look ste.

The Wheel Specialist does a "smoked chrome" which will look excellent on that - ask them for a look at that shade, if it's not too late.

[C.A.R.]

They look like they've got diamond-cut faces too, like many modern 'premium' brand alloys. Unless the lacquer has blown, you'll be seriously devaluing them and you'll lose a lot of detail going with a single, solid colour like black.

Plus when your wife you kerb black alloys the resultant exposed metal silver chippings look awful...

[roverspeed]

Satin are always going to look a little grubby, so I would steer clear.

Gloss looks terrible if your tyres aren't really well dressed. Nothing worse than deep black wheels and dark grey tyres.

I'd look into shadow chrome, the same colour e39 m5 wheels were in as standard.

[Pica-Pica]

Leave as is.

[Pica-Pica]

Sad Ken said:

I always though black wheels looked like the wheel trims had fell off....

....back in the day when most cars had trims

And steel rims cost about £35

[Tickle]

Leave them silver

[Kewy]

OP, understandably you want to make this car your 'own', so ignore all the comments about leaving them silver. I'd be the same.

As for diamond cut alloys, they're a nightmare and the lacquer would be lucky to last 12 months anyway.

I'd agree with some of the other posters about shadow chrome or an anthracite rather than a black though.

And can we all take a minute to comfort the poster who is obviously very upset about the fact BMWs have now become accessible to the poorer classes of society… *pats back* There, there…

[WJNB]

Lemming Train said:

Unless you want to look like a drug dealer, neither. It looks perfectly fine as it is.

Well said.
Tinted glass & black wheels, gloss or otherwise will make you look like every other thug in their bulky get-out-of-my-way BMW.
And of course you'll need the tattoos & a hoodie to match.. !!!!!

[Kewy]

WJNB said:

Lemming Train said:

Unless you want to look like a drug dealer, neither. It looks perfectly fine as it is.

Well said.
Tinted glass & black wheels, gloss or otherwise will make you look like every other thug in their bulky get-out-of-my-way BMW.
And of course you'll need the tattoos & a hoodie to match.. !!!!!

YAWN.