2023 Pro black general information.. likes/ dislikes worth it?

Anybody got a black pro? I am about to possibly purchase one. Swirl marks? Keeping clean? Is the Pro worth the money? I appreciate any insight. I love black vehicles but am I asking for trouble? Currently have an MGM SR5. Thanks

 

@Fargo Taco has a black PRO.

I have a black Sport, it shows every small scratch and is hard to keep clean....not that I try to hard to keep it clean though.

 

I have one.
I don't worry much about keeping it clean. Picked it up on 1/10 and asked them not to wash it. It still hasn't been washed.
Was it worth $20k more than my 21 OR? Not so sure about that but I like the extra features.

 

My truck is garage kept. I’ll wash it and still looks dirty a few days later just sitting

 

Is it worth 13k? 10k? 12k? difference from my 22 SR5? I know it will not last long , do I just need to sit this one out! Lol, it's got 1500 dollars of extras I don't want! Bed extender, divider etc... Can they take that off? Salesman says no?

 

Swirl marks. Often caused by a wool buffing pad. Detailed needs to finish with a foam pad.

Also caused by washing. Dirt and debris brought from up being imbedded in the wash mit

 

Cash to burn? Do it. Larger or longer payments to make? Not so much.

Buy a Pro for all the fluff and Sport hood. And option to have a MT for some folks.

If you are one who wants aftermarket suspension, more lift, bigger tires yada yada, an SR5 is a better value.

If you are a pavement queen and want to look hot for the single moms dropping the kids off at practice, the Pro is a good choice.

As far as caring for black, it always has been, and always will be tough duty IF your goal is to look constantly fresh. The detailing forum we have here is the place to ask about that.

I've have 4 black and 1 blue black vehicles. Lot of work. Especially the mini van

 

My MGM is almost as bad, but wasnt as bad as my black mustang years ago. It was a shock coming from a leased silver sky, that color could hide dirt for weeks.


First day after wash, it's a head turner that gets endless complements. Second day, its an invisible bit of rolling dust that no one notices. One week after wash, "OMG don't park next to that broken down dirty old shitbox."

Curse of the dark paints.

 

Got a black off road. 1st hour after it’s washed looks fantastic… after that it still looks good and more like a truck that’s used. Nothing quite like the black with blue flakes and undertones.
I still like it over the other colors since there is no timberland mica..

 

I am sorry and didn't realize there was a detail forum but really I guess my title should read differently. I am concerned about the black paint but just in general had questions about the pro. When I bought mine last year I was originally looking for black, they started me sending pictures of the truck yesterday asking me if I may want to trade up as they had one in. By chance I was going up anyway to do the tire rotation service so I dealt on the Pro as I waited

 

My 2016 had awful swirls when I got it, I did a light buff job and it cleaned up nicely. It helps living In AZ where I don’t have to wash it often. It’s been about a year since then and it’s still pretty solid.

freshly buffed on top
How it is months later on bottom.

 

Mine looked great for 1/2 a day. The dealer had washed and waxed it. I need to wash and wax it again. There is no way to win with black paint.

 

Any black paint is going to show marks, the only question is how fast they develop. I love black, I won't buy it again.

I strongly recommend a ceramic coating. A detail shop will do the best work but is quite expensive. You can do it yourself and I recommend CQuartz UK if you do so (the only one I have tried and it worked for me). Works well and the small "refresh" sprayer keeps it somewhat self-cleaning. Personally, on NEW paint I don't see the need for buffing before applying the ceramic coating, just wipe it with IPA before application of the Ceramic coating so that the paint is clean with no wax.

Beyond that do the "two bucket" wash technique, use a good CLEAN wash mitt and invest in grit guards for the buckets. I like meguires soap but regardless of what you use ensure it is a car wash soap.

The worst for me is waterspots AFTER washing. I have a 55 gallon barrel I put dehumidifier water into and when washing I keep the whole truck very wet and then do a final rinse with the dehumidifier water. After that I use a small blower to blow the water off rather than wiping it dry.

 

There are several companies that make a "quick detailer" spray that works well between washings for black trucks. You just spray on and wipe off and can do your whole truck in 15 min. I love the look of black vehicles, and a little more maintenance from time to time is definitely worth it for me.

 

Hopefully I never own another black truck again haha

 

Black are hard to keep clean and are hotter than hell in the Summer. I had a black Tacoma back in 2008 and hated it now I have a Red, love it stays clean all the time a hardly have to wash, always cooler inside during the Summer compared to the black one just saying.

 

Keeping black vehicles clean is a career.

 

I bought a low pressure washer. I think it was around 200.00 bucks. Read up on the detailing forum about using foam vs cloth. Scrub scrub mud, scrub scrub mud... we signed up for this. Or we would be driving a prius.

 

My ‘02 Prerunner was black metallic
Was a chore to keep clean…..looked great though

 

Disclosure: I don't own a black Tacoma. LOL

I was very close to pulling the trigger on either a Black OR or a Black Pro. I also wrestled with those choices you are looking at. Value of Pro vs. OR.

Paint: I struggled with the sensibility of going Midnight Black Metallic or Celestial Silver Metallic. I even considered Lunar Rock for a time. There are some universal truths that you should understand. Black isn't so much a color as it is a job. There is NO other color that looks as good as black when it's clean. And that's only considering the paint from day one. What is it going to look like in a few years of ownership? Toyota white is suspect. Its well-documented track record of chipping was an immediate disqualifier. I also found out that Lunar Rock seems to be one of the thinnest coats of paint that Toyota offers, so that was out. That brought me to only really considering black or silver. I ended up with silver mainly because I live in the PNW and it rains here so much that black would have driven me crazy, and showed swirls and pinstripes the most of any of the colors.

Pro vs. OR: I entertained shelling out a bit more for the extra features. I'm not against all the other features and the modest lift, but I tried to focus on what was going to give me the best bang for the buck. Some things pushed me away from a Pro. I didn't want a sunroof. I feel they always end up being more trouble than they are worth to me. I went back and forth over cloth seats vs. Toyota leather. Ultimately, I liked the overall package of the OR with a clean, flat hood vs the Pro/Sports. I wanted cloth seats, no sunroof, a rear locker, no BSM items that are negated if you plan to make upgrades, that came in CSM. The money saved can go towards more focused upgrades and not Toyota top tier branding.

A big part of your decision on (to Pro or not) should be you asking yourself how you want to use your truck and if you plan to make any modifications. If you plan to mod, don't pay for features (BSM/ Pro-lift and so on) that you will be getting rid of.