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Best car colours for long term: Popular car colours to buy

When buying a car, picking a colour is probably the most exciting and confusing part after selecting a brand and model. While white and black have been consistent as the best car colours, the options are endless. Nowadays, car manufacturers offer various colour shades, presenting more options for buyers. While personal preference plays a significant role, you must look into multiple factors to choose the best car colours for the long term. Below is a guide to help you shortlist car colours among the most popular options out there.

Why does car colour matter?

You must be thinking, why one should feel concerned about the car colour beyond personal preference. But there is much more to it!

Impact on maintenance

First of all, the colour you choose decides the extent of maintenance a car requires to look new over the years.

Affects resale value

Moreover, the vehicle colour also impacts the resale value of your car. The car colour trends keep on changing over the years. So, if you purchase a popular car colour today, you can improve its bottom line after a few years when selling your car. Some of the safest bets are neutral colours like white, silver, grey, and black. But you can also choose bright shades of green, blue, orange, yellow, etc.

List of most popular car colours in India

1. White: White has been a popular car colour choice for a long time. This colour makes a car appear larger and reflects heat to keep the cabin cool. Thus, white is considered the best colour for a car in India’s hot climate.
2. Grey: Grey is also quite popular as a car colour for subtle style and its ability to blend in. Some of the popular shades in grey include coarse grey and greyish-green.
3. Black: You can never go wrong with black in any car type. While the maintenance is harder on black, the classic appeal of this colour attracts many car buyers.
4. Silver: Silver cars look elegant and stylish, making this colour a popular choice among vehicle buyers. Manufacturers offer silver in different shades to help buyers with unique colour options.
5. Blue: This colour reflects a warm and steady mood. Different shades of blue give a sense of individuality to the owner among other vehicles on the road.

Popular colour choices based on car types

Choosing the best car colour to buy must depend on your choice of vehicle type as well. Below you can find a list of popular colour options for different types of cars.

Hatchbacks

Hatchbacks and wagons are mid-sized passenger vehicles mostly popular in white, black and grey colours. The metallic or solid shades of white allow a hatchback or wagon to look bigger in appearance. Here are the most popular hatchback/wagon car colours you can choose.

Sedans

While white, black, and grey are the safest options, people also choose other colours when purchasing sedans.

SUVs

Sport Utility Vehicles or SUVs are large-sized cars mostly popular in metallic and pearl shades of white. Other popular SUV colours include the following.

Luxury cars

Metallic/pearl white, black and grey are popular colour choices in the luxury car segment as well. The list of unique car colours for luxury vehicles also includes the following.

Easiest and hardest car colours to maintain

The colours that are easy to maintain usually last the longest and preserve the exterior appeal of the car. Based on the ease of maintenance, you can choose which car colours to avoid.

Easy to maintain car colours

1. Grey: This is one of the easiest vehicle colours to clean. Moreover, it hides dust and dirt easily on the surface, making a grey car look cleaner for a long time.
2. White: Though the white colour fades at the same rate as red or black, it contains no pigment, which keeps it brighter in the long run. While the splashes and mud stains can be seen easily on a white car, a simple wash brings out the shiny appeal. Thus, a white vehicle looks cleaner to human eyes than vehicles having other colours.
3. Orange: This is a commanding colour that not only hides pollen and dust but takes little effort to clean.
4. Yellow: A yellow car stands out on the road and keeps the dust and dirt hidden on the surface. However, the mud splashes become easily visible on this car during rainy seasons.

Hard to maintain car colours

1. Black: While black is a sleek car colour option, it starts to fade faster than other colours. Even the slightest dirt, dust or pollen become visible on its surface, making it look dull.
2. Green: Cleaning is not an issue when you have a green car, but this colour highlights even the minor imperfections easily.
3. Red: The brightness of the red colour makes a car look flashy and sporty. However, the dirt and dust make it look dull as fast as a black-coloured car.
4. Blue: Even though blue is a popular car colour choice, it is pretty hard to maintain. Swirls and scratches appear quite easily on blue. Plus, it makes water spots visible on the surface.

Which car colours last longest?

The colours that are easy to maintain and fade slowly usually last the longest. As mentioned earlier, you can choose colours like white, grey, orange, and yellow for long-term appeal. White is the longest lasting colour among all car paint options.

Or, if you choose to pick faster fading car paints such as red and blue, keep the vehicle shaded to protect it from dust, dirt and UV rays.

List of the best car colours that boost resale value

There is a connection between a car’s colour and its resale value. While white, grey and silver are neutral choices to maintain the resale value, you can choose trending colours to get the maximum value while reselling your car in the future.

Following are some of the bright colours that fade slower than black and red. Thus, you can retain your car’s resale value over the years using these options.

What are the best car colour combinations of all time?

These days manufacturers offer dual-tone cars. Usually, bright colours like orange, green, and blue are paired with white or black for a sleek appeal.

Top car color combinations:

• Orange + White
• Green + White
• Blue + White
• Orange + Black
• Green + Black
• Blue + Black

Global trends in car paint colour choices

As per the BASF 2020-2021 report, trends in automotive colours are moving towards emotional and warm shades in the Asia Pacific region. Hence, you can expect a rise in the popularity of colours like greyish-green, blue, etc.

When talking about the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region, the report highlights the growth in the popularity of calming and soothing colours. On the other hand, colour choices in North America are moving towards techno-driven variants of different hues and textures.

Moreover, you can see the global automotive colour popularity trends below as per the PPG 2020 report.

Car colours to avoid — safe and unsafe car colours

One of the most popular research on safe and unsafe car colours has been conducted by Monash University. As per the report, the safest car colour is White due to its high visibility in different driving conditions. Other safe vehicle colours include beige, yellow, and cream.

As per the same research, the following is the safety report on other vehicle colours.

Black

Black is most prone to accidents than other vehicle colour options. A car with a black exterior poses 12% higher chances of getting into an accident than a white car.

Grey

Apparently, the greyish road surface reduces the ability to spot a grey car on the road. The chances for a grey car to crash is about 11% higher than a white car.

Silver

A silver car faces the same problem as a grey one, which increases the chances of a crash by 10% than a white car.

Blue

Blue cars are safer than black, silver or grey cars, as per the report. The brighter blue shades were found to be safer than darker blue shades. However, when compared to white cars, blue stood 7% higher chances of accidents.

Red

Red coloured cars are easy to spot during the day and cloudy/rainy season. However, at nighttime, it is easy to confuse this colour with brake lights, traffic lights, and other road traffic signs. Thus, the chances of an accident with a red car are 7% higher than a white car.

Green

Green is also a vibrant colour and stands out in traffic. However, the colour blends with the surroundings if there are grass and trees around. Thus, they pose a higher risk of accidents on highways.

Tips for choosing the right car paint colour

Use the following tips to select the right paint colour for your car.

• Shortlist the colour choices based on your personal preference.
• Find which colour options are easy to maintain.
• Understand which colours can hide imperfections and damages.
• Pick a colour that is easy to spot on roads to avoid accidents.
• You can choose lighter shades if the car’s temperature is a big concern.
• Choose a colour that would help you improve the resale value.

Frequently asked questions

Below are the answers to some commonly asked questions to help you choose the best car colour for long term.

Which car colours are considered timeless?

Colours such as white, black, grey, and silver have been consistently popular around the world. While a black coloured car is difficult to maintain, you can easily maintain a white, grey or silver car over a long period of time.

What are the most popular car colours in 2021?

Consistently popular car colours include white, grey, silver and black. However, in 2021, the popularity of bright colours such as green, blue, and orange is also rising.

Does the colour of a car affect the chances of accidents?

Yes, it does. Dark coloured cars are more likely to get into accidents on roads than brighter shades. While white is considered the safest colour choice, black poses the highest risk of accidents.

Which would be a better car colour choice between white and silver?

Both white and silver have their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, white as a car colour is considered less prone to accidents than silver as it stands out. On the other hand, silver hides the dust, dirt and mud marks better than a white one.

However, both colours are popular and maintain the resale value. Hence, you can make the final decision as per your personal preference.

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Does A Car’s Color Affect The Interior Temperature?

Maybe you’re moving to a hotter climate or a place that gets more sun. Perhaps you’re just tired of getting into a scorching hot car. People often talk about how the exterior color of your car can determine how hot the interior gets. But is it really true? Does a car’s color affect the interior temperature?

The answer is yes, it does. Studies show that cars with dark paint, like black or dark blue, get hotter than cars with white or silver paint. This is because light colors reflect more sunlight than dark colors. However, there are several other factors that contribute to a car’s internal temperature, like upholstery color and material, and the car’s amount of time in the sun.

Thankfully, there are several things you can do to keep your car cool, no matter what color it is. In this article we’re going to discuss how color differences can affect the interior temperature of your car and what you can do to help keep it cooler.

Do Black Cars Get Hotter?

According to one study, the average difference in temperature between a dark and a light-colored car came to about 10° F after an hour. The study was done with both cars in full sunlight.

So, black cars have been found to get about ten degrees hotter. But the fact is, if you live in a place where temperatures regularly reach 95° F or hotter, it’s going to be hard to keep your car cool. No matter what color it is. At a certain point, ten degrees is not going to be much of a difference: hot is hot.

According to a study done by researchers at Arizona State University, the interior of a silver-colored car reached 116° F after an hour. The outside temperature was 100° F. While a black car in the same sun may have reached 126° F, the fact remains that getting into a hot car is uncomfortable no matter what.

Ambient temperature is one thing, but the upholstery and steering wheel should also be taken into account. Both tend to get incredibly hot in direct sunlight, especially if you have a dark leather interior.

Does Black Leather Interior Get Hotter?

Car interior color and material also contributes to how hot it gets in direct sunlight. Particularly if you don’t have a sunshade or tinted windows. Once again, dark interiors tend to absorb more heat than light or cream-colored interiors. But leather, no matter what the color, can get scorching hot.

A black leather interior in will absolutely get hotter than a cloth material of any color. Leather interiors can get so hot that it can be painful to even sit down after the car has been sitting in the sun.

Even light-colored leather seats can get hot enough to cause mild burns after sitting in direct sunlight.

Best Car Colors For Hot Climates

There are several steps you can take to keep your dark car cool, which we discuss below. You don’t have to run out and sell your car if you don’t want to. But, maybe you’re looking to get a new car, or simply don’t like the one you have. If that’s the case then it’s good to know the best car colors for hot climates.

The best rule of thumb is to ask yourself: what colors reflect heat best? White, cream, silver, and tan paint will reflect the most sunlight and keep your car a little cooler. While black, maroon, dark blue, and dark purple tend to absorb more sunlight and heat. The same goes for the inside of the car.

If you have a choice between cloth and leather, cloth upholstery is the best material for hot climates. Even a dark-colored cloth should stay cooler than any color leather.

How Your Car’s Color Can Save You Money

The same study that found a ten-degree average temperature difference also suggests that owning a light-colored car can save you money— and help the environment.

It takes gas to run your car’s air conditioner. It follows that the hotter your car gets, the more you’ll need to run your air conditioner. So, the hotter your car, the more gas you’ll burn by running your air conditioner.

The study found that silver or white cars would have a 2 percent increase in fuel efficiency over black cars. This contributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of about 2 percent, as well. It’s not much, but it’s something to consider when purchasing a new car, particularly if you live in a hot climate.

How To Keep Your Car Cool

Of course, if you like your black car with the leather interior, you don’t need to trade it in if you don’t want to. Here are a few things you can do to keep your car cool— no matter what color it is.

Park in the Shade

This one’s pretty obvious. If you have the option, it’s always best to park in full or partial shade on hot and sunny days. Even a little bit of shade can keep your car several degrees cooler than otherwise.

Buy a Sunshade

A must-have for anyone living in particularly sunny or hot climates, a sunshade in the windshield helps to minimize the greenhouse effect that gets cars so hot. These are affordable and don’t take up too much room. Plus, they’re available in many different styles.

This collapsible sunshade on Amazon is a great choice and comes in lots of different sizes to fit all makes and models. The better your sunshade fits your windshield the better it will work. That’s why its important to buy one specifically for your vehicle. Doing so will ensure a tight fit and will block out more sunlight than one that’s made to be universal.

Tint Your Windows

Tinted windows can help to prevent the greenhouse effect. Although not as effective when not used in combination with a sunshade, this option can help to keep your vehicle several degrees cooler on hot and sunny days.

Related Article:

• Does Window Tint Help Keep Your Car Cooler?

Cover Your Steering Wheel and Seats

While a sunshade will work best for this, you do also have the option of covering your steering wheel and seats with towels or other materials. This will help the sun from shining directly on them. When you return to the car and remove the towels, the seats and steering wheel shouldn’t be too hot to touch.

Another option for keeping your steering wheel cool is to buy a reflective steering wheel cover like this one on Amazon. This is a great, inexpensive way to make sure your steering wheel is cool enough to use when you hop into your car.

Related Article:

• Best Gadgets to Help Keep Your Car Cool This Summer

In Conclusion

All other things being equal, cars with dark paint get an average of 10 degrees hotter than cars with light paint. There are other factors to take into account, though. Cloth interiors stay cooler than leather. A black car with black leather upholstery will get incredibly hot when left in the sun.

Time in the sun also is a factor. A car left for an hour in the sun will be cooler than a car left for five hours. But, at a certain point, hot is just hot.

But you don’t have to run out and sell your black car. You can use a windshield sunshade. You can also tint your windows and park in the shade. But, if you’re in the market for a new car, you may want to take into account how lighter colored cars can save you some sweat and money while reducing your carbon footprint.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In:

• Do Car Sunshades Really Work?
• How to Keep Your Parked Car Cool in the Summer Heat
• 10 Solutions For When There’s No A/C In Your Car

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The Scientific Reason Why White Is the #1 Most Popular Car Color

Despite the global chip shortage, car sales continue to boom across the United States. However, because vehicle prices are higher than ever, getting precisely what you want is even more crucial. Besides powertrain choice and standard features, appearance is often one of the most important aspects of the selection process.

Choosing your new car’s color, along with other cosmetic options like pinstriping and window tinting, instantly makes a vehicle more personal. However, despite the wide range of shades available, white is the most popular vehicle color, according to Wards Auto. Sure, white cars might seem bland, but they offer plenty of understated benefits.

White cars compared to other colors

As of 2021, 35% of the vehicles on the road were white. That’s fewer than 2017’s figures (when white cars hit 39%), but white has been the most popular color since 2011. Black and gray are also top choices among drivers, each totaling 19% of cars purchased worldwide.

Globally, only 9% of the cars on the road are silver. Blue follows with 8%, red at 5%, and brown at only 3% of the driving population. Every other color — including purple, green, and yellow — makes up 1% or less of the world’s cars.

The population of white vehicles is even higher in China at 50%, but it’s only 28% in North America. The popularity of different colors can also vary depending upon location. For example, drivers in South America prefer silver slightly more than white, and North America has a larger number of new red cars.

Why are white cars are so popular?

Numerous studies have shown that white cars are safest, MarketWatch reports. A white car provides a stark contrast to the black asphalt and surroundings, even in the dark. It can be more difficult to see oncoming vehicles at night when they’re black or dark blue.

White is also the most functional color choice because it naturally absorbs less heat. Like black clothes, black cars tend to get very hot during the warmer months. Of course, if you live in a colder climate, you might appreciate a black car’s ability to attract the sun’s rays.

Still, black cars can be a pain in the winter because they’re hard to keep clean. Even the tiniest water spots show on black paint, but white cars can conceal them. Scratches and dents on white vehicles are also harder to see, especially from a distance.

Despite fluctuating trends, white rarely falls out of style. White cars are pretty much a blank canvas, so they’re easy to stylize with decals and other cosmetic applications. This factor also increases the value of white cars on the resale market. In contrast, cars in bold colors, like blue and orange, usually depreciate faster.

White is also one of the most accessible colors

Automakers pay close attention to trends, so it’s a safe bet any model will be available in white. Colors such as green and orange are far less common, and only a handful of automakers produce purple cars. Because so many people buy new white cars, vehicles in other colors are also harder to find on the used market.

Go Flat Out also reminds us that solid white isn’t the only option. For instance, Toyota offers a pearly white paint job with a rainbow-like sheen in certain lighting conditions. Some cars also have metallic white paint, producing a brilliant shine thanks to powdered aluminum ingredients.

Broad consumer appeal keeps white cars in the spotlight. If you need a low-key vehicle to get from point A to point B, a white vehicle is perfect. However, with a metallic finish, your white car could be the flashiest on the lot.