What You Must Know when Choosing the Right Color for a New Car

You surely have preferences over the color of the car you are intending to buy. Have you noticed that most car manufacturers have become more particular when it comes to assigning colors to specific car models? Most car sellers and car buyers now recognize the effect of color perception on purchase decisions.

If you have not yet given much attention to the color your dream car must have, here are some valuable pieces of information that may give you hints about which colors to consider when shopping for a new or used car.

Car color psychology

The color of your car can convey emotions and hints of your personality. Basic psychology can be applied to every color you prefer when buying a vehicle. Red is for car buyers who intend to always catch attention, while black is for those who want to appear affluent.

“The color of your car can convey emotions and hints of your personality.”

Moreover, there are specific moods that can be associated with various car colors. White is identified with innocence and lightweight, while gray hints conservative and practical disposition. Silver is stylish, classy, modern, and sleek; blue is calming and sophisticated; green is fresh, lively, and natural; and orange indicates high energy and happiness.

Color and safety

There are insurers across the U.S. that charge higher insurance premiums for cars that are painted in bright or ‘risky’ colors like yellow and red, while cars in safer colors like silver and white are assigned lower premiums. While research efforts have yet to prove the link between car color and safety, many auto insurance companies recommend red, silver, and white paint for cars as such bright colors are ideal for better road visibility.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by Australia’s Monash University has found that color could also be related to possible car crashes. After analyzing actual crash records from the local police, the research team concluded that cars in black, blue, red, silver, grey, and green colors tend to be more accident-prone. It also found that white-colored cars are up to 10% less likely to figure in a car-crash incident, possibly because the light color makes the car easier to see on the road.

“White-colored cars are up to 10% less likely to figure in a car-crash incident.”

Car color and bird droppings

Here’s some amusing information about specific car colors. A study conducted in five English cities involving 1,000 vehicles found that birds seem to prefer depositing their droppings on cars that are colored blue, red, or black. Cars in grey, silver, green, or white are less likely to incur such a natural problem.

“Cars in grey, silver, green, or white are less likely to incur bird droppings problem.”

No scientific reasoning can yet explain these findings but many analysts think that deeper colors in cars are more reflective, attracting birds. Birds could possibly sense danger in red, while blue may remind them of waterbodies. If you don’t want to encounter problems with bird droppings, you should take note of these colors and their noted effects on flying birds.

White as an ideal color

As mentioned, white is the most recommended color for a car for various reasons. White-colored cars are seen to be less likely to get involved in vehicular accidents on the road. Those are also less likely to collect birds’ droppings while parked outdoor.

If you aim to keep a high resale value, a white car is definitely for you. Based on a DuPont Automotive Color Popularity Report in 2012, white remains the most preferred car color across North America, making it more in-demand, hence the high value retained for a possible resale.

“If you aim to keep a high resale value, a white car is definitely for you.”