If you are choosing a new car, you want to carefully select the right color. While it might be fun to choose a bright color that turns heads, some of the most popular options include white and black.
However, how do you choose between a white vs. black car? To ensure the right choice for your next vehicle, you must weigh the pros and cons.
In this article, I examine the pros and cons of both options. By the end of this guide, you should be able to tell which one is best for you.
Should I Get a White or Black Car?
White cars are fashionable, easy to clean, simple to sell, provide good visibility, and keep the temperature cool. However, white cars don’t hide dirt well, show rust, and there’s an abundance of them. Black cars are elegant and hide rust, but they get hot, are harder to clean, and attract birds.
While this is just a quick answer, there is much more to it. Now, I’ll look at the pros and cons of both white and black cars, so that you can make your decision.
Pros of a White Car
1. Fashionable
White cars continue to be one of the most popular car colors, with many automakers offering the color as a free option. It’s universal and looks good in any setting.
Blending in can be a good thing, especially if you don’t want to excite the senses of cops as you drive by. If you are looking for the most practical option, you can’t go wrong with white.
2. Easy to Clean
White is one of the easiest car colors to clean. You won’t see smudges and water spots as easily, making washing and waxing an easier job.
If there are scratches on the paint, they are also harder to see. Even if you do need to add some paint for a touch-up, you will probably pay less for it than a comparable black hue. This is also one of the reasons why you often see car manufacturers at car shows using white cars because it is difficult to see small imperfections.
3. Easy to Sell
Because white cars are so popular, you won’t have any trouble selling them, either. Everyone wants white cars, so you will have a long list of potential buyers.
If you don’t want to search for the right buyer, white is a great option. Plus, you won’t have trouble getting a dealership to take it off of your hands.
4. Lower Temperature
If you have ever been to a really hot country, you probably saw that the majority of the cars are often white. White colors reflect sunlight, leaving the inside of the car cooler than other options. There’s nothing cooler than a white car in the summer, ensuring you don’t have to overwork the air conditioning system.
If you live in a hot, humid area, you will appreciate any help you can get. However, it might not matter as much to you if you live in the north. White paint is also preferable in hot countries, because the paint will not burn as easily from the sun.
5. Visible
It’s easier to see a white car than it is a black one. If you spend a lot of time driving in low-light situations, you will want this added protection.
However, the right exterior lighting can ensure any color car can be adequately seen. The only time a white car becomes difficult to see is in heavy snow.
Cons of a White Car
1. Doesn’t Hide Dirt
You won’t have trouble hiding the dust on a white car, but dirt and mud are very noticeable. You may need to visit the car wash more often.
Thankfully, it’s easy to get clean. The only downside is you really can’t tell the car is clean once it’s done. You don’t get the same shocking appeal after a car wash that comes with a black car.
Especially if you live in a cold country with snow where they put salt on the road, the white paint color will look yellow or orange and it will be difficult to keep it clean! So you need to consider the conditions in your country first!
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2. Overabundance on Road
As you head down the road, you can quickly become immersed in a long list of other white cars. It can be difficult to stand out at all.
This might not seem like a problem until you are trying to find your car in a crowded parking lot. You have to be careful you don’t choose the wrong white car.
3. Easy to See Rust
As any car ages, rust becomes visible. With a white car, the rust becomes more visible than with many other colors.
White paint isn’t as forgiving with rust. If it begins rusting, you will want to repair it, especially before you try to sell it.
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Pros of a Black Car
1. Elegant
There’s no other color as elegant as the black car. That’s why many luxury cars drive down the street with a black finish.
Black cars also look powerful and more aggressive. When the car is clean, nothing else can compare. Black cars are also one of the car colors that hold the resale value best, probably due to the elegance of a black car, along with its popularity.
2. Hides Rust
There may not be a lot you can hide on a black car, but rust can’t be seen. When a black car starts to corrode, it’s very difficult to notice.
Additionally, you should be able to easily match the black paint if you want to touch up damaged spots. There’s much more leeway when working with black paint than many others.
Cons of a Black Car
1. Hard to Clean
The black car looks amazing when it is clean. However, it’s difficult to get it to look its best, and it never lasts for long.
One of the biggest disadvantages of black cars is that you will see every water spot after the wash, requiring that you dry it appropriately. You will also need to use high-quality polish and wax because scratches and swirl marks on the car paint from car washes are very easy to see. Dents are also, unfortunately, very visible on a black car.
2. Prone to Bird Droppings
Black cars love to collect dirt. However, that’s not all that likes to build up on darker cars. For some reason, black cars also attract birds.
Where there are birds, there is also a ton of white poop stains. These don’t just look horrible, but they mean you must clean the car again – otherwise, the car paint can get damaged.
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3. Gets Hot
Unlike the white car, black colors retain heat. After a couple of minutes of sitting in the sunlight, the interior of the car is going to be very hot.
You will have to push the air conditioner to work harder. Additionally, the car can be downright miserable until it gets cooled down. In hot countries, the black paint can also get damaged by the sun due to the heat.
Black vs. White Car: Which is Better?
So, which of these is the best car color? If you are trying to decide between a black vs. white car, you have a lot of factors to consider. Both white and black are at the top of the most popular colors. Not only do you need to think about the look you are going for, but it’s important to consider your climate, as well.
If you want a practical, easy to clean, and cool vehicle, go with something white. However, if you want something elegant and don’t mind spending more time on maintenance, then black is a better option.
