Best Car Color to Buy for Value

So, what’s the best car color to buy?

If you’re shooting for resale value, the best car color to buy is the one that’s currently most popular. The more popular the color, the more attractive your car will be to potential buyers down the road. Of course, we know you don’t want to sell your car right now. But according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), it’s safe to assume that today’s most popular car color will remain in demand for at least five years.

Researchers at automotive paint powerhouse PPG report that monochromatic colors such as white, gray, silver, and black continue to dominate globally. They’re crowd pleasers across the board.

Consumers will likely stick to the established trend for the remainder of 2018 and into  2019, finds coatings supplier BASF, with shades of gray, blue, and green emerging as favorites. According to BASF, these colors appeal to people because they replicate the aesthetics of digital gadgets and technology.

Some of the most popular colors in BASF’s library of hues include “metal’s mettle,” a shade of metallic gray, “kleur,” a deep red, and “centripetal blue,” a subdued dark blue color.

Buy the most popular car color in your state

It’s safe to say that neutral car colors like white, silver, gray, and black are good bets whether you live in Florida or Oregon, Italy or Spain. Other car colors, like orange and purple, are risky bets… unless you happen to live in an area where these colors are highly coveted or hold some level of symbolism.  

If you plan on living in the same general area for a while, you might want to consider buying a car that’s one of the most popular colors in your city/state.

For example, if you live near James Madison University in Virginia, you can’t go wrong buying a purple car. The city of Harrisonburg, VA has the highest percentage of purple cars in the country. And in Tennessee, orange is the car color of choice. Almost the entire state shows that orange cars are the most popular color cars, likely in support of the University of Tennessee Volunteers.

Explore car sales trends by color and state using CarMax’s interactive map. What color car is most popular in your state?

Buy the most popular car color for your vehicle type

If your city/state isn’t known for any particular car color or you know you’ll be moving in the near future, consider buying a car color that’s popular for the vehicle type you want, like an SUV, sedan, or sports car.

According to KBB, the top five colors for SUVs, minivans, and trucks are:

1. White – 19.3%
2. Silver – 18%
3. Black – 12.4%
4. Medium Dark Blue – 11.4%
5. Medium Dark Gray – 7.5%

Silver also tops the list for luxury vehicles, followed by white and dark blue. And while black used to be the most popular color for luxury cars, KBB says black has hit its lowest market in years.

1. Silver – 32.1%
2. White Metallic – 17.7%
3. White – 11.8%
4. Medium/Dark Blue = 8.6%
5. Black  – 8.5%

If you’re shopping for a sedan, wagon, or hatchback, keep an eye out for silver cars, too. Drivers just can’t get enough of silver colored cars!

1. Silver = 28.1%
2. White – 11.8%
3. Light Brown – 11.6%
4. Black – 11.2%
5. Medium/Dark Blue = 9.5%

Buy your favorite car color

Green, yellow, red, and blue! Which car color is right for you? In the end, the best car color to buy is the one that makes you happy. You spend about 300 hours a year in your car, so you might as well like what you drive! Shop around and when you’re ready, apply for a new car loan through myAutoloan. We make it easy to compare car loans just as easily as you compare car colors!