Best Vehicle Colors for Resale - Clark Howard.

[RR - All the way]

I wonder if the metallic colors with more protective coats and are often an option get more of their value back on resale??? Based on either metallic color or paint maintaining a better appearance. I am thinking they would. For example, my RR cost $390 more. Hope it makes a difference on resale.........
Oops, just ran my Mav thru Carvana. Once as RR and once as white. Got the same offer regardless of color....... Of course it is a 25 and only has 8k miles.

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[Cancunbadlands]

Any color as long is black

 

[icegradner]

https://clark.com/cars/best-car-colors-resale/

I find it odd that orange and yellow hold value better somehow. To me those colours represent road and construction contractor/taxi vibes, which means lots of idle time, and are often beat on or in a lot of fender benders. Hard pass for me when looking at used vehicles.

I get white and black being at the bottom of the stack, just boring colour choices.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Do you think it’s due to the fact that there aren’t many yellow and orange cars made and that’s why they hold there value? The one that lose the most value are the most common colors?

The most common colors are pretty much a varying shade of grey.

 

[Suzukiridr14]

Do you think it’s due to the fact that there aren’t many yellow and orange cars made and that’s why they hold there value? The one that lose the most value are the most common colors?

When you buy a vehicle "New", pick a color you like, I never heard of someone picking a color worrying about getting less when selling because of color choice. Used, if the price is right, color doesn't matter!

 

[MavStangVa]

When you buy a vehicle "New", pick a color you like, I never heard of someone picking a color worrying about getting less when selling because of color choice. Used, if the price is right, color doesn't matter!

You mean you didn't research to learn which options, colors, drive train would net you the most on resale 5 to 7 years from the moment of purchase . I have never bought a NEW vehicle with the thought "what can I get for it when I no longer want it". I know it will always be less than I paid for it.

 

[Waterick]

Yes, the demand for the common colors is huge - but so is the supply.

The demand for fad colors is very small - but the supply is even smaller.

The quoted study on resale value is based on the limited supply of fad colors. The original study was done years ago…not sure if the study in the OP is based on that older data or if it has been updated recently.

But a person wanting a used Eruption Green Maverick may be willing to pay a bit of a premium over the more common colors. Higher resale for the seller.

Might take the seller of a fad color longer to find a customer willing to pay that premium - but the data (if true) seems to reflect that premium.

Dealers (& manufacturers) don’t want to wait for that weird fad color buyer

Colors of cars sold - yellow is near or at the bottom. Resale value of yellow is near the top for that same reason.

Definitely agree, no matter what it is, a buyer who wants something relatively rare will usually pay a premium price to get it. Especially, if the item is in great condition. Like you said, will often take longer to find that buyer.

 

[MaverickDragon]

The problem with a study like the one noted in this thread is that there is no accounting for any of the other numerous variables that may have a more influential effect than simply the color of the car.

Remember the old saying, there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics..."

A classic example is that the crime rate will go up as the number of churches increase.
This is a fact. It's also not a cause. Crime increases as a result of the population increase.
Churches increase as the population increases.
There is a correlation, but the cause is entirely different.

Even on the low scale on the report, the white color, the second worst for resale, is only a bit over a 1% difference from the average, but is a likely relatively larger portion of the sample.

Regional variations may also be a component to altered valuations.

Regardless of potential nuances, one known factor is the distribution of condition for used cars being sold. Generally recognized distribution estimates for used car condition is about 70% in fair to good condition, with the remaining percentage in very good to excellent.

With a larger population of instances, for any given category, there is additional opportunity for vehicles of less pristine condition to influence the resale value result of the category reported, as more vehicles sold are on the lower scale of condition.

Therefore, the resale value numbers being reported are more likely to be influenced by the volume of sales rather than the influence of the color itself.

The report has confused cause and effect, as correlation is not causation as noted above.

The resale value cause is the car's condition, and the effect noted in the "study" is the resale value due to the sales volume. In any individual case, car mileage and condition will dwarf any impact that a color makes.

Like most uncontrolled single factor studies, the reported result is meaningless.

 

[Mavl-ous]

I guess I better go buy a case of paint spray cans and start covering my Oxford White in a vibrant bright color. It will take me awhile and probably turn out somewhat artistic when done.

Or like many self-painted old 70s vans usually seen at beaches: house paint. Brushed on, of course.

 

[Mavman1]

Or like many self-painted old 70s vans usually seen at beaches: house paint. Brushed on, of course.

Good idea. That would be cool and I could be a retired beach bum with my Maverick. I will be all set then!

 

[UpACurb]

I buy what I like.

Luckily I have good taste so when I do resell i get relatively good money. ; )

 

[aknolobo]

Yes I would have figured. Oxford White would’ve been the least depreciation because it’ll never fade. Go figure!

That's not true. White, black and red fade the quickest.

 

[Suzukiridr14]

I wonder if the metallic colors with more protective coats and are often an option get more of their value back on resale??? Based on either metallic color or paint maintaining a better appearance. I am thinking they would. For example, my RR cost $390 more. Hope it makes a difference on resale.........
Oops, just ran my Mav thru Carvana. Once as RR and once as white. Got the same offer regardless of color....... Of course it is a 25 and only has 8k miles.

When Carvana, or Carmax give you an offer on a vehicle, the offer is for a standard model without most options like paint color. Things that make a difference, like packages, 4x4 are considered.

 

[RR - All the way]

I did another search, with Edmunds I believe, and they added $200 for the ruby red.

 

[dochawk]

I wonder if the metallic colors with more protective coats and are often an option get more of their value back on resale???

That could depend: sun is far harder on tricot paint, and there's no saving it once it has any fade.

Metalic tri-coat has a layer of base color, then the sprinkled metallic, and then the plastic protection over that.

When it fades from UV, you simply can't buff the color layer, as there are two coats over it. Nothing to do but repaint.

You mean you didn't research to learn which options, colors, drive train would net you the most on resale 5 to 7 years from the moment of purchase .

Sure, I do. And check CR and other vehicle history on reliability, and resale for similar models, and so forth.

After a lot of serious research, I then do what I felt like doing in the first place!

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