Why are car colours so dull these days? All those greys, blacks and silvers...

[corgisu]

We are beginning to think about buying a new (to us) car and looking around at autotrader etc I am struck about how dull all the car colours are. So many greays, blacks, silvers; most exciting seems to be navy blue. What has happened to the reds, maroons, yellows I remember from my youth?

We are looking at 5ish year old cars - mostly 'sensible' estates - anyone have any preference for Skoda Octavia/ Peugeot 308/ VW Golf estate/ an other in the 'small' estate category ?

When I bought my new car the nicer colours cost more and I couldn't push the budget to pay the extra just to get a colour.
I previously drove a company car which was a kind of metallic beige. I definitely felt like other road users didn't notice it as much.... apart from the days I gave a lift to several passengers who all wore hi-vis jackets.

White paint apparently keeps its finish longer, and (along with silver) means less fuel is needed to run aircon in hot weather, so it's an eco choice too.

www.theguardian.com/news/2017/jun/29/light-for-the-climate-how-car-colour-cuts-pollution

White cars are also least likely to be involved in an accident

www.citywidelaw.com/los-angeles-car-accident-attorney/car-color-and-crash-risk/#:~:text=of%20an%20accident.-,White,the%20day%20under%20any%20conditions.

I'm sure I read something about the pigments in white paint being more environmentally friendly than some others too, but I can't find that link now.

So, although it's a bit boring and often the cheapest default colour I can see good reasons for going white.

Be careful. I had a special edition car once and the colour was called Nautilus. It was a blue/green, high spec, but no one wanted it when I wanted to sell. I finally managed to PEx it and it stuck in the garage there for about a year.

Peugeot are doing a rather nice bright green just now, but I bet it’ll be hard to get rid of. All of those colours are of their time, but black, white and grey are timeless.

I’d buy a Skoda Karoq. Best car I’ve had apart from Audi TT. Wish I still had it.

Renault Captur has lovely colours and you can have the top different from the bottom.

I have a bright blue car and it seems to me that at least half the cars on the road are various shades of blue now. I picked it because I wanted something that stood out a bit but it really doesn't now, there are bright blue cars everywhere.

Go to your nearest car park and count. Your "at least half" is laughable.

I've been researching used cars for days as I have to swap mine. And all I've found in the several makes and models I'm looking at is silver and grey, with the occasional white or black

A family near us have a bright green car and a bright pink one. We have black ones and DC thinks we are too boring for words.

I said it seems to me, it's a matter of perception not the literal truth.

I was reading and article about this the other day - www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-11646823/Grey-popular-new-car-colour-Britons-savvy.html

and last year 25% of new cars sold were shades of grey, 20% were black and 16% white so 6 out of 10 cars are in these dull colours so the chances of getting anything interesting used in 2 or 3 years time is minimal...

My cul de sac has 6 houses, and 14 cars there cars are all black/navy/white/grey except:
Next door have 2 minis - one brick red/orange, one kind of pistachio green.
One house has 3 x red VW Ups!
1 house has a lime green Seat Ibiza

6 out of 14 bright colours isn't too bad.,

This thread reminds me of when DH ordered a lease work van when DS was a toddler. He said he'd let DS choose the colour - DS chose orange. DH refused "I aren't the RAC!". DS is 15 now, as aspires to be an RAC breakdown mechanic or at least to drive an exRAC van.

My first car was red Citroen ax and then a bright yellow polo. Don't see many like that any more!

Current car is boring black.

I want a pink car.

My sister always gets bright cars so far red, yellow, green and currently orange...

Mine is currently black but have had bright blue, red, metallic grey ish, green, dark red and now black which although the smartest car I can never find it in a bloody car park

I know what you mean, Op. When I was looking for a new (to me) car, I realised how so many were black, white, silver or grey. Standing at the bus stop I once counted 45 cars - only 4 weren’t any of those.

I bought a bright metallic blue - easier to find in the car park if nothing else! But since then (3 years ago) I’ve noticed a lot more bright blues.

Agreed, I ended up having to get black 🥱 I don’t think there’s any make of car that doesn’t look better in red 🚗

DH's car is orange because it was available brand new in 2 weeks. It looks pretty good actually.

Mine is a very dark metallic blue. My new car (due in April with any luck) is a lighter metallic blue. Mineral blue, according to Kia! I wanted red but then I saw the same car IRL and it looked weird with the blue trim showing it was electric.

My first car was beige with brown interior🤣

I like maroon but it wasn’t an option for us this time. Our car is midnight blue and I love it.

Gone off grey and silver so I avoid that like the plague. I’m not a fan of white or red so not a huge amount of options left.

When our cars were second hand, they were normally silver. Definitely too many silver cars around!

From a safety perspective, I am mystified by the trend in new cars the colour of motorway tarmac.

My car is gold, imperial gold to be precise 😂

My current car is white, the one before was silver. My first car (only a few years ago) was the most lovely metallic orange.

Mines mint green

Black has been a staple for years. White Audis and BMW were a trend that passed down through the lower brands whilst supercars kept the lovely colours. Also if you want colours it relatively easy to wrap a white or black car, my mini was black it's now got a razor pink roof and wing mirrors. Someone had a Evoque in for a all over pink wrap 😍 interestingly even mini only has a few colours and the free one is silver.

I have a yellow car (though now SORN and being an ornament on my garden) I loved it and could always find it a car park

Our latest one is orange, the new colours for our model are now very dull. Yes it cost more for the colour as OH reminds me but it was worth it

Totally agree.

I want to be able to see my car among the seat of black, grey and silver.

ours is bright blue.

*sea not seat