Should you buy a white car?

Usually, choosing the colour of the paint is one of the easiest bits of the car buying process: you either pick your favourite when choosing a new car, or take whatever’s available with a used example. White isn’t a shade that many people would pinpoint as their ideal car colour but it’s an easy one to end up with when you’re unsure what to go for, looking to save cash and don’t want to offend anyone.

The most popular car colours in the UK don’t tend to be the most flamboyant ones. Grey and black are big and white is always there or thereabouts at the top of the charts. If you’re stuck on the fence when it comes to choosing car paint colours, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a white car. Is that a good outcome though? Let’s look at the reasons for and against buying a white car. 

The main reason to buy a white car is if you like how it looks. Certain cars look great in white, while others can seem a bit bland. Depending on the wheels and other styling elements on the car, white can look classy or tacky. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so you’ll have to make that call yourself but we would advise being careful about choosing white on cars with bumpers or other exterior trim pieces that aren’t body coloured. When you have dark grey or black elements on the outside of the car, the contrast with white paintwork can be quite stark.

Are resale values on white cars good?

One of the biggest reasons buyers consider a white car, though, is the resale value. It’s true that crazy colours like pink and yellow can put off second-hand buyers and lower the resale value of the car. However, you’ll rarely see much difference in most modern cars when it comes time to sell, no matter what colour they are. It’s a factor to consider, but won’t play a huge role unless you’re choosing between something like bright orange and plain white.

Are white cars cheaper to buy?

Sometimes you’ll actually save more at the point of purchase by going for white paint. It’s often included as the base paint colour for a new car, with no additional cost at all. Metallic white, along with pearl shades, is sometimes a cost-option, but base white is likely to be a cheaper colour if it’s not included in the cost of the car in the first place.

Do white cars age well?

White is considered good for hiding scratches and imperfections in your car’s paint, too. It’s certainly better than darker colours in that respect. A few marks here and there might go unnoticed, but you should also factor in that white paint shows up winter dirt and grime more than any other colour. It’s a tough choice: white needs to be clean to look its best but hides marks, while black needs less cleaning to look good but every scratch is obvious.

A final consideration could be that white is an incredibly popular and common colour. It’s well known as the default choice for vans and many businesses will chose white cars for their fleets because it’s so inoffensive and should protect resale values relatively well. That can be a good thing, as you’ll blend into the crowd and won’t stand out. If you want to show off your new car and be a bit individual, though, white might not be the colour for you.

Want to make sure you keep your car as clean as possible? Click here to discover our top car cleaning tips...