Yellow and Orange Paint Have a Surprising Effect on Your Car’s Value
Not many people choose bright flashy color for their new cars, but doing so can save you a ton of money.
Written by Andrew Koole
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
A lot of things can affect your
car’s value
, but one that often goes under the radar is your vehicle’s color. You might think the paint job of your car is of little or no consequence to how much you can get for it down the road, but you’d be wrong.What’s more, the spectrum of
depreciation rates
based on color goes in the exact opposite direction than most people would expect. Common choices like white and black depreciate faster than most while one-off, wild options like yellow and orange help cars hold onto their value better than any.The louder the paint, the more a car maintains its value
It’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to drive around in a bright, flashy-colored car all the time. It can feel attention-seeking, and more often than not, people would rather fit in.
But biting the bullet and buying a yellow, orange, or purple vehicle can end up saving you thousands of dollars.
iSeeCars
says yellow cars are particularly good at maintaining their value. The average depreciation rate over three years for the sunny hue is an impressive 4.5%. Compare that to the 15.5% of a white vehicle or the 16% of a black one.
This is a bit of an oversimplification. A closer look at the data shows that some colors tend to be used on cars with lower starting prices more often than others. And some uncommon
car colors
don’t seem to improve the resale value of the vehicles wrapped in them.Take this math as an example: despite having a slightly higher depreciation rate, the average gold car loses less dollar value than the average black one. Generally though, the sentiment holds true: a bright-colored car will maintain its value better than a conventionally colored one.
Why depreciation rates matter, and why your car paint affects them so much
Owning a car is getting more expensive. But despite the rising prices of new and
used cars
, gas, and car insurance, the costliest part of car ownership is still depreciation. We don’t tend to think about depreciation when we buy a car. Gas mileage, interior features, and yes, color, feel more important while we roam the lot at the dealership. But paying attention to expected resale value can save you a ton of money.
Color isn’t the only thing affecting depreciation rates, but its impact is significant and often gets missed. And although you might think odd colors make for ugly cars, they also make for rarer ones, helping them stand out amongst the sea of options on car lots and Craigslist.
Another hero lowering car ownership costs: Jerry
Choosing a car based on its estimated resale value can be a smart move, but it’s not the only way to save on
car ownership
. And picking a paint color you hate just to save some money down the line might feel like too much of a compromise.Thankfully, there are other ways to save. And with Jerry, saving on
car insurance
is easy. Jerry is your ultra-talented car insurance broker for life. No need to sit across from him at a desk: Jerry is an app! Jerry can provide you with competitive quotes in under a minute. Swapping is just as effortless. Jerry takes care of all the paperwork and phone calls and can even assist you in canceling your old policy! The average Jerry user saves over $800 a year on car insurance.
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