Pros and Cons of Buying a Black Car

The color Black is one of the best choices for your car and 20% of all car buyers cannot be wrong. Let’s find out the pros and cons of buying a black car.

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Black has always been a popular choice in car colors throughout history. The first-ever mass-produced car, the Ford Model T came exclusively in color. 

Henry Ford, infamously announced that you could get the Model T in any color you want, as long as it was Black.

The color choice, according to recent surveys, has been neck and neck with Silver/Grey for the 2nd spot of most preferred car colors, and why not? 

Black represents elegance and luxury as well as stealth and speed. If maintained the right way, your car will instantly have an imposing presence no matter what model you have. The color black gives your car an air of luxury and presence.

black cars with black rims
Black gives your car an imposing and sleek presence (Photo: Car and Driver)

There are advantages and some disadvantages to owning the color. Therefore, let’s find out if the color Black for cars is the right shade for you.

Should I Buy a Black Car?

As earlier stipulated, Black is currently neck and neck with the color, Silver/Gray just behind the top spot held by White. This is according to surveys released by car paint manufacturers.

This means that about 20 percent of all cars being sold in the world are Black.

Advantages of Black Cars

Black colors enhance a car’s curves and lines more than any other color. It creates a visual aura of the car being larger and sleeker than it is. 

The color black leads your eyesight beyond the actual color of the car and into the lines that build it.

You can have the most simple and boxiest design for your econo-car but with the color Black or a fancy black sports car, it just makes it feel more expensive than it is.

metallic black cars
Your car will look more expensive if it is Black (Photo Source: Edmunds)

Resale value is also a top consideration. According to Philkotse.com, a leading classified automotive website in the Philippines, there are currently more than 2,100 old black cars for sale on their platform and they hold a higher premium compared to some other colors out there.

Many people browsing through the used car market are on the lookout for a car that they can personally use every day. This goes back to the earlier statistic of Black being in the running for the top 2 most popular car colors.

Logic dictates that the used car market would also reflect the same statistic as people gravitate more towards bold and striking colors, and go purchase dark ones.

From a practicality standpoint, if you are in the market for a used car, it would be a great selling point for a shiny black car as it may be a testament to the previous owner’s meticulous care for their car. 

It is easier to find scratches and chips on a black car than one with a lighter color. That much is true and that is a major consideration when buying a used car.

big black cars
Don’t you know that black cars are in the top 2 most popular color choices for cars? (Photo: Unsplash)

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Disadvantages of Black Cars

This leads us to the major drawbacks of buying a black car. As I’ve said earlier I am a proud owner of a black car, and I have to say, the color black breaks my heart every time I run it through a car wash. 

It is very satisfying to watch the water run through the car and see all the grime and dirt wash out and give way to shiny black paint. Then there goes to rub.

The moment you drive out of the car wash it starts to accumulate dust and mud like nobody’s business.

The color Black is an amazing car color to have but the maintenance required to keep it spotless is to be quite frank, herculean. You also have to keep in mind to use the proper detailing tools as black tends to easily punish you for not doing so.

Swirl marks or tiny hairline scratches from improper use of cleaning materials can easily manifest themselves from the paint. I’m sure no one else from the outside can see it but you know for a fact that they are there. 

Unlike other car colors, it takes a lot of time and patience to make sure your black paint is perfect, spotless, and shiny. 

It requires special kinds of clothes to make sure you don’t damage that immaculate paint and proper waxes and solutions to protect it from the elements.

black on black cars
Black does not reflect light as well as other colors (Photo: wallpaper cave)

Another main point of consideration is the color of black’s thermal properties as well. 

Black does not reflect the sun’s rays and in fact, absorbs light. If you leave your black car under the hot summer sun, you will struggle and have your air conditioning working overtime just to make it cool enough to sit inside it.

Just as well as anything good in life, the best things are the ones you have to work hard to achieve. 

If the drawbacks are enough for you to walk away from the color black, does it mean that going for the polar opposite is the way to go? Will White be any better than the alternative?

cool black cars
All black cars will take your breath from the very first look. (Photo: Unsplash)

Black or White Car: Which One Is Suitable For You?

Going for the opposite of the color spectrum, buying a white car instead of a black one has major drawbacks. 

For one the color white is a bit more common than black and if you damage white paint, your body shop will have a more difficult time matching the same color on your car as there are many shades of white in the car manufacturer’s palette.

There’s Arctic White, Pearl White, Championship White, Off White, and the list goes on and on. Whereas to Black you only have that particular color to worry about.

Much of the same logic goes to white. If you plan to drive your car daily for so many miles you will grab a hold of all the dirt and muck along the way.

If you are thinking about resale value, White also holds it quite well, much like the color Black. You would not find odd and special colors selling as quickly as Black and White. 

suv black cars
Black or white cars? It all comes down to personal preference (Photo: Car and Driver)

Black – Should Be Your Color!

If you fancy yourself and your car to be one of a kind, White might not be the choice for you. If you park your car in one of those huge parking lots, stories of those people misplacing theirs are the real thing. 

White is THE most common car color and if you wish to have your car stand out from the rest, you might be better off picking a different color.

If it boils down to things, white vs black cars are not that different from each other. They both hold their values quite well, compared to the rest and they can easily break your heart maintaining the finish and keeping it clean. 

black luxury car
Buying a black car, personally are the way to go if you want to go for that sleek, stealthy look (Photo: Lexus)

At the end of the day, as long as you care for your car the right way, it all comes down to your preference.

Buying a black car, personally, is the way to go if you want to go for that sleek, stealthy look. Just make sure you have the right tools and the commitment.