Which car colors best retain their value?
A car’s color can significantly affect its future value. According to the research, the average car loses about 31% of its original price over three years, but this figure varies considerably depending on the paint color.
Bright and rare colors retain their value best. After three years of use, green cars lose only 26.3% of their value, orange ones – 24.4%, and yellow ones just 24%.
“Yellow and orange have held the top spots for value retention since we started tracking this metric. These aren’t the most popular colors, but demand for them exceeds supply, which keeps prices up in the used market,” noted analyst Karl Brauer.
Top colors for value retention
Here’s the ranking of colors by depreciation after three years:
- Yellow – 24%
- Orange – 24.4%
- Green – 26.3%
- Beige – 29.5%
- Red – 29.8%
The most depreciated colors are traditional popular ones: black (31.9%), white (32.1%), and gold (34.4%). This is due to their prevalence, which allows buyers to choose the cheapest options among many alternatives.
Value by car type
Trends vary slightly for different vehicle categories:
- In SUVs, orange, green, and gray show the best results
- Among sedans, orange, yellow, and beige are the leaders
- For coupes, yellow loses only 14.5% of its value over three years
Interestingly, since 2017, the situation with the top 3 colors has hardly changed, indicating the stability of these trends. Choosing a color isn’t just a matter of taste but also financial prudence, especially if you plan to sell your car later.