The perfect colour for your car

It's believed that your choice of car colour says something about your personality. For example, black associated with power, elegance and sophistication. Keep in mind that black cars require more maintenance as the scratches are more pronounced on them. On the other hand bright coloured like white or yellow are associated with flamboyance and even caution because it's a well known fact that white cars are more safer on the road.

Brightly coloured cars make it easier for other drivers to spot you both night and day, potentially reducing your risk of an accident, they are quicker to spot prompting faster reactions to hit the brakes and avoid a collision. That said, car colour is not the most important indicator for your safety. Look for cars with advanced safety technology, stellar crash test ratings and of course practice safe driving and even defensive driving where needed.

While choosing the colour of your car, consider that you might have to resell it in a few months or years. The best time to think about the resale value of your car is while you’re buying the car, it is very important to be keen on all the aspects of your car. Consider that most people prefer normal grey scale colours like white, black or silver as opposed to hot pink, bright yellow, sky blue, neon green or red.

Speaking of red, some studies have shown that though it's not as popular as white or black for a car colour, it's definitely known in the ticketing department! For some reason the traffic police tend to flag red cars more often than black cars. White and other bright coloured cars are also quite popular with the traffic police, probably because they're quite easy to spot.

Black and white colour cars remain the best car paint colours because they’re perceived as the easiest to maintain, white easier than black. Plenty of maintenance products available for them too as opposed to, say, neon green or bright orange.

Realistically, the easiest colours to maintain are most likely colours like grey and silver, which tend to hide dust and dirt quite well… but definitely still get your car cleaned weekly to provide a safe and healthy environment for yourself and your passengers. 

Dark colour choices, like black, jungle green and navy blue, are the most difficult car colours to maintain; scratches, dents, water spots and automated car wash swirls are very easy to see on dark paint. They also need to be polished regularly to maintain their dazzle. Hand washed cars are a bit safer than automated wash ones on this matter.

Location, location, location. Yes, your location is a big factor while choosing a colour for your car. Black cars absorb heat from the sun, which then warms up the interior of your vehicle, while white cars deflect sunlight and its associated heat, which will keep your car cooler in sunny weather. When considering the best car interior colour combinations, be sure to consider heat absorption, keep in mind that you spend a lot of time in your car, so it needs to be a comfortable experience and not a torture chamber or oven.

A preferred car colour in Kenya which lies on the equator is white or silver. If you're lucky the interior will also be light coloured… just know that light interiors need more cleaning to maintain their crisp clean look. If you have kids or people who love eating in the car, consider probable spills and accessorise accordingly to avoid unsightly stains.

Generally, sunny weather calls for light colours that will deflect the heat of the sun. The further you are from the equator and closer to winter, the better off you will be with darker colours that use solar energy to warm up the car. Keep in mind that the safest colours to spot in bad weather and at night will be bright, light colours like white and yellow.

In conclusion, greyscale colours like white, black, grey and silver are the most popular car colours on the road and will offer the best long-term return on your investment. When deciding which end of the greyscale spectrum to choose from, consider how you plan to maintain the vehicle and your local climate. A heat-absorbing black paint job will be more welcome in a cold climate, though it will require more car washing and waxing to maintain its shine.