Would you ever buy a black car?

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

They look so pretty when they are clean. I test drove the prettiest black car, so nice, new and did not even smell like Long John Silver's yet but am wondering about my ability/willingness to keep the exterior looking nice. ( the eventual LJS smell is inevitable). Only other color option is silver.

[wellyes]

I have a black car! But I don't keep it super-clean, I just don't care that much. The only thing that annoys me about it is that it gets super-hot in the summer sun.

I hate silver cars. I think they look bland, or worse, like the person is trying to give the impression of "classiness"/wealth. Illogical, I know, but that's how I feel.

[pinkmomagain]

I am on my 3rd black car. I really don't care if the outside is dirty...I think it looks better than a dirty white car. I like silver too and that may be the color of our next car -- just for a change -- but I prefer the dark silver over the light one.

[vludmilla]

I am on my second black car and I haven't kept either of them particularly clean. I agree that black looks better dirty than white.

[Coral]

On my second black car here. I don't keep it super clean, but it sure looks nice when it is clean.

[thomma]

Up until I had kids I only drove a black car. Reasoning: black makes me look slimmer.

[hillview]

I have had a black car once. It looks pretty yucky when dirty. I had silver cars and now have blue and green cars. I wouldn't do black again. Part of it is that I live in New England and the salt and road crap gets a car dirty fast.
/hillary

[jgenie]

I have a black car, but it rarely gets cleaned now that I have DS.

[Momof3Labs]

I alternate between light/neutral and a pretty dark color. I get tired of the dark color *always* looking dirty, so the next one is a light/neutral color, and then I get tired of that and go back to dark. Right now, I've spent 7.5 years in a dark car wishing that it could stay clean, so my answer right now is "no". Though, even if I go dark, black would be one of my last choices.

[MontrealMum]

I would. But I would not buy a black car with a dark interior. Can you say oven? DH's last car was a dk. blue Jetta with black interior - argh!!! Never again.

[katydid1971]

Only if it was an incredible deal

[SnuggleBuggles]

I love my black car. I would buy one again, no doubt. Of course, I rarely bother cleaning it. It just isn't in me to give a darned about my car beyond it working.

Silvers are way too common. I would pick black.

Beth

[brittone2]

Probably not my first choice, but if it was a great deal and I didn't mind dirt or could find the time to clean it regularly, I'd go for it.

My dad (totally fanatical about keeping his vehicles clean, waxed, perfectly wiped of bugs, etc...clearly we don't share that gene ;) ) convinced me a long time ago that white/light vehicles are much easier to keep clean. He and my mom have two very light colored vehicles.

[bubbaray]

I would -- its easier to find black cars buried in the snowbanks outside our igloos. JUST KIDDING.

I wouldn't buy a black car if I lived in a warm, humid climate like the Southern US. But, anywhere else, yeah, if you like the car in black, go for it!

[alexsmommy]

No, never again. When I was single, I had time to get it cleaned often enough to not be totally hideous living in a city that salts in winter. Until I have that level of disposable income AND time again I won't. Our minivan is silver. Hides a multitude of sins. Not to mention not nearly as hot in summer when I'm waiting for the interior to cool off enough to load kiddos.

Having said that, they are so darn pretty when the are all clean and shiny. I may want one again some day.

[KBecks]

No, but I am not into cleaning cars. We have a silver van.

[hellokitty]

Nope. Unless you are anal retentive about cleaning it all of the time, black cars get dirty really easily. However, I am not one to coo over my car. I purposely drive silver cars, b/c I don't like having to worry too much about my car looking dirty all of the time.

[gobadgers]

DH drives a black car, and I don't think it really shows salt and dirt more than my silver car (although mine is a darker shade). I would totally go for it!

ITA with some PP's that white cars look dirty faster than most other shades. My mom drove a white car, and while the salt wasn't as obvious, EVERYTHING else was - including the grime and dirt that come with the salt.

[momtoonegirl]

I am on my second black car :). I really like the way that they look when they are clean.

The first black car I had, I used to hand wash it, but with my current one, I just get a machine wash.

[MamaMolly]

I wouldn't because IMO they get all scratched and covered in swirl marks from cleaning, so even when it has been washed you still see the marks, you know? I think they look really pretty on the showroom floor but once you've washed it they never look as good.

[LarsMal]

My first car was navy blue and my second car (the first one I bought with my own money!) was black- I'm now shedding a tear over the loss of my beloved (used) black VW Cabrio convertible! Oh how I miss that car!

I agree with pp who said don't do a black car with dark interior. DH's car is SO HOT in the summer!

[GlindaGoodWitch]

I had a black car when I was in college in Austin. BAD IDEA. Half the time it was cooler outside than in even with the windows cracked, a solar reflector on the dash and a towel over the seat buckle. I finally bought a car cover just so I could get into the damn thing without burning myself or puddling into a mass of sweat.

[MelissaTC]

My minivan was silver and now I drive a black car and love it. It has a tan interior. No issues with the black but salt is not an issue here.

[bubbaray]

I'm now shedding a tear over the loss of my beloved (used) black VW Cabrio convertible! Oh how I miss that car!



Hey, I had a VW Cabriolet for 13 years! It was light blue, not black though. :)

[LarsMal]

Hey, I had a VW Cabriolet for 13 years! It was light blue, not black though. :)

I LOVED that car!!!! We had to trade it in after DH and I got married b/c his car died, we only needed one car, and he couldn't drive a stick-shift. It was a very sad day!

[squimp]

We had a black truck, and it was just a big black truck. They auto body shop buffed out all the scratches when we went to sell it, but it did look pretty scratched up. It got hot in the summer, but I think all cars do. And the interior was tan, so it wasn't that bad.

After you get the van, please come pick me up and we'll get LJS. I love LJS! I like it best with "extra crunchies". Do they still do that? ....mmmmm....

[HannaAddict]

I love my black car with black interior. I don't live in a sun belt state though so the temperature of sitting out didn't factor into the decision. It cools off fine in the summer. I do like the pearl white colors in some models too, and also the pewter color out now (a little richer than plain silver). I don't like light interior, it would get too trashed. My car looks gorgeous clean but isn't really that much worse than any color when dirty, it is a dirty car. It stays looking good after being washed the same as our burgandy car.

[dhano923]

I have a black Pathfinder and DH has a black G35. We like our dark cars. :)

[kijip]

Color is last on my list and since we have bought used both times, we really did not pick...I would buy a black car if it was what I was looking for, though it would not be my first choice if I had one to make. We had that pinkish brown Toyota beige for a long time and now we have light silver...both not what I would choose (either dark grey or blue I think). I will say that a car would have to be basically free before I would buy a white car. I have an irrational dislike of white cars, don't even like to rent them.

[pinkmomagain]

I will say that a car would have to be basically free before I would buy a white car. I have an irrational dislike of white cars, don't even like to rent them.


OMG me too! I thought I was the only one. My kids even know that I can't stand em!

[Melbel]

We love our 2 black cars! I also drove a black Acura Integra before kids. We live in a hot humid climate and do not find the cars get hotter than other cars we have driven. I personally hate white cars and do not particularly like silver either.

[KrisM]

I'd buy a black car, no problem. It does show a bit more dirt, but my cars are generally dirty.

I would not buy white.

[g-mama]

I miss my VW Cabrio dearly too! We got rid of it when I had our first ds and I *still* miss that car 8 years later.

[DrSally]

I would. I used to covet a black Audi as my "dream car". That is, until an Oddy became my dream vehicle, haha.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I miss my VW Cabrio dearly too! We got rid of it when I had our first ds and I *still* miss that car 8 years later.

I'm going to jump on the Cabrio bandwagon, too. I had a red Cabriolet that always looked clean b/c it was! Then, I also got a new navy Cabrio and had them both for 6 mos or so until I could decide that a single girl having two VW convertibles was just ridiculous!

When DD was 2 mos old, something came over me and I sold it on CL and bought a CRV. Oh, how I miss it. There is a really old professor who lives nearby who has the same one, and we always waved to one another and chatted at the grocery.

My first (handmedown from parents) black car did get the nasty swirl marks and looked pitiful. What does a 16 yo know about waxing and the FL sun??

I would do it now, but only if I had a carport/garage and $$ to keep it clean.

[3blackcats]

I had always been programmed to not like black cars because of how harsh the winters were on them and how the salt made them look. Now that I live further south and we get snow maybe once/twice a year, I enjoy the look of a black car. And now I can get it washed without the worrying about the doors freezing shut :)

[mommy111]

Have a black car and love it. I guess the dirt doesn't really bother me as much, I just wait for the rain to wash it off :) And I live in winter country like you, Susan.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

We had a black truck, and it was just a big black truck. They auto body shop buffed out all the scratches when we went to sell it, but it did look pretty scratched up. It got hot in the summer, but I think all cars do. And the interior was tan, so it wasn't that bad.

After you get the van, please come pick me up and we'll get LJS. I love LJS! I like it best with "extra crunchies". Do they still do that? ....mmmmm....


Hi sweetie, I would love to eat LJS with you and, yes, they still do extra crunchies ( forget the hush puppies!)

[jamierush]

I love my Black 4 Runner, looks the best with my blonde hair :)

[american_mama]

You probably don't need another opinion, but I'm 50-50 on a black car. I bought ours because the price was right and there were few other color options. I thought heavily about the many downsides of black. Yes, it does get dirtier and yes, I go to car washes probably 5 times a year with it compared to once a year with other cars. It also shows scratches and pollen, a big issue in my region. I also keep mine on my driveway (no garage here) which increases the wear and tear.

On the up side, I don't think it gets hotter than our other cars and I live in the southeast. (Mine has a light interior.) And I often feel cool and more unique in it, succumbing to an attitude I originally mocked: "I may be driving a family trucker but it looks cool because it's black."

[AnnieW625]

DH has a navy blue Corolla and I love the color of the car but it does show scratches like nobody's business. When I was in the market for a car I would've had no problem with a black car, however DH did because of that. Had I gotten a 06 Accord that's what I would've preferred because black looks really sporty and classic esp. with the tan interior. However I ended up getting a great deal on my 06 Pilot and it's silver. Truthfully because of the price we got it for I wasn't going to be picky about the color (besides Grandma gold I didn't really care what color the car was).

I will say that silver is pretty easy to disguise dirt on so that's a huge plus for me.

[BillK]

Nope - no black cars for me ever again. Too much work.

[1964pandora]

I owned a black car and it was beautiful, but I would never own one again. It had a tan interior, but I swear to you that it was still sooooooooo hot compared to my other car. I have gone to silver now because I think it's a decent compromise to the sexy black.

[hez]

When we got married, we both had black cars. DH's vehicle now is dark blue, and I had a dark green sedan before my current silver minivan. Silver was the only option for me that had the options I liked 'cause I bought off the lot at the end of the model year...

Anyway, I loved my black car. It did get grungy in winter, but no worse than the green or blue vehicles we've owned. The silver, on the other hand, doesn't seem to show the winter salt/dirt as much on the paint.

I say go for the one you like, and don't stress about the dirt. Everyone else's cars get dirty, too.

[ThreeofUs]

I wouldn't. Salt around here is enough to make a black car look grey anyway, and that would get on my nerves.

But, if the car came in any color as long as it was black (to paraphrase Henry Ford), then I'd buy it! ;)

[ahrimie]

we have a black car; 2 in fact. i really like silver cars too though. to me, it depends on what kind of car it is to determine the color. boxier cars look better in black and curvier cars getter in silver. that's my opinion.

[SammyeGail]

I love my Black 4 Runner, looks the best with my blonde hair :)

Ahhh, thats what I'm missing, my blond highlights!! We currently have a black Expedition and a dark grey Mazda3, which is getting harder and harder to love my little putt-putt car with the twins being almost 3.5 and kicking me in the back. We live in TN, right in the South. They both have black interiors, I will never have a tan interior again (5 months was all we could stand). The Exp is ok since the windows are tinted except the front 2 and DH drives it. I got my Mazda's windows tinted for my birthday in Jan. This summer should be much nicer. I would like to get the front 2 windows tinted on the Expedition, we take it on big trips.

Before the kiddos we had a Mazda Miata in midnight blue with a black top, it was hot but so small it cooled off really quick, lol. I had a black 1990 Nissan Maxima back in the day I loved with a black interior. It didn't have tinted windows, I don't know how the previous owner drove it. It was so hot till I got the windows tinted, then it was great. It was my favorite car of all times, had a spoiler, looked so sharp, lol. That car received lots of TLC from me, I was in my early 20's.

When DH and I got our first real 'new' car we got an 04 Accord, in silver with black interior. Always wanted a silver Accord. Hot, Hot, Hot, as bad as the Maxima in all black without the tint! Kept a towel in there during the summer because the leather seats were so hot they would burn your skin. Had to trade it in for the Expedition when the twins were 5 months old, it got to the point where we could haul them or haul their stuff, lol! I have no desire to have a silver car again, it got boring really quick, just my opinion.

Our vehicles are not clean, we don't wash them regularly, take them to the car wash when they are really dirty. We've had 4 days of rain so right now they look pretty good ; ).

Sorry to ramble, but I love, love black cars. Depending on where you live would make up my mind. We've experienced snow/salt in the Expedition when went skiing in N.Carolina (they had like 2 feet overnight) and the SUV looked awful when we got home.

As for heat, tinting the windows makes the biggest difference, but some people don't like tinted windows. You can always get it done lighter. I like the way they look on silver, dark grey and black cars. White cars too but I will never own a white car. I don't think my car looks Ghetto at all, just a Mazda3 with tinted windows. It also helps with my migraines (prevention!) because I don't have any glaring sun in my eyes!!

Have fun in you new car and LJS!!

Samantha
mommy to 3 yr old twin boys
Noah, my little firecracker
Jonas, my sweetheart with autism

[infomama]

I've owned a black car and it looked awesome when it was clean and waxed. Dirty and salty..not so much. You may want to opt for the silver.

[Corie]

The only thing that annoys me about it is that it gets super-hot in the summer sun.



Regarding car color, you might want to read this:


http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_07-06-2008/Ask_Marilyn

Here is the question asked to Marilyn vos Savant.

Is it true that black cars get hotter in sunlight than light-colored cars?
—Howard Schulze, Temple, Tex.
The interior of a car with a black body may get a little hotter a little faster, but not enough to make a practical difference when selecting a color. The same goes for the interior color. To make a real difference, get tinted windows if they’re legal in your area.


FYI,
Marilyn vos Savant is in the Guiness Book of World Records. Apparently,
she has the Highest IQ. :)

[kozachka]

I don't mind dark cars. My previous car was "rotten cherry" red. And we have recently got a black car. Where we live summers are hot but short. I would not get a black car if I lived in California.

Silver cars are too common unless they have some interesting tint to them like blue and even than I am not sure.

[amldaley]

I have a black Jeep Liberty....but Jeeps look good dirty! It is actually not that hard to maintain - the worst is right now with yellow tree pollen all over.

[Tondi G]

My first car was black cause I had the choice of black and white.... chose black. Then I got handed down a car that was black. I have vowed to never own another black car! They get hot in the summer and they look dirty 5 minutes after you wash them!

I have a silver SUV and LOVE it! Our friend who owns an auto detailing company said to get silver/champagne if when we bought a new car! They stay looking clean the longest! LOL