What factors should you take into consideration? Here’s what we think…
1. Personality
Well first and foremost obviously, you have to think about what sort of person you are? What are your preferences? Are you an understated personality? Maybe silver or white may be right for you. Are you a flamboyant, out-there person? You might want to try yellow or orange!
2. The Car
Some cars look wonderful in certain colours, and others look terrible. There is a matte black BMW X6 driving around Nairobi somewhere. It looks wonderful. Very mean. A matte black Vitz however might not have the same effect. The Ford Focus ST is available in a bright orange and it looks stunning. A bright orange Premio? Hmm…maybe not!
3. The Budget
Can you afford what you would like to have? This can be looked at from two different perspectives:
Firstly, some cars are more expensive in certain colours than in others from the source markets. For example; a black Toyota Premio is likely to be fairly significantly more expensive than a white Toyota Premio. In fact, most cars bought from Japan are more expensive in black. Thus if you have your heart set on black, be prepared to pay more.
Secondly; Cost of Personalization. You may decide an electric blue Allion is perfect. But the Allion does not come in electric blue as standard. So getting one would entail buying another colour and repainting it. Do you have the budget to ensure this is done well? Think about it.
4. Resale Value/Popularity
Unless you plan to hold your car forever, it may make sense to see what is popular or desirable on the market. A white Toyota Corolla will probably be harder to sell than a silver Toyota Corolla and may very well fetch less. A black Toyota Corolla will be more popular than a silver one on the used market and might well fetch a little more; but remember, from the point above, you probably paid more for the black car so this is something you have to weigh up.
5. How Do You Drive/Where Do You Drive
Not a huge consideration but cars tend to have many layers of paint. There is clear coat, which gives the car its shine/luster; under that is the colour paint and under that undercoat(s). The undercoat is usually light coloured so if you have a dark coloured car even small scratches will appear very pronounced. Conversely if you have a silver or white car, small scratches will be less noticeable. If you frequently drive on narrow roads where your car gets scratched by plants, it may be worth considering a light coloured car.
6. Interior Colour
Personally, I think the interior looks best if it contrasts with the exterior. So if you choose a light coloured exterior, try a dark coloured interior. If you get a black car, a light or beige interior really looks great.
All in all, colour is a personal choice. Some people are very passionate about it. Most are not really. In Kenya we tend to buy used so it is often the case that we end up getting what is most readily available. However if you want to stand out, a unique coloured vehicle is a great way of doing so.
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