Cars Painted In These Colors Lose The Most Value
A new car will lose, on average, 31% of its value over the course of its first three years on the road. Cars painted in some colors, though, lose a lot more.
We have bad news if you like your cars gilded in what is seemingly the most luxurious shade available. According to research performed by iSeeCars.com, cars that are painted gold lose more value after three years than cars of any other hue. And the difference between the best color (yellow) and the worst (sorry, gold fans) can cost owners more than $5,000 when it comes time to sell.
Car colors that lose the most value after three years |
|---|
1. Gold (34.4%) |
2. White (32.1%) |
3. Black (31.9%) |
4. Blue (30.9%) |
5. Gray (30.5%) |
A color’s popularity can have a major effect on its resale value. “White and black are the two most common car colors, which suggests plenty of people want them,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “But it also means those colors provide zero distinction in the used market, reducing their value and making it easy for buyers to shop around for the lowest-priced model in these shades.”
If your automotive requirements involve towing or hauling and you need a pickup truck, the color value chart varies a great deal from the overall numbers above. Red trucks lose the most value (28.8%), according to iSeeCars.com, followed by beige (28.7%), white (28.3%) and black (28.2%). SUV owners who bought black (33.6%), brown (33.4%), white (33.2%) or blue (33.1%) fared worse than the category average of 32.7%.
The average four-door sedan loses 29.9% of its initial value after three years, but – here we go again – gold sedans (37.9%) fare far worse. Green (33.8%), brown (31.9%), white (31.7%), blue (30.6%), and black (30.0%) also fall below the average mark.
Minivans lose more value on average than other vehicle types. The average sliding-door people mover loses 40.9% of its value after three years, with white (43.9%), gray (43.1%) and black (42.4%) losing the most. Two-door coupes in white (25.8%), green (25.4%), and black (24.9%) lose more than the segment’s average of 22.6%. Sun lovers who own silver (39.5%), black (33.7%), and white (33.5%) get hit at resale time, too.
This list was compiled using data from 1.2 million used cars from the 2022 model year. Listings from August 2024 through May 2025 were included in the results.
Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Growing up in a family obsessed with performance and as the son of an automotive engineer, Jeremy Korzeniewski has spent his entire life as a car enthusiast. Also an avid motorcyclist, Jeremy has spent the last two decades writing about the transportation industry and providing insights to many of the largest automotive publications in the world.
More by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Comments
Join the conversation
I'll take the minor % hit for a color that is different from every other car on the road. Who's to say that in four years everyone wants something different from black, white or gray. If that happens, it may be worth more to have a color. I guess you are consulting your crystal ball again. These articles are the reason that we live in a colorless world of cars.
Black and white are the most practical of all colors. Black is best for someone making a living in crime. White is best for 360 days/year of sun as experienced in Southwestern desert climates. Gold is Trump's color.