Looking for a car that won't lose value quickly? Choose this color | Carscoops

      A recent study sheds light on which car colors maintain their value better and which ones depreciate most rapidly.

      This research reveals insights into the colors of vehicles that are most valued in the used car market and which shades tend to lead to faster depreciation.

      The top three car colors that retain their resale value have remained unchanged since 2017.

      Whether you own a luxury vehicle or a used compact car, no one desires their automobile to lose value as soon as they drive away. A portion of this is tied to rarity, and some of it relates to long-term reliability. However, one aspect that may not be considered is the impact of color.

      Indeed, the color you choose can affect how much your vehicle depreciates over time, with some colors performing notably better than others.

      Depreciation has been more significant for cars in recent years compared to the pandemic period. On average, used cars lose approximately 31 percent of their original MSRP after three years, as depicted in a new study that examines not just dollar amounts but also how much your color choice could influence your vehicle’s long-term value.

      The study indicates that yellow, orange, and green cars depreciate more slowly than other colors. After three years, green vehicles lost only 26.3 percent of their value, orange ones fared even better with a 24.4 percent decrease, while yellow cars did the best by losing just 24 percent.

      “Yellow and orange have consistently ranked among the best colors for retaining value since iSeeCars started tracking depreciation by color,” noted iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Although not extremely popular, these colors have more demand than supply, which elevates their value on the used market.”

      TOP CAR COLORS THAT HOLD THEIR VALUE AFTER 3 YEARS

      For those seeking bargains in the used market, there’s a silver lining with the colors black, white, and gold. These shades experienced depreciation rates of 31.9 percent, 32.1 percent, and 34.4 percent, respectively. This translates to an average dollar value loss ranging from $15,381 to $16,679.

      “White and black are the two most frequently chosen car colors, indicating a high demand for them,” said Brauer. “However, this also means that they lack uniqueness in the used car market, which lowers their value and makes it easier for buyers to find lower-priced options in these colors.”

      Interestingly, the trend shifts when we examine trucks, where orange, green, and gray are the top three colors for value retention over three years. Orange trucks saw only a 16 percent decrease in value, whereas white, beige, and red trucks had the highest depreciation rates, losing between 28.3 to 28.8 percent of their value.

      The broader vehicle market shows that the overall trends have not significantly shifted over time. In both 2022 and 2017, yellow and orange were the leading colors for value retention, with purple moving up to third place in 2022, improving from twelfth in 2017. In 2017, green held the third place for resale value, indicating that nearly a decade later, the results for the top three colors remain consistent.

      Therefore, while color choice may not be the primary factor in your next vehicle purchase, it is a consideration worth noting.