Have you ever wonder why white cars are much more expensive than any other vehicle color? If you look at different car manufacturers, white colored vehicles will cost you additional $300 to $500 depending on the size of the vehicle.
So the question is, why does white cars cost more?
I’ll give you my thoughts about this matter as most manufacturer simply doesn’t give us any solid explanation why they cost more.
Why White Cars are More Expensive?
The white color is often sold as a premium color in the automotive industry today. But this was just implemented in just recent years as you can freely choose white color without additional cost decades back.
Additional costs depends on the manufacturer. A “basic” white color is of course very cheap to produce but ages quite well unlike other colors. So some car brands don’t give significant attention to which color will be their premium choice.
Take for example the Mazda brand. For a decade now, their premium color isn’t white, but red which they call “passion” or “soul” red.
So what makes car manufacturers to ask for more moolah for a white color instead of including that additional cost to the total vehicle price?
I have some theories and here are my take:
White Color Costs More to Produce
Yes, white generally cost car manufacturers more compared to lets say red, silver, black or gray. Why? Because white requires more coats of paint, base and other necessary coats during the whole painting process.
One such example is the “pearl” white type of paint that is common in cars these days. Why does this type of white color so expensive?
Pearl white paints are usually sprayed using three-stage system that is composed of a solvent-based undercoat, water-based pearlescent ground color, and an acrylic clear coat. This produces a glossy and resilient finish that promotes a sense of depth within the paintwork.
White Paint is Easier to Repair and Lasts Longer
This is a no brainer as white paint is much more easier to repair and offer car owners cheaper maintenance in the long term. How?
Well white paint lasts longer than any other car colors. This is because white cars doesn’t heat up as much when exposed to direct sunlight. This also means that white paint won’t easily crack and fade like other paint colors especially black and silver.
White also requires less cleaning as dark colored paints especially black, shows the dirt more which makes your car look more filthy after a light rain or just parking it for an hour or two.
And with the exception of pearlized white paints, repainting a basic white paint poses less challenge compared to other stock dark colored car paints are very hard to match.
Speaking of Pearl White Cars
Basic white paint doesn’t have pearl or metallic coats in them, making them cheaper to produce. But pearl white paint is a different type of white and as I mentioned above, will cost more to produce.
What is the catch? Body damage and paint scratches are not easily visible in basic white paint, so they don’t give manufacturers so much headache when selling such white cars with basic white paint.
But as I’ve said, most car paints today don’t just use basic paints, but pearlized or metallized to make their brands stand out.
And pearlized white are very hard to repair and will cost car manufacturers more if scratched, scrapes or chips inside their factory or warehouse (which they do). So to ease them further headache, they charge every customers additional charges for that precious white colored car.
White Cars Have Higher Resale Value
Don’t get me wrong, the market value of a particular car or vehicle don’t fluctuate due to color. So basically there shouldn’t have any debate here. But why most car agents and resellers value white cars more?
I believe because of these factors – popularity, and they are simply the most sellable color.
Yes, if you’ve experienced shopping for a used car, you probably looking for a white car right? Why? Because white cars are the least objectionable color, making them highly enticing to car buyers.
Every car brands have white as their premium color so buyers will initially look for white cars first before settling for other available colors.
And most car traders admits that bland colors are three times harder to sell compared to white colored vehicles. And since pearlized white is now branded as premium, this adds to the reasons why buyers choose white.
White Can Fit with Any Car Tradition
When I say tradition I mean how car enthusiasts treats their rides.
Whether you like a clean, executive look car, or a very sporty, rugged, and aggressive looking car, white can fit to either of these automobile set ups.
White is a very neutral color and goes with anything actually. You can fit any colored aftermarket mags with your white car and will still fit perfectly.
Bigger White Cars have Better Road Presence
Without a doubt! White cars especially those big SUVs and trucks, have better road presence compared to other colors in the market.
Whether driving in broad daylight or at night, white will give you more visibility on the road which also means that you are less likely to get involved in any type of accidents.
So probably, car manufacturers take this fact into account that’s why they charge more for whites cars in their lineups.
Summary
There you have it! These are just my opinions though I believe that these reasons are on point and are highly likely the culprits why white cars are much more expensive than other available car colors out there.
You probably have your own theories why car manufacturers asks more money with regards to white cars right? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below!
