The achromatic exterior paint hues – white, black, gray, and silver – still prevail as the most frequently purchased in the U.S. used car market, with their popularity increasing as time goes on.
The study by iSeeCars compares sales of used cars from one year to five years old in 2018 and in 2023 in order to determine the changes between half a decade ago and now.
According to the study’s findings the quartet of paint colors, which iSeeCars refers to as grayscale colors, account for a whopping 78.9 percent of used cars in 2023. While white, black, gray, and silver also accounted for the great majority of used cars five years ago as well, the number is actually up slightly from 77.2 percent in 2018.
Turning to individual colors, white has become the number one used car color for 2023, supplanting black, which was most popular in 2018. Gray remains in third place, but gained about 4 percent over 2018, while silver’s popularity is declining. Silver now accounts for 11.7 percent of used cars versus 15.1 percent during 2018.
Among the non-grayscale colors, blue is rapidly overtaking silver. Blue was in sixth place behind red in 2018, but has since surpassed red and, at 9.7 percent, is only two percent of market share away from replacing silver in fourth place.
While grayscale used cars are most common both before and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the study reports they haven’t gained the most in average price. Instead, beige, yellow, and green are the used vehicle colors with the biggest price gains since 2018. Beige used car prices skyrocketed 103.3 percent over the past five years, while yellow gained 85.6 percent and green added 75.1 percent.
The overall average price gain for used cars of all colors was 50.4 percent, according to the study. Out of the four grayscale colors, only gray is marginally above the average by about three percentage points. Black, gray, and silver used car units all registered below-average price increases, commanding between 46 percent and 48 percent more than they did in 2018.
In another recent study, iSeeCars reported affordable used cars are rare in 2023, with just 12.4 percent currently priced costing under $20,000 versus 49.3 percent in 2019. Among GM nameplates, used Chevy Silverado 1500 trucks now cost $40,359, up 36.2 percent , while used Chevy Malibu prices rose 29.5 percent to $20,372 and the Chevy Equinox increased 26.3 percent to $22,685 in 2023.
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Comments
When manufacturers only offer these colors on new vehicles, then that’s what colors used vehicles will eventually be. We don’t need a study to figure this out. The color palette is pretty boring on a lot of vehicles lately.
And if other colors are available on a model, either dealers don’t stock them and/or there’s an upcharge for the color. I refuse to buy one of the 4, except maybe white, next time. We have silver and gray now.
The manufacturers offer many colours. It’s usually dealer sales managers and teams who primarily order white, silver and black, because of some silly notion that they have the highest resale value and cost a pittance less.
Likely a sales person started that years ago, although in hotter climates it is typical to go with lighter colours.
FWIW, since we always plan on long term ownership, by the time we are ready to sell, the vehicles are old enough that the colour doesn’t matter to would be purchasers.
Blue, red and other colours are suddenly popular again.
I purchased a Dynamic Blue Metallic (Powzinga Met-1) 2023 GMC Sierra Elevation from the dealership I previously worked at as a technician for many years.
Back around June 2022, I told the sales manager that I would buy a new truck, but not white, silver or black. I would consider either blue or red but not until they had one on the lot. They ordered 4 trucks in for stock, 3 blue and 1 red.
FWIW, there’s always a surcharge for metallic paint colours over the base, just like any other build options. In the big scheme of things, $495 CAD wasn’t much to get the colour I wanted. I got a discount anyway.
The manager ordered the truck that I wanted, as a stock unit and called me as soon as it landed along with 2 other blue trucks and a red one, all with similar builds. I preferred the blue over red, but would have taken red over any base colour.
I drove all three trucks and purchased the one that I originally selected as my preference.
The same person who is unwilling to purchase a vehicle in a colour that they would prefer over base colours, is often that very same person who just has to have the latest iPhone at completely stupid money! Human nature is a funny trait.
We all have different perspectives and priorities that make us unique. What we do may not make sense to others and likewise with weird stuff that others do by choice. It’s fine to have different opinions and desires. That’s what makes us different.
I never understood the mentality or concept of trading vehicles every couple of years for no real reason.
I still have a ’71 GMC C2500 that I’ve owned since 1983, that is now retired since the 2023 Sierra was purchased. The ’71 was still serving for trips to the dump or Home Depot while awaiting restoration. I paid $1550 for it in 1983. A running wreck is now $5000 minimum.
A new white ’15 Terrain replaced our ’99 Venture as my wife’s daily driver when the Venture transaxle broke a band years ago at 160,000 km (100,000 miles). I repaired that, but then kept it as a family spare.
I purchased a 2003 Arrival Blue Cavalier Z24 4dr sedan to commute, that now has 386,000km (240,000 miles). It’s still a great little commuter, but the paint is getting a little scruffy, thanks to the stuff that is sprayed on the roads in the winter.
The 2023 Sierra Elevation will likely be my last vehicle purchase, since we maximize the use of our vehicle, instead of trading all the time for no good reason other than wanting that new car smell.
Instead of retiring, I worked a little longer to be able to pay cash for the new truck, that I aim to keep for as long as possible.
Enjoyed you comment and wanted to add I needed a new truck in 2022 and my normal dealer only had I fully size GMC SIERRA 1500 SLT LIMITED missing several options due to parts restraints. It is now finally complete I only bough because It was only one the had. It is Satin Steel Metalic grey and light interior. I didvtest drive a 2024 LTZ SIlverado in RED that was really nice. I thought aboutvtradingbtill hevtold me the Silverado was 68k no discount. Then he gave me an offer of 46k on my 22 Sierra with only 5800 miles on it. So I will drive the GMC till warranty expires or I die. At 77 years old who knows. I’ve always maintained my own vehicles but cannot now due to back problems. Glad you are happy and hope the new uplevel works out. I wanted the RED 2024 but not at 22k difference. It had the 6.2 which I don’t need. The 5.3 is plenty peppy and decent gas millage . It gets 22 on trips and 500 mile range. Good enough for me.. love the pro tailgate on GMC.
My dealer keeps offering to buy my 2019 Equinox Premier. Last offer was $20k and change without seeing it. It has about 32k miles and has been a good car. It looks nice, is comfortable and gets great mileage, why trade? My 2012 Silverado just turned 85k, I will probably replace it first. But the 09 Pontiac G-6 has to go to the granddaughter first next year to make room. It has 99k miles. All purchased new and all been great American vehicles with no major issues!
Carl, why would you trade in the Equinox when it still fits your needs and is barely broken in? It’s only 4 years old and earning its keep just fine.
The same for the 2012, since those trucks just keep on running and still don’t look dated. Trade that in and a GM dealership tech will buy it and drive it for another 10 years!
Of course, if you live in the rust belt that can make a huge difference in perspective.
Agree, that was my point, no need to trade, they are all great vehicles. I will let my granddaughter have the G-6 next year and will likely buy a new Silverado or Traverse, but keep the Equinox and old Silverado. I like having a solid backup vehicle available. I never trade in, always keep them at least 10 years then sell privately or pass to family members.
Hi Bill. The only thing my truck was missing with “later retrofit”, was the 120V module. I bought the truck in May and two months later the module arrived.
COVID really did a hard stop on the supply chain and even now it is in recovery mode for all except low volume manufacturers.
There were extremely few 5.3L trucks around at all when I began looking and with lifter issues being common, the techs I deal with advised me to take a good long look at the 2.7L L3B, since it has a high mechanical reliability record and has plenty of power.
The 5.3L has 355 hp/383 lbsft torque, compared to the 2.7L with 310 hp/430 lbsft torque. Minor differences in the big scheme of things and both engines get the job done just fine.
I procrastinated and finally drove L3B trucks and found the 4 cylinder turbo meets my needs and gets great fuel mileage, despite what the naysayers predicted. Working on the turbo models in the ’80s, I was a bit gun shy, but turbo systems are vastly superior now to in those days.
I purchased the acoustic carpeted rear wheelhouse liners back in June and installed those to keep the inner fender wells from being grit blasted in the winter and to tidy up the rear wheel house aesthetics.
The skid plate package I ordered was on back order to the vendor and finally arrived last week. I installed those first thing this morning.
The truck had a plastic front skid/deflector plate, but I wanted the aluminum one.
The 2023 Elevation lost the Pro tailgate option for a while, so mine has the manual gate with electronic lock and release. The tailgate is very light since it plus the hood, and doors are aluminum.
My truck built without the park assist, which I didn’t really want or need anyway. The tech in me knows that it’s just something that will likely need fixing later on at some point.
I purchased and installed some sturdy aluminum AM running boards. I’ve never been a fan of running boards, but trucks are taller these days and my wife commented that it was tall for her to enter. I must admit that entry and exit is a breeze.
I purchased an inexpensive soft tonneau cover on Amazon, but received a free upgrade to a more expensive model. I also acquired in trade a hard tonneau, but the soft one takes less than a minute to completely remove if needed. I’ll store the hard tonneau for later on.
BTW, that was a ridiculous low ball valuation for a trade in on an almost new truck! Wave and honk the horn every time you drive by the dealership.
Just a few years ago, the dealership where I worked, would have had trucks in every possible configuration and colour, since it was a commercial dealership with requirements to maintain a specific fleet available for purchase. There was never any need to special order a vehicle, since we always had row after row after row to match any desire.
It’s been a whole lot different in more recent years and through COVID, so any of us who purchased a truck off the lot had to be a little more flexible in our want list of options, or be willing to wait for a special order build.
The main difference between a 2022 Limited and a 2022 Refresh model (2022.5) is that the LTD is a J21 engineering year build with Global “A” electrical architecture, compared the the J22 engineering year build on the 2022.5, which is Vehicle Intelligence Platform (VIP) electrical architecture.
The VIP architecture is new enough that not all are trained or fully conversant with diagnostics.
My truck is a J23 build with VIP, but since I’m completely familiar with VIP and do my own maintenance and diagnostics, that’s fine.
To the owner/operator, there’s no visible functional differences, but to the technicians the changes are many fold, requiring a revised diagnostic approach on the vehicle networks side of things.
At 71, this will be my last new vehicle purchase and I plan on keeping it.
Bill, continue enjoying your truck as I do too, while others wait patiently for theirs to be shipped!
Exactly Carl. Same here with a back up vehicle in case family needs one.
Trading in “old reliable” for a pittance in return, or it’s value to be hidden in an overinflated purchase price doesn’t make any sense to me.
It’s the same as those folks who just have to have the latest iDevice and trade up for a low ball value, just because.
James says it all………. GM charges extra for any color but white on most of its vehicles. So white should be
the number 1 seller both new and used. 30 years ago, 60% of the Reattas were either white or red.
but your had 4 interior color choices.
Today if you have a interior color choice it probably cost you extra even when you are paying $50K for a vehicle.
I too will be driving my present cars (purchased new) until they die under me.
After 1 year and 5 months I finally have all my my features that were not available in May of 2022. Installed and working for now on my 2022 GMC SIERRA 1500SLT LIMITED. Great job GMC. THANKS
JUST HOPE NOTHING BREAKS
THINKING ABOUT TRADING FOR UPLEVEL BUT IM HAPPY FOR NOW.
Bill, what does this have to do with the color of vehicles ?
They forgot that 90% of the interiors are black on black.
if manufactures allowed you select other model colors for a upcharge, id 100% do it & have a Amplify orange HD truck
Last month, we bought a new car. I told my better half they could pick any color as long as it was not White, Black, Silver or Grey. We got a green Charger.