2021’s Most Popular Car Colors

Like anything else, interior and exterior car color trends can go in and out of fashion, with some tried and true favorites that have withstood the test of time.

The Top Three Car Colors of 2021

What car colors are trending in 2021? According to Kelley Bluebook, the top three car colors this year are:

• Dark Seltzer, a dark gray color
• Redolent Red, a reddish-brown color
• Abstraction Blue, a darker blue color

Gray is also expected to remain a popular choice, along with the classics: black and white.

This year, experts find that there is a bigger emphasis on texture or subtle details versus drastic color pallet changes. For example, cars may feature more textured-looking paint by including sparkles or specks.

Which Car Paint Colors are Easiest to Maintain?

Car color can be taken as a remark upon the driver’s personality, and many people want their car color to match their own personal tastes. However, when choosing a car color – either on a new car or for a paint job for an old car – it’s also important to consider maintenance. Some colors are easier to keep looking great than others.

For example:

• Black looks great when it’s fresh and clean – but it can soon look dirty from grime or water marks.
• White looks great like black does – and is equally hard to keep clean.
• Gray is the easiest to keep clean and hides minor dirt easily, and silver is a close second.
• Other colors may hide certain types of mess (for example, yellow can hide pollen) but not others (mud would show easily on a yellow car).
• Blue, while rising in popularity, also doesn’t do a good job of hiding anything, so it can be difficult to keep clean.

If you’re considering a custom or unique color for your car’s paint, you may want to consider whether the color will be easy to match, should you ever need a touch up. Certain colors can be a challenge for auto body technicians to tint accurately, which could risk discoloration in areas where they’ve repainted. Specialized paint finishes can also create challenges if you need to repaint the car down the road. This doesn’t mean that you should avoid unique colors and finishes; the key is finding the right auto body shop near you that has the expertise to get the job done right if you ever need your vehicle repainted.

Find An Auto Body Shop Near You to Repaint Your Car

How do you know when it’s time to paint your car? Things like hail damage or rust could mean it’s time for a paint job, assuming paintless dent repair isn’t an option. If you decide to paint your car, make sure you take the time to research the process and get quotes from several different shops.

When you’re ready, Carwise.com is here to help you. From real customer reviews to shop certifications, hours and locations, Carwise’s search tool can help you choose the right auto body or collision repair shop from more than 21,000 shops nationwide.