I've had my Spectra Blue Mica which is the same as Blue Ribbon for over a year. I would very likely buy the same color again. I don't regret it at all. It was my favorite at the time and still is fav color. Any car gets dirty, especially if you drive it in wet conditions even right after washing it. A dirty silver car probably looks dull when it's dirty and maybe it hides the dirt more, but it's still dirty. The car appearing dirty doesn't bother me so much. It's the hour and a half to do a good wash and dry job that is challenging. Whatever you decide, promise you won't run the car through a low quality automatic car wash, 'specially the kind with those big brushes, eeeeek.
This is probably the best advice. Before purchasing, I kinda liked Barcelona Red, for someone elses car, but I wouldn't own it. Doesn't suit me. One more thing to the original poster ... be sure to see the colors in bright sunlight too. They have metal flake which changes the tone quite a bit in direct sunlight. The blue is maybe a wee bit boring on a cloudy day, but wow does is pop in sunlight or under street lights at night.
You have to go with you gut ultimately but here's my opinion if it helps: I was in the same boat, except picking btwn silver and winter gray. I thought I wanted silver because it was practical but I kept finding myself drawn to the winter gray. So I went with winter gray and then wondered if I made the right decision. Well, I ended up needing a rental car before my car was ready for pick up and the dealership gave me a silver 2010 prius. I thought, oh no, it's a sign I should have gone with the silver. But after a few days of driving the silver I found it mundane. Don't get me wrong, I love silver, but there's so many silver Prius' out there. Plus, personally, I HATE the misty interior color and that alone would make me go with the other option. The dark gray interior is not that dark at all. Go wild and go blue!
I went stock colour black. BUT after I've seen a Prius in Pearl Metallic I regret not able to see the car with all the cars before I bought my car!!! I LOVE THE PEARL Metallic. Personally I don't like the red or the blue or the Silver for the Prius. Black looks awesome but the stock paint doesn't seem to be very good (thin and cheap). Sigh. I wish I can change my colour now.
I think the silver looks great on the 2010, especially with the solar roof. However, silver is such a common color and your car will look like any other color. I had a silver 2006 Prius and didn't like it very much at all. I found it too light and never really glowed, even after a lot of primping and polishing. The blue is a much more head-turning color, especially in the sun. As for showing dirt, it's true that the silver is better at hiding dirt. My 2010 is Winter Grey and close up you can see any dirt or dust that has accumulated on the car. However, it really shines after polishing and continues to shine from a distance even when it's a bit dirty. I don't think the blue will show too much dirt. Have you seen the Prius in both colors? As previous posters have advised, go with the one that makes you happier when you look at it.
In my case I would choose Silver+Dark Gray, the exterior color looks always new and hides dirts pretty good, Dark Gray is always safe choice for dirt hiding. But if you already have a silver car, then I think you would go for a Blue+Dark Gray choice, the Blue is indeed also a beautiful looker I think, though you will need extra washing. Another choice I hope you will consider is the Blizzard Pearl exterior, I just saw some picts and totally blown away with its fascinating color, very appealing especially if where you live have alot of sun .
I initially wanted the silver but was also drawn to the Red and the White. I have owned 3 blue cars so I am kind of over that color...anyway since my dealer was out-of-stock for the Prius II I asked him to suprise me with any color other than Black (My experience is that Black cars show scratches and swirl marks even with gentle care). Anyway I was presented with a Winter Grey example that I would not have picked initially but I do like and boy do I recieve constant compliments because it is unusual. Sometimes when you cannot decide it is best to let and "expert" pick for you.
I had to give three color choices, waited 6 weeks, and ended up with my first choice, Red with dark grey interior. I like it more the longer I have it. This may sound weird, but I didn't like seeing the blue paint on the inside of the doors when they where open on the blue one. It didn't go well with the interior. I'm thinking that's just me. I like the color on the outside of the car, just not how it looks from the inside. My car is always full of muddy paws and boots, so the dark grey interior was a must. My friend told me it just didn't seem like my car until the inside of all the windows were covered with nose prints. As for red getting more tickets, I tried to weigh the supposed better visibility of red (therefore less likely to be hit) vs. being noticed by the police. I have had 2 speeding tickets in my 30 some years of driving, and they were both in red vehicles. Then, At least half of the vehicles I have owned have been red. I agree with the person who said it is probably a combination of the driver as well as the car.
I wanted a light color for safety (more visible at night) and to reflect more solar heat (So. Cal. is often hot). My wife really liked the Bliz. Pearl, and so did I. I am happy with this light color, but it does show the dirt specks easily.