Trucks are supposed to be "working" utility vehicles. Everybody expects to see a little dirt on a truck. Show me a really clean truck and I'll show you a wimpy driver with clean fingernails and possibly a manicure. Dirty automobiles, well that is another story........ My 2 cents.. Keith
NOTHING is more elegant and nicer than a CLEAN, black car. With that said and done, it's a real chore to keep a black car clean. Someone here said to bring it to a dealer that gives out free washes. that's cool. didn't think of that. i'm gonna post a picture of my car not for arrogance, but to show you what hard work does.
People have their preferences I love how my black 2010 Prius IV with Solar Sunroof looks! Even when it is dirty! It gives me something fun to do on a cool Saturday morning. My dad spent every other Saturday morning washing his black cars and I helped him. I cherish those memories. You can make your own choices. Others will choose differently. In the long run, what makes you happy is more important. You are no less nutty than the rest of us Prius nuts!
I had a black car once. It showed all dirt, scratches, swirl marks (if any). It's one of the sharpest colors, I don't think I'd want to own another one
Washing is obvious, but the least of your concerns. Swirl marks will get progressively worse and in the right light, the whole car eventually looks awful. To avoid it you need to carefully hand wash it every time, and carefully wax it when needed. On top of that, black will oxidize (get chalky looking) faster than any other color. Nothing is better looking than a clean, shiny black car - but it's way more work than most people realize. We had a black Audi TT, it was a lot of work to keep it in good condition, never again...
i agree w/ this. or, learn to not care about some dirt on a car. -- btw, my first choice was black, but since our other car is black, the wife said no... went w/ the closest to it - winter gray
Another thing to consider is heat. A dark car soaks up a lot of heat, with black being the worst choice for this -- more so than any other color. Heat is bad for the following reasons: 1. Heat tends to reduce the service life of electronics gear -- and the Prius is full of electronics. 2. The high voltage battery does not like excessive heat and performance may drop off, with a possible reduction in the battery's service life. 3. More heat creates a greater load for the air conditioning system, forcing it to draw more power from the high voltage battery, reducing fuel economy. That's where the Blizzard Pearl color offers a significant advantage, since white reflects a significant portion of that heat.
Generally red will oxidize faster than black. Red is one of the least colorfast colors. Most of the other criticisms are true, but who cares. Black is still the only real color for a Prius. Tom
Second that. It also helps that it's the 2nd rarest color (after Sandy Beach Metallic). At least we don't look like every other Prius out there (especially Blizzard Pearl).
Great discussion and perfect timing. My first choice was silver...the dealer called yesterday and said I can have a Black Prius V with ATP (the package I want) in a month (after 3 months of waiting). I've never had a Black car before, and I'm very nervous. I keep telling myself that I'll have the car for years, so waiting a few extra months shouldnt be so bad (for a Silver), but they dont know when they'll get one. I'm going this afternoon to see a black 2010 (not mine) for a sanity check. Errr...its only a color, but it's frustrating. I dont want to regret my purchase.
If you like black, get it. You wouldn't want to regret later every time you see a black Prius on the road. Maintaining is fun too because it gives you the most reward after a job well done.
Okay, I kept my truck really clean. But it was a small pick-up and my first "new" vehicle. I did use it for hauling when I had to haul, but I was paranoidly careful. At the time, I was a young kid, and it was either the entry level pick-up, an ford escort, or a geo metro. At the time, the Pick-Up seemed to make the most sense. I will admit it's purchase was primarily as a vehicle not necessarily as a utility. As a single young person, the utility was just a bonus. I don't know how I feel about the accusation that I'm a whimpy driver with clean fingernails and a manicure. LOL...I'm just kidding. I know what you're saying. I have a "jeep" friend and he has bought more than 1 over the years used, and the nice thing is with a jeep there is no expectation of it looking clean. Infact, dirt and a few dents on a Jeep are considered badges of honor. Did I tell you I put a sunroof in my truck? It was nice. Well it's off to the spa for a quick cuticle waxing! Then back home to watch the latest Toyota Prius commercial.
I have the dark blue which looks amazing after washing for about a week (it'a garaged too). Then the dust starts showing at certain angles / light. On the flip side, dark colors let you know when they need cleaning. All cars get dirty. I might be interested in Silver on the next car. I do like the dark blue in bright sunlight though.
having owned a gen2 black and several other black cars...black is beautiful baby!!!....but a real pain in the butt to keep sharp and clean.
Hi The Electric Me, Sorry It took me so long to get back to you, I was at The Spa myself having a full-body exfoliation and getting the ends of my gray hair silvered.... Over the years, I've discovered that one of the best ways to clean my fingernails before a big date is to hand wash and wax my car. The automobile wax really makes my fingernails shine. Good to see that somebody else here on PriusChat has a sense of humor. Keith
I owned a black Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix) and hated it because it always looked dirty. When it was spotless clean it was GORGEOUS, but rarely was clean and was a b**ch to clean. In 2007 I bought a magnetic grey TCH and loved it....owned it for three years before trading it for a 2010 Prius V in winter grey. Love the new car as well. This color grey does a great job at hiding dust and dirt.
My 05 Prius is black. I had a black Camry. My 2010 will be black. I love black. I suggest getting the paint protection, that will help. To be honest, the chips you get through normal driving will be much worse than any harm you will inflict through the car washing process. As for frequency, I live in a wet climate. I don't wash my car all that often, certainly no more so than I did with silver, or red cars. Enjoy.
