Am I nuts to want a black one?

[PriusRos]

Originally Posted by rcarsonk

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.

Good to know that the winter grey doesn't show off dirt as much as the black. That's probably going to be the color of my new car.

[pdxrose]

Originally Posted by Dondoh

My wife and I, after an exhaustive process, have decided to get a Prius II.
The colors we like are black or possibly gray.

Here's the thing...
We've never owned a black car.
My wife has never put a sponge on a car in her life.
I wash the cars in a spray bay carwash (with the pressure washing wand thingy) every once in a while -- well to be honest, very rarely.

Are we nuts to get a black car? And if so would gray be much better?
I suspect I may not care if the car looks terrific, just as I don't care if my current maroon Ford truck looks good.

Am I wrong? Will black force me into a life of car-washing drudgery?

Yes. I have a black (flat not metalic) 2008 Honda CRV and it looks great until you get close. The area above the door handles are one big scratchathon even though I have short nails and use the key fob. They appear just from touching the area. I have not had a swirl problem, perhaps because I had the dealer put on a protectant (that has kept it really shiny but no fingerprints). Also, I use a car wash that touches since no touchless around here. Most Prius owners on this site say don't. So if you don't plan to baby it, I would get silver or DP. Too soon to know if the metalic in my blue will make it easlier to care for...will follow-up in future.

[Tlynch]

Picked up my black II last night and it looked amazing (til it rained today). I knew it was gonna be a bear to keep it looking good but its stunning when its clean.

I say if you want it - go for it.

[1SMUGLEX]

I think it looks great in black.

[timo27]

Maybe I'm biased and just deluding myself, since mine is black, but I like it. All the comments about keeping it clean are true, though.

Regarding temperature, I'm not knowledgeable enough regarding the tech stuff to weigh in on whether or not it's an issue with electronics/battery longevity. Regarding comfort, though, I can conclusively say that the *inside* color matters more, for me anyway, as I am not particularly inclined to sit bare-naked on the hood on a sunny 95 degree day . My last two cars were metallic grey and silver, respectively, with very dark interiors. I got the Prius with the light grey interior. Despite the huuuuge front windshield, the interior stays a lot cooler than the previous rides. A *lot*.

Bottom line, get what you want; you'll like it.

[32kcolors]

Originally Posted by timo27

My last two cars were metallic grey and silver, respectively, with very dark interiors. I got the Prius with the light grey interior. Despite the huuuuge front windshield, the interior stays a lot cooler than the previous rides. A *lot*.

That's a good point. A light-colored car with dark interior may heat up more than a dark-colored car with light interior, so getting a dark interior will defeat the purpose of staying cool. However, a dark-colored car with light interior will heat up more than a light-colored car with the same interior.