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What colo(u)r should I choose?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Bos, Aug 5, 2008.

  1. Bos

    Bos New Member

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    I intend to buy a Prius in October here in the UK.
    Can any existing owners help me choose a colo(u)r, please?
    Available over here are:
    Standard:
    Pure White
    Astral Black

    Metallic (£1,350 - about $2,610 - extra):
    Tyrol Silver
    Decuma Grey
    Vermilion Red
    Aztec Bronze
    Verbier Green
    Glacier Blue


    I'm thinking...

    • Most of the metallic colours look pretty insipid, and frankly, apart from the red,seem much the same. The green's not very green, the blue's not very blue...
    • I'm not sure what I get for my 2 1/2 grand by having metallic paint. Is it more durable? Does it show grime less? Is it easier to keep clean?
    • White should reflect radiation, so be cooler in Summer and not radiate (i.e. waste) heat in the Winter. On the other hand presumably it shows every speck of dirt.
    • Black should both absorb and radiate radiation maximally, but seems a nice utilitarian colo(u)r.
    I've never bought a car from new before, so choosing a colour has never been an issue. Any views/experiences?
     
  2. A strolling player

    A strolling player Junior Member

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    Practically speaking, white is the best colour. It's coolest, it's one of the two cheapest, and it's one of the easiest to keep looking clean.

    Not sure where you heard that white shows dirt. My previous car was a white '96 Camry, and it was hard to tell whether I'd washed it or not.

    Black, on the other hand, is nigh impossible to keep looking clean. My dad has a black Infiniti G35 which is rarely washed and you know it. It's covered in dirt and is usually spotted because of rain. It is an unfortunate circumstance that (in my opinion) black is the best looking colour on nearly any car.

    My pick is Decuma Grey, which looks about the same as the Magnetic Gray available in the US. I think it's the car's best colour, and if it'd been introduced before '07 I'd have likely waited for a car in this colour rather than snagging the only one in the New Orleans area with the option package I wanted. I ended up with a silver car which is a nonoffensive but boring colour. It does take a number of months before you notice dirt, though, which is good.

    I'd go with grey, but if practicality is your concern I'd go with white.
     
  3. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    It is also much easier to touch up the inevitable paint chips and small scratches on a white car.

    Its very difficult to match the metallic paint when touching up a small chip or scratch.

    White also is less likely to show swirls (circular scratches) while black is the worst for showing any defects.
     
  4. catgic

    catgic Mastr & Commandr Hybrid Guru

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  5. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Hey, bos, welcome to PriusChat.

    You're lucky you get to choose the colour. Around here, the waiting list is several months long, and people will take whatever car is in.

    Do have any links to show us what those colours look like? Are they the same in each market, but with different names?



    PS There's no ( ) in colour. ;)
     
  6. McDonald

    McDonald New Member

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    I have the black and love it but it does get hot in 100 degree heat, and you don't want to take it through an automatic car wash (the swirl marks will show up). But it is very classy and looks good. I have always had black cars, and am thinking of choosing a more fun color next time.

    If you want to see a set of photos of the exterior of my black car, you can check them out here. This is the direct link, Prius Photos
     
  7. McDonald

    McDonald New Member

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    Since you live in the UK, you should choose whichever color looks best with rain on it. Ha!

    [​IMG]
     
  8. subarutoo

    subarutoo New Member

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    Pick the color you want, but be ready with a 2nd or 3rd choice, unless you like waiting longer. I wanted blue, second choice silver and settled for white. The only other choice was kind of a metallic beige (sand?) color. I love my white, and think the color choice is made to be a bigger deal than it needs to be. When you're inside the car, you can't see any painted surfaces anyway. I would have liked the grey interior instead of the beige. To me interior choice would be more important from a wear, and cleaning standpoint. My beige has held up fairly well considering I almost live in my car, 10 hrs a week commute, and hauling my bike inside numerous times. Still, I would have preferred gray. Happy hunting!
     
  9. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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    Break the monochrome mold. Think about a bit of embellishment: pinstripes, racing stripes, polka dots, flames, green leaves, whatever. Look through some websites that have auto graphics. Once you have some sort of design, then you can find a color that fits.

    Worked for me.
     
  10. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Here's Tideland Prius' international color code and names list (from his thread http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...andard-optional-equipment-most-countries.html); I've bolded the UK colors mentioned.

    Colours:
    040 Super White / Alpine White / Pure White / Glacier White
    070 White Pearl Crystal Shine
    1CO Millennium Silver / Silver Steel Metallic / Silver Pearl Metallic
    1F7 Classic Silver Metallic / Tyrol Silver Metallic / Silver Metallic
    1G3 Magnetic Grey / Decuma Grey Mica
    202 Black / Astral Black / Ebony
    3Q3 Salsa Red Pearl / Regency Red Metallic / Merlot Red
    3R3 Barcelona Red Metallic / Vermilion Red Mica / Wildfire Mica
    4S2 Driftwood Pearl / Aztec Bronze Metallic / Metallic Bronze Mica / Bronze Mica
    6S9 Tideland Pearl / Sileni Green Metallic / Jade Green Metallic / Gun Olive
    6U9 Silver Pine Mica / Verbier Green Metallic / Pistachio Mica / Light Green Metallic
    8M6 Spectra Blue Mica / Lagoon Blue Mica / Dark Blue Metallic / Galaxy Blue Mica
    8K2 Light Purple Metallic
    8S2 Seaside Pearl / Glacier Blue Metallic / Crystal Blue Mica / Blue Mica

    The metallic colors look nice. But I wouldn't pay $2610 extra for them. So if it were me, I'd get either the white or black.

    BTW, white truly is one of the easiest colors to keep clean. Or, at least it looks cleaner than most other colors when it is dirty. It's almost a trick of the eye. As if the white shoots through the dirt.

    Also, black looks good on the Prius. And it looks good on a dirty Prius too. I was wondering about that for a long time, but it just occured to me the other day. The reason a dirty black Prius looks good to my eye is because of the Prius' shape ... not unlike seeing a dirty black Porshe 911 or a dirty black Fiat Spider 124 from the old days. Those black cars still looked good when dirty. It's because of the sharp sports car or aero shape of them, which I think the Prius is not unlike. Check out my theory for yourself. Compare a dirty black Prius to a dirty black sedan. The dirty black Prius looks A LOT better.
     
  11. psikot

    psikot New Member

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    red is awsome
     
  12. Margana

    Margana Junior Member

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    I live in the Portland, Oregon area in the US. There are quite a few ex British here, I would imagine as the weather is similar (but milder) with rain drizzle 8 to 9 months a year. Having had a white car in the past, and more recently a metallic bronze (Honda's "Moab Mist") I chose the "Driftwood Pearl" which I believe should be the same as the "Aztec Bronze". I did so as the car does not look dirty when you park it in the street on a rainy day; it hides the dirt pretty well as it dries. My white (Subaru) would look pretty dirty after the rain, when it dried-especially on the lower panels where the road water and splash would settle and dry.
     
  13. LochNess

    LochNess Junior Member

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    A white one, of course!
     
  14. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    of course there is only one color:p:D
     
  15. fcc

    fcc New Member

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    i thought magnetic grey was a winner. classly looking, not too flashy but not dull,
    etc...

    it reminds me of the color older mercedes used to have and i always enjoyed it.

    white red and black are always winners too.
     
  16. Bos

    Bos New Member

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    Thank you everyone for taking the trouble to reply. A few individual messages:
    A Strolling Player
    I've never owned a white car, I just assumed they'd show the dirt. But people do seem to agree that white looks cleaner longer. I agree Magnetic Grey = Decuma Grey looks next best to black, and I like the idea that "...It does take a number of months before you notice dirt..."! Not sure it's worth an extra £1,350 though.
    dogfriend
    I know what you mean about touching-in scratches. I really don't know what you pay for with metallic paint.
    catgic
    Took me a moment to realise who you meant by "King George". Pleased to see The Colonies are embracing the Hereditary Principle at last! Congrats on your Hybrid Hypermiling web.
    hyo silver
    Thanks for the welcome. See the post from Boo. There are cool 3D views of all the colours at Toyota Prius Colors
    McDonald
    Hi. It doesn't rain here all the time - just most days...
    subarutoo
    All the dealers are telling me thay can get any spec and colour in 6-8 weeks. I'll let you know how I get on.
    Doc Willie
    Thanks, but I'm not really a go-faster stripes sort of guy. Net curtains and a nice carpet is more me...
    Boo
    Thanks for the table of equivalent colours - v. useful (see message to hyo silver)
    LochNess, Flying White Dutchman
    So there's a brotherhood out there not just of people who own a Prius, but who own a white Prius. If that's the colour I get, perhaps I should start a club for people with right-hand drive white Priora...can you get any more exclusive?
    I'm off to Austria at 5am tomorrow, and expect to be incommunicado for 10 days. Thanks again for all your suggestions. Back soon.
     
  17. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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    Just do it on the outside. Persian Carpet pattern on the roof, net curtains on the doors. Hookah on the bonnet with a couple of belly dancers. . .