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White cars

(60 Posts)
NfkDumpling Thu 06-Jun-19 21:57:13

We're thinking of changing our car and seen one we like very much. But it's white. We've never had a white car before as it doesn't seem a sensible colour for messy people like us who are a bit lax when it comes to car cleaning.

But I knew someone who said his white car stayed cleaner than any other colour he'd had, but can this be true? Did he lie?

Does anyone have a white car and if so are they a pain to keep clean or no worse than any other colour?

SueDonim Wed 17-Jul-19 14:34:36

RomyP you could take your car to one of these hand-wash car services. They do inside and out if you wish. They're all over the place here, can't move for them! In one of the car parks you get free parking if you choose the top level valet service.

Marmight Wed 17-Jul-19 12:03:58

I tried 2x this week to have the disgustingly filthy car washed at Tesco car park but the wait was over 2 hours so last night, in despair, I donned the Marigolds, got out the stepladder (car's big, I'm small), floor mop & sponge, filled a bucket, turned on the hose and did it myself. Soaked from head to toe but I was pleased with the result and the garden got a bit of a soaking too. Sa8ved a few £s

M0nica Wed 17-Jul-19 11:22:05

I just drive my car through the car wash every so often. The idea of cleaning it inside and out every week leaves me in awe. Where do you find the time?

I must say that as the main user of my car, the inside stays nice and tidy and clean, because I never leave anything in it, that could be classed as litter.

RomyP Wed 17-Jul-19 09:42:12

I get a Motability car as disabled, I'm fed up that DH very rarely cleans the cars I pay for, previously I'd do ours inside and out once a week. I've chosen a white car this time, I always get final say on colour and choice of car from scaled down list. Why white? Well I'm hoping it'll encourage DH to clean it more often without me having to keep asking that it be done. I no longer drive due to illness and disability, he uses car every day so I don't think is unreasonable to expect him to take car to drive thru car wash if he doesn't want to wash it himself. Bit disappointed some saying white cars don't show dirt as quickly as I'd hoped. ?

Nortsat46 Wed 17-Jul-19 09:24:12

We bought our first white car a couple of years ago. Yes it shows the dirt more quickly than our previous high shine black car, especially in the winter weather.
However, we really like the styling of the car and enjoy driving it.
So on balance, I would suggest that if you really like the car, go for the white one and wash it a bit more frequently in bad weather.
Wishing you happy and safe driving.

JackyB Wed 17-Jul-19 09:02:26

My DH's policy has always been to buy a new car, because it will be the most up to date and energy efficient. We then keep them till they give up on us, or, as in the present case, until the (German) government offered a generous grant for scrapping old, unecological cars and buying new state of the art ones.

Our previous car was on the way out anyway and we were downsizing because the kids had all left home.

As I said before, however, whether the car looked clean or not was never a criterion.

I would strongly advise against silver cars. For most of the year, they are the same colour as the road and the sky and are practically invisible.

M0nica Wed 17-Jul-19 08:13:56

It is more environmental friendly to buy a second hand car. The construction of an electric car consumes the equivalent of the amount used when driving 100,000 miles.

So driving my current car, a Toyota Yaris, until it dies - and that could be another decade - by which time I will have owned it for nearly 25 years, is more environmental than buying a new electric car.

Marmight Wed 17-Jul-19 05:55:11

Like Monica I've never bought a new car. I traded in my 10 year old Honda last year for a Volvo. My only stipulation to the salesman was not black and definitely not white. I am now the proud owner of a 3 year old dark silvery grey model. Each to her/his own, but white? No!

mumofmadboys Tue 16-Jul-19 23:44:10

Shouldnt we all be aiming to drive smaller, more eco friendly cars to save the planet?

SueDonim Tue 16-Jul-19 23:30:03

Our past few cars have been new. Two VW Polos I had from new began developing expensive problems after about five years so I was put off buying a used car after that.

We've always been good at negotiating good deals, too. We still haven't fathomed out how my dh got his last car so cheaply, paying less than for a used version but we're not complaining! He'll keep it for years and years, I expect, until we go down to one car between us.

M0nica Tue 16-Jul-19 23:15:36

I thought new cars were only bought as company cars and for fleets.

SueDonim Tue 16-Jul-19 22:15:25

If no one bought a new car, Monica there'd be no used cars for you to buy! grin

Sarahmob Tue 16-Jul-19 22:07:15

I reluctantly bought a white car last year, it seems to stay cleaner than my previous (red) car, so I’d say go for it.

Charleygirl5 Tue 16-Jul-19 22:04:51

Whoever decided my car was white should visit Specsavers. It is meant to be a very pale shade of green but to everybody including myself, it looks white. It is normally no dirtier than many other cars but recently every bird for miles around has used it as a communal loo.

M0nica Tue 16-Jul-19 21:57:58

I am amazed how many people on here obviously buy new cars. We have never owned a new car in our lives. We buy old comfortable cars and run them until they die. Modern cars are so well made that we have rarely had reliability or expensive repair problems.

My current bright blue car was 5 years old, with a high mileage when I bought it 12 years ago. It has never broken down or had any major repairs. Just an annual trip to the garage for its MOT each year when I also have a Gold Star service and if my mechanic sees any minor problems he contacts me then fixes them.

Why spend thousands of £ on a new car that decreases in value the moment you drive it off the garage forecourt onto the road.

We could afford new cars if we wanted to, but cannot see the point.

Keeper1 Tue 16-Jul-19 21:43:11

I have had three white cars and before those an off white mini and I find they don’t show the dirt. Silver is another good colour for not showing the dirt. It seems that the darker colours are worst for looking grubby. Hope this helps a bit

grannyactivist Fri 12-Jul-19 12:14:57

I have no interest in cars whatsoever and can barely recognise our own, but yesterday I saw a small white car that had a pale orange stripe, orange roof and orange wing mirrors - as much as a car can do I thought it looked really pretty.

jackfowler Fri 12-Jul-19 11:53:15

I don't like white car. I always preferred white black car

NfkDumpling Tue 11-Jun-19 20:11:24

We went for our test drive today in the demonstration model and liked it only to be told that some other dealer had just snatched the white car with the black roof! All that angst and we missed it!

Sooooo - we're getting a blue one (DH's choice) and I get the glass roof I wanted. Consolation for having to wait until the end of September. Still a shame, I'd quite got to like the idea of a white car!

Jabberwok Mon 10-Jun-19 11:12:45

We changed our silver Freelander for a modest white Fiat Panda. Like you NikD, I had visions of it showing every mark! But a year along the line I can honestly say that this car doesn't need cleaning any more than any other we've ever owned. So if I were you I'd go for it sooner than having to wait!!

blondenana Sat 08-Jun-19 21:19:42

My daughter recently changed her red Mazda for a white one because it is a later model, and it never looks dirty ,but it does look bigger
I asked her if it was a bigger car as well as an updated model, but she said just the same,it;s an optical illusion it seems

Willow500 Sat 08-Jun-19 20:49:02

My little Aygo is white with a red soft top (special edition) and gets just as dirty as all the other cars I've had (red, black, silver) - husband's is a black beast and is just as bad. He's had dozens of cars over the years all different colours - none are any better than another. Just go for the car you like. I really like yellow cars but never been able to persuade my husband (who has to drive mine sometimes) that it's a good idea grin

NfkDumpling Sat 08-Jun-19 20:37:57

I’ll ask about that Springy. Sounds perfect!

SpringyChicken Sat 08-Jun-19 06:58:41

We bought a new(to us) car last week. Three years old. Before collecting it, it was sprayed with a special dirt repelling polymer. The salesman said the car won’t need polishing, just a quick wash with water to keep it sparkling. I hope it’s true, I so want to believe it.

Ginny42 Sat 08-Jun-19 06:38:19

I had a white car and was once mistaken for a taxi when stopped at traffic lights. grin