Is a black car really that much harder to keep clean?

Posted by RadioFieldCorner@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 302 comments

I’m about to buy a black c8 Corvette and I can’t get over how much I love the black look on it. However, I live in the PNW. This will be my second car and it’ll be garaged. I’ve never owned a black car, will it really get dirty the same day it is washed, even if I only drive it on dry days? There’s a pretty good touch less drive through car wash that I have a membership for my first car already too.

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302 Comments

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Substantial_Team6751@reddit

You'd take a garaged Corvette through a touchless carwash?

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

If it were a vintage Ferrari, I guess I could understand this point of view. But it’s a late model Chevrolet. It’s a perfectly replaceable thing. A thing to be driven and enjoyed so I have a little trouble understanding the folks who spent their whole lives washing and re-washing a car that is meant to be driven.

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Substantial_Team6751@reddit

That's cool if you buy an $80k car and then take it to the car wash. I mean who cares how people treat their cars? But, touchless car washes don't actually clean the car. They spray it with chemicals and then leave a film of dirt on the car that will only come off with scrubbing. That will render one's pretty black car dull grey. If that is how you would own a Corvette then you should buy a different color.

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McGuyThumbs@reddit

The cheapest setting only uses soap in all of the car washes I go to. Just don't get the extra wax nonsense. And, Corvettes are built to be daily drivers. They are not as sensitive as those other super cars ;)

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Danielle_is_the_hole@reddit

You must have bad carwashes near you. 2 black cars and touchless works pretty good. No dull grey ever.

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TheNerdE30@reddit

You sound like you’ve never preserved a car and felt the epiphany of long term effort well spent.

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wickedcold@reddit

Can’t speak for that person but who the hell has that luxury? Very few people. Most of us buy a car to drive it, not to hang onto it for 40 years barely putting miles on. People who own well preserved cars from a bygone era are rarely the same people that took it home from the showroom. Most of them were probably preserved unintentionally. The old stereotype, little old lady only driving into church on Sunday etc.

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TheNerdE30@reddit

No the purpose is to preserve while driving the hell out of it. 25k miles per year.

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YozaSkywalker@reddit

Idk, I'll spend hours with a Q tip on my weekend cars getting into every nook and cranny and keeping it looking brand new- all while I drive the shit out of it. It's just part of the hobby to me to keep them looking brand new.

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hardsoft@reddit

Oh man that's a no no. Q-tips are too abrasive to the paint. You're making all types of micro scratches that will look horrible under a microscope.

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YozaSkywalker@reddit

Yeah I'm not too worried about that where I touch with Q tips, it's typically between body panels or in tiny grooves

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

Ain’t nobody want no car that looks all scratchy under a microscope

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

That actually sounds like a very zen experience, I can see the appeal there, where the cleaning is the destination

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After_Alps_5826@reddit

Well because that attitude is how you never end up with a nice vintage car. Taking over-the-top care of it when it’s newer, then when it’s just old and not valuable, is what will make it valuable once it’s finally old enough to be considered vintage. Not that I think a modern corvette will ever be vintage or even last more than like 10 years before falling to pieces…

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

Every car show is crawling with vintage Corvettes that have been babied for decades. Which is baffling. The whole point of the Corvette is that it’s a down-to-earth exotic for the Everyman, a legit high performance sports car for dentists and plumbers who fix their own stuff. The world needs things like that. Its engine may be tuned for 600-1000hp but it’s still basically a Chevy LS engine just like in your Camaro or Silverado. The body bits are fragile like the Italian ones, sure, but the drivetrain is literally built for trucking. Parts are available, work is easy, the thing was made to be hooned and i think it’s a crime that the owners aren’t willing to scratch ‘em up a bit. It ain’t no museum piece, no matter how nice a condition you keep it in.

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After_Alps_5826@reddit

Yeah I gotta agree there. Specific to corvettes it just doesn’t make sense to baby it like you’ll have it in 40 years. Those old ones are still around and in good shape because they were simple, made of steel, and easy to work on. These new ones have tons of plastic, are extremely complicated with all the electronics involved plus cvt transmissions (I assume they use something like that). But yeah in the end it’s still the working man’s sports car.

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TSells31@reddit

They do not use CVT transmissions. I don’t know of any high performance/super car that uses a CVT (this is not to say they don’t exist, just that I do not know of them). DCT is the acronym you’re looking for.

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RocketDog2001@reddit

The Regera has a CVT.

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TSells31@reddit

(this is not to say they don’t exist, just that I do not know of them). I was positive at least one example existed in the world which is why I made sure to include this in my comment lol.

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RocketDog2001@reddit

No worries, I'm kind of a supercar nerd.

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TSells31@reddit

Ah sorry if I came across a little rude I was in a bad mood earlier. 😂

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

They come with a dual clutch. Which is better than a CVT but still sacrilege in my view. The last manual transmission from the factory was the C7. But since it’s a Chevy, you can absolutely bolt a manual transmission into your C8. Apparently Tremec now makes a kit for it. Bolt it right in over the weekend and drive it to work on Monday to do more root canals.

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timmmarkIII@reddit

Old Corvettes are made of steel???

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ThirdSunRising@reddit

I had to look this up because I always assumed the first generation was steel bodied and they switched to fiberglass in the 1960s or something… nope. They started with fiberglass bodies all the way back in 1953. There was never a steel body corvette. I just learned that right now. Who’da thunk it?

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Mister_Speedy@reddit

Who cares? That's like saying you don't sleep with your girlfriend or wife so the next guy can have them with a lower body count.

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TSells31@reddit

Except you don’t get to resell your wife or girlfriend so I’m not sure it’s the same.

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SnooGadgets9669@reddit

You have the same ideology of a guy who saves his gf for another man, drive the fucking car

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Ifiagreeidillydilly@reddit

To your point- when was the last time your car was too dirty to take out on a Sunday? (I mean mechanically)

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SEND_MOODS@reddit

Many people consider a vehicle's looks as one of the many criteria that they make their purchase decision on. A clean shiney Corvette looks cool And that brings a lot of joy to someone who likes looking at their vehicle. A scratched up Corvette looks significantly less cool and much less joy. Hand washing is significatly less likely to result in scratches.

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jav2n202@reddit

No one is talking about not driving and enjoying it. Just hand washing vs an auto wash. It absolutely makes a difference in taking care of your paint, especially on a black car where those swirl marks show pretty bad. I’ve owned daily driver black cars way less expensive than a corvette that I would only hand wash for that reason. I just believe in taking care of what I have. Plus hand washing isn’t that hard. It may take a little more time, but it’s better for the paint and cheaper to boot.

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Gramma2Slo@reddit

What's wrong with a touchless wash? I know it uses harsher chemicals than a soft cloth, but I'd gladly reapply a ceramic coating sooner vs another paint correction.

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sl33pytesla@reddit

It ate my ceramic coat over the summer

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don51181@reddit

I just got a ceramic coat. How do you know that the ceramic coat has been ruined? This is my first one and I hear about this issue with people wearing out the coating quickly. Thanks

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zenFyre1@reddit

Touchless car washes use hydrofluoric acid based detergents to get the cleaning power they need to remove dirt without mechanical action. However, this acid etches through ceramic and glass as an unfortunate side effect.

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don51181@reddit

Oh good to know. Thanks

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sl33pytesla@reddit

Because it’s not shiny anymore and water doesn’t bead like it used to. Easily tell the difference

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don51181@reddit

Oh ok. Thanks.

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waverunnersvho@reddit

Not all coatings are created equal.

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Pwrdbym@reddit

Commercial washes have high Ph soap and chemical content so it will degrade ceramic coatings, sealants, & waxes. Also if it isn’t a conveyor belt type and has wheel tracks they’ll mar up the wheels, especially wider ones.

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Cautious_Implement17@reddit

they accelerate aging of rubber. there are a lot of important little rubber bits on your car that keep rain out. definitely not the end of the world to take your car through a touchless car wash a few times a year. it's much better than letting salt sit on it until you find time to hand wash it. but it's not a great default choice.

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Substantial_Team6751@reddit

Touchless carwashes don't actually wash the car though. They spay it with chemicals and leave a film of dirt on the paint.

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No-Maintenance-2478@reddit

Those giant mechanical brushes are rough on cars. I took my truck through one once and it ripped all the weather stripping off the passenger side. They also scratch the paint because they will have debris from other cars scraping it at high speeds.

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BoomerSoonerFUT@reddit

That’s like the opposite of a touchless car wash…

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delicious_things@reddit

I don’t think you know what a touchless car wash is.

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letsgocaca@reddit

Define touchless - when you touch a lot

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MeesterCHRIS@reddit

Touchless car washes just use soap and high pressure water and blow dryers. No brushes.

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quemaspuess@reddit

I won’t even take my black 2003 black Tacoma through one of those. Paint is still pristine too as a result. My 2021 GX460 gets the same care

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nedal8@reddit

Touchless should be fine. You just need to avoid those spinny brush things. And by all means do NOT use the foam brush on anything but your wheels. And make sure it's clean first.. Aside from not washing perfectly, a touchless car wash is as safe for your paint as a self cleaning.

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groshreez@reddit

It's not like it's a collectable car. It's one of the highest production sports cars made for well under $100k. You could abuse it as long as you had it, then get it paint corrected before selling and no one could tell the difference.

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Diligent_Brother5120@reddit

Bahahahahaha why not

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Lawineer@reddit

With good ceramic coating it’s not a huge deal. But I wouldn’t just because they do a shit job of actually cleaning your car.

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Jjmills101@reddit

This. Touchless is fine it just doesn’t usually work all that well. Much better results with self-service car washes or two buckets and cloths you can verify are clean because you cleaned them

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Poysmaster@reddit

The one I use is decent. But I only use it during the Winter. And in warmer months I hand wash. I have some wrap on my car though which is the reason I have to do it.

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Lawineer@reddit

Yeah, I’ve blasted my truck through automatic car washes because it’s huge and I don’t feel like washing it. But it sucks. It doesn’t even get the bugs off the grill.

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Mite-o-Dan@reddit

I have a black wide body C7 and did it twice a month for 2 years...not a single issue or scratch. BUT, I do have a clear vinyl wrap on it. Thats what I would suggest for any high priced car thats black. Best investment I ever made. Once I figured out how easy and cheap it was to maintain the car myself, I stopped going to car washes.

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UnnecessaryPeriod@reddit

This is the real WTF

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McGuyThumbs@reddit

You have to be willing to put the work in to own the best color car ;) Or not be super picky about every grain of dust. I garage my black mustang, only put a couple thousand miles on it a year and it takes a while to get dirty to the point I feel I need to wash it. Most of the time the dust that gathers blows off in the first mile or two. I have a 600ft gravel driveway with a high sand content so it gets dusty. When I have a choice I get black. It is my favorite.

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Ok-Competition-4219@reddit

Yes, had a few black trucks. They would dusty by the time I got everything put away.

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Accomplished_Dark_37@reddit

Yes. It's really awful honestly, yet I've only had cars/trucks in black for the past 25 years. My wife likes the matching black driveway aethetics.

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djkitty815@reddit

Maybe I’m just different but I can see the dirt pretty much no matter what color the car is. If you truly keep your car clean and maintain it well, I say get the color you like because you’ll still notice when it’s not freshly washed. One caveat is if you intend on using automatic washes I would not get a black car. I only hand wash and take my time and don’t accumulate much marring.

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getafewlives@reddit

I have a black X6 and love it. I also live in the PNW. If black is what you want, just get it. It's not a huge deal, especially if you have it parked in a garage. Don't bother with automatic washes, even if touchless. Get a good ceramic coating and if it ever is just a bit dirty. Hit it with a pressure washer and leaf blower to get the water off. Or do a rinseless wash. Don't get something boring that you don't want just so it looks cleaner more often.

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meeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh@reddit

Every 2 weeks is enough. That costs me 12 dollars a month.

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Own-Secret-6523@reddit

Yes. We bought our first black car last year, an Audi A5. We are older and have had about 18 prior cars. We never bought black cars be ause of that reason. And I can now definitely confirm it looks dirty all the time except the five minutes after you have completely cleaned and waxed it. I wipe it down constantly and have waxed it frequently so it can be wiped down easily. I literally wiped it down this morning again.

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AdjustDeezNutz@reddit

Yes, they stay clean until a gentle breeze blows dust all over your shit.

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Danielle_is_the_hole@reddit

I have 2 black vehicles. Driving in winter when roads have been treated gets then and all cars dirty. On nice days both look brand new for weeks. Go for black, you’ll never go back.

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Wolfy1335@reddit

Yes, but no cars look better than a clean black car. 😀

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DogLord92@reddit

You will learn to hate trees as pollen will be your number 1 enemy in the cleanliness arena.

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speedystein@reddit

I've said it like 5 times now - NEVER again will I buy a black car. And yet, here we are. A giant black f150 on my driveway. In Nor Cal where we get condensation every single day. Ugh. Looks great when it's clean though!

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058kei@reddit

Things show up on black like leavse Grass clippings occasionally dirt Then again my sonata is the special super dark blue that every1 at works mistakes for black so in a way darker colors aren't so bad after all xD

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Evandalize22@reddit

Do it! Lot of snobs in this comment section who take pride in spending every weekend hand detailing their car, which is fine for them but there’s nothing wrong with an auto car wash. Try to find a decent one- they vary a lot in quality so it’s also possible that some of these people went to a crap one and then ruled them all out forever. I’d also agree that they aren’t appropriate for a vintage collectible car or super car. But for 95% of cars, a good auto wash membership will keep it looking shiny and clean. It’s up to you if a C8 vette is special enough to warrant expensive or tedious hand detailing

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landob@reddit

You will wash your car. Put it back in the garage. Come back to it next weekend. It will be covered in dust. That is without ever driving it. Take it for a drive.... Also youbhave to be absolutely perfect in your wash routine. You can introduce swirl marks because a bug carcass got in your bucket

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dnashid@reddit

Ceramic coating is the answer. Just did this on my W204 C250 m272 4Matic. She looks pristine like a mirror. Black Mirror reference insert here.

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KharonOfStyx@reddit

I’ve owned one black car and I’ll never own another one. I love how it looked when it was clean but that was only for about 30 seconds. I would fully detail, including wax, polish, clay bar, etc., and get it to where it looked like a mirror. Then I would park it in the garage overnight and the next morning I would see a layer of dust on it, meaning it needed wiped down or washed again. You can easily see every speck of dust or every imperfection in the paint on a black car.

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Necessary_Collar_490@reddit

Just jumping on this to ask, is that the same for matte black? Im currently looking at a matte black one, and if its the same, this has just put me right off

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KharonOfStyx@reddit

I don’t have much experience with matte black, but I don’t think it’s as bad as gloss. I have owned a matte gray motorcycle (it had metal flake in the paint so that helps hide dust) and one thing I learned about matte is you have to be very careful about what you use to clean it as most cleaners have a polish and your matte paint will get damaged and eventually turn to a satin color. I can’t say one way or another for you, but do your research on how to care for matte paint before you purchase.

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Particular_Wonder598@reddit

Clean your garage

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KharonOfStyx@reddit

I live in an agricultural area. Cleaning my garage only does so much when there are 1000 fields all around me, bordering the town, getting worked by tractors.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

I would be drying mine and see a sheen of iridescence from gasoline in the air. At first I wondered if there was some kind of oil on my drying towels. But it was unburned gasoline in the polluted air. That was the seventies east of LA, before pollution laws and catalytic converters, now unburned gasoline gets burned in the converter, back then it just came out the tailpipe. But the point is, you are right that if you make a black car shine you can stand there and watch it getting dirty. Go inside to fetch a beer and come out to see a layer of dust that is clearly visible. People like me who had black cars just give up after a few months if that long, drive it dirty. Because you can't keep it clean. But the real reason I would never have another is how hot it got when the sun was out.

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jayfbm@reddit

Yup

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YouNeedStop@reddit

YES

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Brilliant-Onion2129@reddit

YES!

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Oilleak1011@reddit

When i unfortunately lost my last black vehicle, there was a part of me that was relieved knowing i would not have to worry about the nightmare of keeping it looking clean anymore.

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mike-2129@reddit

Drive thru car wash? Bro hell no for any car. Find a local detailer that comes to you. And yeah black is a pain to keep clean. They look so good though especially after a ceramic coating professionally done.

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secondrat@reddit

Garaged? You will be fine. Outside? It gets dirty within 24 hours.

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CompetitiveLab2056@reddit

Black sucks. It’s extra Hot in the summer, shows every little scratch. I hate that one of my cars is black

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Stock_Block2130@reddit

Yes. We have a black car, a convertible no less. Horrible to keep clean. All dark colors are horrible to keep clean.

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2-wheels@reddit

Absolutely.

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dracotrapnet@reddit

Try to match the color of your car with the color of the dirt roads and parking lots you pass. All that dirt becomes mud and likes to visit the concrete and asphalt roadway when it rains.

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seang86s@reddit

Get PPF installed on it.

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jrileyy229@reddit

You can just put a $7 microfiber duster in the trunk and wipe it down before you drive it .. if it's just dust and pollen, it'll come right off. Also, the honeymoon period fades. Assuming this is first Corvette/sports car... At first you think everyone on the road is looking at you and judging you and you're cool and whatever. Eventually, you realize nobody really cares and you stop worrying if it's dusty or not.

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ColHannibal@reddit

No no no. That’s how you get swirls on a black car, never touch a black car that you did not just wash.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

And speaking of swirls, the black with a high shine glass like finish is going to show every even microscopic scratch even if you are just hand washing with a soft cloth. I have had a black car and it looked great for WEEKS! not after that though and I was so bummed about it. The other things was I was stationed east of LA out not too far from Palm Springs. When the air temps were over 100℉ or even 110, a few days over 120F the car got so hot inside that plastic parts of the dash melted. That is a consideration for black cars, you basically have to park them in shade or deal with surfaces you can't touch.

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smitleyjd@reddit

Those micro scratches are why they make waxes and sealants etc. no it's not permanent, but a wax + glaze fills in all of that on my car. No reason to abrade more of your clear when you can take half an hour to wax it (or more if you do multi step) and fill and protect everything. As someone in the auto body industry I'm not a fan of ceramic coatings, but that is a choice too. Its pretty cheap for me to refinish things myself if I'm not paying labor and get materials for cost.

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jrileyy229@reddit

I understand what you're saying... But in the real world, this car is going to have a coat of wax on it, if not ceramic coating. If you're only going to drive it on nice days, you're just removing dust. A microfiber duster is not going to cause swirls.. You're not grinding dirt into clear coat

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Ultimate_Driving@reddit

NOOOO! The only way to remove dust without scratching the paint to hell is to wash it. Dragging anything across a dry car, no matter how soft it is, will drag the dust particles across the paint, putting micro scratches in the clearcoat. When the sun is shining on the paint, all of those tiny scratches are super visible.

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abusche@reddit

leaf blower does a decent job

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jrileyy229@reddit

Again... This garage queen that is only going to see sunny days is going to have a coat of wax on it, if not ceramic coating

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Ultimate_Driving@reddit

Ceramic coating will help, but it won't prevent scratches caused by dry dusting. Wax won't help at all. Wax is only there for sun protection and to keep the paint from drying out.

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beipphine@reddit

Paint doesn't dry out on new cars because it's a fundamentally different system. New cars use the thinnest layer of paint protected by clearcoat. Once the clearcloat is gone, the paint job is shot. Old cars used to have a much thicker layer of lacquer paint, that is why you could buff out scratches (Because you can literally sand the paint smooth again). The old lacquer paints could also dry out which the wax helped protect.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

Those micro scratches will show up on a black car where they are there on other cars but you do not see them. People think this cannot be true, if you ask people "Is a black car really that much harder to keep clean?" the real answer is they are IMPOSSIBLE to keep clean. But after a month or two you will give up, trust me on this.

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Ultimate_Driving@reddit

That’s true. The entire time I had a black car, I just stopped washing it, because it looked like shit, regardless of whether it was clean or dirty.

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sonyafly@reddit

No, you can’t.

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chef-keef@reddit

I used to do this and if your clear and paint is hard enough, pollen won’t scratch it visibly.

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noob_lvl1@reddit

As someone who doesn’t have a corvette or any kind of sports car, I’m always staring down those cars thinking they’re cool.

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jrileyy229@reddit

Sure... But you're in a car guys sub. The other 99% of people do not notice or care

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noob_lvl1@reddit

Valid point

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Windermyr@reddit

The black paint will show every defect. I've owned 3 black cars in my life (all used, so no choice in colour). Never again.

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smitleyjd@reddit

I must be a masochist. I have 2 and I'm looking to get a 3rd. However the daily only gets a proper complete wash/correction once a year since it's such a time consuming pain 😂

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garcia38@reddit

Mine got a visible long scratch on one of the doors a week or two after buying it new. I learned to just live with the idea of the car getting imperfections. Its a daily driver, it's virtually unavoidable. Very upsetting at the time though

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bfrogsworstnightmare@reddit

I always wanted a black vehicle. Then I bought a brand new black Silverado and the thing is filthy right now from all the snow.

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hardsoft@reddit

Trucks are supposed to be filthy though

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Brick_in_the_dbol@reddit

You don't own a black vehicle, it owns you

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voucher420@reddit

It’s the price you pay for owning such a cool car, that, and the lava hot interior on a warm spring day, and entering the Sun on a hot summer day.

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rpitcher33@reddit

Not thinking and grabbing that molten seat belt... or searing your forearm to the top of the door panel...

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Cranks_No_Start@reddit

Not so much the defects but the dust. I left a car wash in my black Volvo and by the time I got home it needed to be washed again.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

OP should look at late model cars on the road, he will see that black might look stunning the moment it it washed, but by the time it is two miles down the road he will be dismayed by the dirt it already shows. The bad news is this will happen, the good news is the fact he has not already noticed it means that people in general do not care and don't notice other people's dirty cars. But will notice it on theirs. Still, I recommend you do take the time to notice before buying one. Because every black car owner is saying the same thing, the way it shows dirt is stressful.

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Piston_Pirate@reddit

The air flowing over the car makes the surface negatively charged so the dust sticks to it. They look amazing like you said, but drive it down the street and you need to use a special duster that uses static vs trying a cloth dusting that will just micro scratch the surface. Washed my black car every week by hand and waxed it as well. Now I am no longer in my early 20s with the strength or time to do this anymore.

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Solid-Tumbleweed-981@reddit

This is me lol. Although my never again turned out to be fuck the price is so good fineeee here we go again 😭😭😭😭

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avoidhugeships@reddit

If you have a garage and it's a sunny day car it's no problem. Black will get dirty of it rains or stores outside. I think you would be fine though.

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ilikethatstock69@reddit

I had a black mustang, I’d wash it and two hours of just sitting outside it would be dirty. I now own a black suv and it’s the same… I really need to stop buying black cars.

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Strict-Air2434@reddit

I have had a couple black cars. Wash, detail with the best shit. Pull it back in the garage and it's fucking dirty. Fuck black cars even if they're very cool.

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DD-de-AA@reddit

yes, somewhat dependent on where you live.

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BankAcceptable277@reddit

Dirt just shows up more prominently on black cars

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Own_Fruit_8115@reddit

i used to have a black z-28. when i washed it, i would start at the front and work my way towards the back. by the time id get to the back, the front would be dusty

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Kdoesntcare@reddit

Black cars are dirt magnets. In the spring they get covered in pollen, summer adds grass clippings, fall is all of the leafs then winter is road salt. Silver hides dirt well.

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The_ENFIDL@reddit

Black, white, dark blue, dark grey, maroon are all hard to keep clean. Silver is the hands down easiest to keep clean

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The_Tipsy_Turner@reddit

I just want to say... there's nothing about the color black (or white for that matter) that makes cars "harder to keep clean." They're all equally as dirty. What you mean is, can you get away with not washing your black car as often as other colors for it to *look* clean, to which the answer is mostly no. That said, your other color cars are still dirty. They Might look less dirty, but they're still dirty. I actually never understood this. I was out washing my car every weekend and sometimes in between because just seeing the shine of my nice red car fade was heartbreaking. Did it look dirty to other people? Probably not? Could I tell it was filthy? Of course, it wasn't as shiny anymore. I've honestly always thought people that really cared how their car looked would wash it every few days or at least weekly... I've always thought people that only cared how their car looked to other people would neglect it when it was convenient to them.

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hardsoft@reddit

I've got a 10 year old car that I've never washed once. Kind of amazingly, rain seems to be enough to keep it from getting really disgusting.

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ChumboKrumbles@reddit

Yes. I've owned exactly one, never again.

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JVG17@reddit

No, but it if you want to keep it spotless you need to ceramic coat it.

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icthruu74@reddit

Yes. When clean they look awesome in my opinion, but any little dust and the shine is gone and it just looks dirty. The second issue no one seems to talk about is that black cars heat up quick in sun.

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SplashingBlumpkin@reddit

They also show dents way more too. Silver and white hide them the best, not that I look forward to hiding dents. You can park as safe as you want and out of the way and some asshat is still going to leave a grocery cart out of the corral to coast away into a car or just flat out not give a shit when they whip their door open. My 7 year old son popped my truck door open up against my wife’s 4Runner one day like it was no big deal.

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SeatSix@reddit

And water spots. Dried raindrops that are virtually unnoticeable on a white or silver car stand out on black (and other dark colors)

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

So true, I was stationed at March AFB near Riverside, on the road out to Palm Springs, there were a lot days over 100 degrees, a few over 110, and a few over 120. My black car got so hot that parts of the dash melted. Drooped and the aftermarket Pioneer stereo fell out.

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Summer184@reddit

Not necessarily a bad thing if you live in an area where it's been near zero degrees the past couple of weeks.

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Own-Raisin5849@reddit

I dunno, my Black Tacoma looks like crap pretty fast in the winter here, with all the salt, sand, splashing around during the melt/freeze period. I don't care though, it's a truck.

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Hersbird@reddit

Heaters in ICE cars have no problems warming even in the coldest temps, and it doesn't get solar warmed in a garage. Park it even 20 minutes in the summer in the sun and come back to a very uncomfortable car though, that the AC will take much longer to recover. A little interior corvette not as bad, but never get a black suv.

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icthruu74@reddit

It was one of my favorite winter features. Just clear snow off a small spot and let the sun melt the rest. Or getting in a warm car without restarting. Then come summer it was opening the doors to let it air out while running the AC full power and hoping to not burn any bare skin.

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_Sw33t33pi@reddit

I have a black car with the ceramic coat and the ppf, it goes thru the touch less wash. However I live in Texas so I don't need that much wash. I used to live in the pnw, I probably wouldn't get a black car there, but black cars look great. I say, get it if you want.

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NioToTheMoon2007@reddit

The part no one is talking about that’s the worst imo is how hot the exterior gets when trying to hand dry. Huge pain in the ass when water literally steams off instantly and leaves marks

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RLBeau1964@reddit

I love black cars, yes, we washed biweekly or so; because it was driven few times a week. When car is garaged, not driven in rain, and hand dried with micro fabric towels, you car keep it clean enough. Black vehicles are beautiful when clean and shiny with metallic paint. Red, btw, is similarly beautiful with similar keep clean effort. Silver, which we own now still shows dirt. Don’t have to wash biweekly, unless run through or after a rain. FWIW, my metallic Pearl white vehicle, even takes weekly washes to be clean looking. Keeping clean is part of the pride of owning your vehicle that you worked hard to get. Keeping clean is just part of it.

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GoHoosiers2023@reddit

My family has a saying. Black cars only look good on two days. The day you get them. And the day you sell them.

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LgnHw@reddit

yes

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ToastedTwinkiee@reddit

YES.

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sudoprime@reddit

Or you can just rock the hard patina. Who cares if the paint is rough? Means you use your car...

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charger1970440@reddit

With a black car you notice the scratches in the clearcoat much more The black color shows dirt with every wash it must be hand soaped and hand dried to prevent water spotting black paint shows any imperfection in the surface I don’t recommend Black for daily driver You need a cover for it but you have to be gentle putting on and off Very easy to scuff Always carry microfiber cloths with you and spray wax just in case a bird Flies over or damn bugs tree sap Dust and if you drive it in rain an hour and a half wash job which means you probably won’t drive it as much I like silver

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Gunk_Olgidar@reddit

LOL yes. I owned a black car. Once. The ONLY way to make it easy is to do full car self-healing hydrophobic paint protection film (Suntek Fusion or similar). You'll still need to clean it every few days to remove dust/pollen/etc., but at least the PPF will prevent swirls and keep the paint looking amazing for 5-10 years. DO NOT EVER ceramic coat a black painted car. The water spots will be murder., You have been warned.

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bumluffa@reddit

Ceramic coating no, graphene coating yes

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BabyYodaIsGod42069@reddit

It is.

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sippin-jesus-juice@reddit

I’m never buying a black car again lol. My S class is so beautiful when it’s clean but it’s only clean for a hour at a time

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Leverkaas2516@reddit

I'd buy a black Corvette if I was going to keep it garaged. Yes, it'll get dirty and show dirt faster - I had a black Honda that lived outside in the PNW and it was always dirty. But later I bought a car wash brush with an extension tube, and it makes washing the car so quick it's a non-issue. I spend more time vacuuming than washing these days. I highly recommend avoiding the cars wash places and instead washing yourself with equipment dedicated to the car, used for nothing else. It gets cleaner and keeps you aware of the ongoing condition of the car body.

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Julian__Omondi@reddit

Black definitely shows every little speck, dust, water spots, pollen, even bird droppings. That said, if it is garaged and you mostly drive on dry days, it’s way more manageable than people make it out to be. A quick rinse or touchless wash every week or two will keep it looking sharp, but yeah… it is not as forgiving as silver or red.

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External-Repair-8580@reddit

I’ve owned 4 black cars. And every time I’ve owned one I’ve sworn to never buy a black car again. Precisely because they’re hard to keep clean, rock chips are easy to spot and swirl marks and light scratches from car washes and detailing are so easy to spot. I had the last black car fully covered in PPF for peace of mind - and that did help avoid swirls and other blemishes in the paint, including rock chips…. but re: dirt…. 5 mins after a car wash you’ll start to notice the car getting dirty. The problem: when they’re clean they look amazing. So I’ve gone back again and again…. and always regretted it in the moment. Personally, I’m going to avoid black again. Silvers and grays are my go-to - they stay clean looking the longest, and are much easier to keep pristine looking. That said, plenty of people love black.

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bumluffa@reddit

You needed to have the car graphene coated as well if you're going to ppf it. Ppf attracts dust even more than regular paint due to the static nature of the plastic membrane. Graphene coating is anti static

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bumluffa@reddit

Op don't listen to the comments here scaring you about black cars. Yes black cars show dirt more than white cars (that's just the nature of colour) but the reason for that is because the black is such a deep gorgeous contrast to everything else. But most importantly, if you get it wrapped in ppf and graphene coated (which you should because it's an expensive corvette) those 2 things will deal completely with the issues black cars have ie dust showing up and swirls on black paint. Ppf will stop swirls on your paint as it's a plastic self healing membrane and the graphene coating is anti static so the dust will blow right off. With these 2 basic car protection things you can enjoy all the benefits of a deep black colour car without the downsides

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Flat-Ship5309@reddit

Honestly? It's the PNW. It rains a bitch here, but as far as car paint goes it could be way worse. It's not particularly dusty, it's not like there's sand or gravel on all the roads, it doesn't even snow a whole lot. You're going to garage it and only drive it on dry days. You spray your car down like once a week, your car is going to look fine no matter what colour it is.

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frosty_power@reddit

Black looks the best but it's only clean for 5 mins. I'd take black over silver or red any day though.

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superPlasticized@reddit

No, it's not.

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Imtherealwaffle@reddit

yes it will. summer is manageable, winter it will never be clean. go silver, it look decent from afar even when its dirty as fuck

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quemaspuess@reddit

I said I’d never buy another black car after my first becase it’s a bitch to maintain. So what did I do? Bought an even bigger black vehicle — GX460. Yes, it sucks to maintain, but looks so good clean.

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CoffeeRegis@reddit

They are a bitch to keep clean. I strongly recommend that you hand wash it, and properly ceramic coat it twice afterwards. That will help protect it and, if it's winter, make it easier to clean off the salt and grime that sticks to it since not everyone has a heated garage

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Wild-Astronomer1200@reddit

I owned one single black vehicle a 1975 Ford F150 Never again When it’s spotless and well waxed, they look as nice as you can ever imagine but water spots are highly visible and annoying, dust is really visible on them. As is pollen you name it.

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RL1967RL@reddit

This thread was really annoying. Just full of opinions and most ignored OP original question. Yes, black is hard to keep clean. I have a white daily driver and a black Sunday funday car and hands down the black is harder to keep clean. Black shows dust and water spots.

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Scrutinizer@reddit

I only owned white or silver. Came across a great deal on a new VW Golf back when "Dieselgate" was going on, only problem is it was black. It was fun for a while. I got obsessive over hand-washing and using a foam cannon to make sure that I was as "touchless" as possible. And let me tell you, when a CLEAN black VW golf pulls up next to a Caddy or Mercedes or BMW that's got swirlies from the auto-wash, that can pop a few egos. But ultimately it was a pain in the ass. My next car will be white because with white it's next to impossible to see the light clear-coat scratches that make darker colors look like crap.

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Chainsawsas70@reddit

White or Silver tend to "hide" dirt and dings better than any other color. Black looks Amazing when you have Perfect body panels and you keep it extremely clean and shiny! Most people like the idea of that until it's time to pay for or do it yourself.... Then it becomes a Royal pain unless you get huge joy from cleaning your car almost daily.

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duc955@reddit

As a car detailer I see white cars that always look worse than black. Dirt is more noticeable on white than on black. In saying that...all cars get dirty, if you wash it regularly its not an issue for any coloured vehicle.

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PNWrowena@reddit

That surprises me. I had a black and it looked dirty by the time I drove it home from the car wash. The white wouldn't look just washed after a while, but it never looked terrible unless it had just been through mud or dirty slush.

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TigersNsaints_ohmy@reddit

My company has a black C8 and red C8 here in PNW. We wash them and they sit for a few days on end in the open air. Both gather dust, but only red is noticeable when up close. Black stays looking dirty unless we’ve washed it same day.

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OhMyGod_Zilla@reddit

I chose a black colored car (yes… yes I did…) and it’s a PAIN IN THE ASS to maintain. I love it, but I’m constantly washing it and polishing it.

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Normal-Guy196@reddit

Yes always dirty and absorb heat. Owned one black car a 1986 Honda CRX Si bought new. Will never own another black car.

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Neptune_trace@reddit

It’s a part time job.

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The_AJR@reddit

I’ve got two black cars and yes they show dirty easily but who really cares - a dirty black car still looks way better than any other colour (in my personal opinion). Teaching yourself how to wash a car properly with the two bucket method and how to dry a car properly goes a hell of a long way in keeping them looking good and avoiding swirl makes as well. My black BMW 330d is 14 years old this year and I often get comments from people saying how nice it looks and how “clean” it is.

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Putrid-Function5666@reddit

Black cars suck to keep clean. The day after you clean them they will look dirty again if kept outside. Best bet is to invest in California Car Duster, and some spray-on cleaners, as long as you don't have anything on the paint surface that can scratch it, because fine scratches that you don't normally notice on other cars stand out like a sore thumb on black cars. I've owned one. Never again.

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SteelFlexInc@reddit

Every. Spec. Of. Dirt. And. Scratch. One of my cars is black and holy fuck it looks dirty so easily. If you’re picky about how your car looks, it’ll drive you crazy. If you don’t care as much then you can live with it. First few years, it drove me nuts till I got enough rock chips on the front to stop caring as much as

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cuffs98@reddit

YES! The absolute best color is silver or light gold. They both hide the dirt well. If you do go with black get a GOOD paint treatment on it so the dust/dirt just rinses off. My truck is charcoal grey and it’s always dirty. As was the black Hyundai Elantra I had in 01. And that thing had several coats of wax per year on it. And it still looked like crap.

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deysg@reddit

Black is beautiful, but black shows everything, literally. If you are meticulously caring for it, go for it. Black is also harder to blend when repairs are done

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Total-Improvement535@reddit

YES. I bought my first black car last year and it is dusty the same day after washing. It’s insane. It’s dirty in a week after washing even with a good wax on it.

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Realistic-Regret-171@reddit

Silver is the color least likely to show dirt.

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tnseltim@reddit

YES. that’s the only answer that you

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my_cars_on_fire@reddit

I have never once in my life chose a car color based on how easy I thought it would be to clean. Get the Corvette man - if you keep it under a cover while in the garage, it’ll be fine.

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ShitTheBed_Twice@reddit

Yes. While I dont own a corvette I do have a 1969 El Camino in Tuxedo Black. Leave my house and drive 2 miles to the gas station and I want to wash it.

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Diligent_Brother5120@reddit

Yeah... I had a black car though and still loved it, for those 1-2 days after it was freshly waxed by hand, it looked amazing!! It's easy to see where the wax is too as a bonus.

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timothythefirst@reddit

3 of the 5 cars I’ve ever owned, including the current one, have been black. It definitely looks like shit if you’re driving through a bunch of snowy slushy roads but it’s nothing a car wash doesn’t fix. Personally I think almost every car looks best in black and I plan on every car I buy being black if possible. Getting a car wash a bit more often isn’t that big of a deal to me.

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Global-Structure-539@reddit

YES. Black shows EVERYTHING. I've own 4 black cars. Now I have a silver car. I've quit living exclusively to keep my car clean every-single-f'n-day

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ohmygolgibody@reddit

I have a black car. Hand wash only and ceramic coated. No complaints.

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ConstructionMany8195@reddit

I’ll just put it this way, I’ll never own another black car (other than a “I don’t care” beater)

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ThatOneSnakeGuy@reddit

Yes

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997guy2010@reddit

Yes it will get dirty. I have a black 911. I can wash it park it in the garage and never open the garage door. Next day it’s dusty. It’s the worst. Never in my life will I own a black car.

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Gypsyfella@reddit

I've had a black car. Hopefully I never have to drive another one. The dirt is one thing, but then there's the heat. They get so much hotter than a light coloured car. Getting into one after it's been closed up on a hot day is nearly unbearable. With our lighter coloured cars, the lower temp difference inside is noticeable.

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WolfWillLV@reddit

Black is a pain in the butt to keep clean. Also, you'll be more prone to fender benders as people don't see you. Do not recommend.

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Donedirtcheap7725@reddit

You should get one. Everyone should own a black car at least once...then you will know if it works for you.

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CareBear-Killer@reddit

I am on my 4th back vehicle. I love the look and I'll probably buy more in the future. If you are very particular about your cars or expect them to remain looking perfect, get a different color. If you understand that black will show imperfections frequently and it won't bother you, then yes, get the black You'll want to hand wash your car or use touchless washes. You'll want to wax it or do a ceramic coating to help provide some protection. You can also do Rinseless washes if the car is just dusty. I have accepted that things will happen, but I'll do what I can to keep the car perfect for as long as I can. I actually enjoy the washing and detailing, so it's a nice way to help protect my paint. It's still annoying when it gets dusty and I can see a swirl mark or something, but the next time I wash, I try to buff out the scratch or work to correct whatever was wrong. It's sort of a neverending process, but I will keep doing it as long as I have a black vehicle. I just got this one, so I'm locked in for another few years.

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Bestconst@reddit

I loved my black E39, but yes I was constantly having to clean it, I guess because I'm just kind of anal retentive and want my card always look good, but it's the last black car I will own. Looks good but too hard to keep clean all the time.

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Scott-from-Canada@reddit

It's awful. Never again.

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motorboather@reddit

Black looks amazing when clean but I’ll never own another one as long as I live

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MaudeAlp@reddit

It looks fine. Internet is filled with mental illness like Koch Chemie touchless snowfoam single use microfiber cloth air condition garages car never driven in rain or snow.

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Glittering_Bar_9497@reddit

They look the best when new and the worst if you don’t wash it. Grey and white do a good job at hiding dirt. I’m not even talking about imperfections just dirt. I have seen my brother not wash his car for months and my car look dirtier after a few weeks. Between silver and red it’s similar but not as extreme.

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Jt8726@reddit

Own one black and never again. Every scratch will also be visible.

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CleanOne76@reddit

I had one black car - never again. It is impossible to keep clean

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RadioFieldCorner@reddit (OP)

Well, I guess you all talked me out of it lol. Now debating between silver or red…

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don51181@reddit

Don’t do it. I had a black car and it constantly showed imperfections. There are plenty of other colors to get. A touch less car wash is not going to everything off. So then you have to go over it to clean it, get off water spots and swirls. A never ending job.

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Count_Smashula@reddit

Not horrible but definitely wont stay spotless for more than a day if you drive it

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JPThrizzle@reddit

Harder to keep clean and harder to look like you got it clean, lol. But once it’s clean…omg!

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Rooster854@reddit

Yes

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PK808370@reddit

On the other hand, it’s a corvette, who cares if it’s dirty? Drive it. I wouldn’t get a black car because it’s hot as shit in the sun.

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SubstantialFix510@reddit

Very hard to keep clean and hotter than Africa in the summer. It does look sharp when clean which lasts a day if you're lucky.

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PK808370@reddit

Yes. Gold, a car color I don’t love, US about the easiest. Beige also works. Enjoy.

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Alternative-Shape-59@reddit

Yes, absolutely.

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haditwithyoupeople@reddit

PNW as is the rainy part? Black is a huge pain on the ass to keep clean.

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sdk5P4RK4@reddit

black car kind of a lifestyle. they dont get dirty extremely fast if its waxed or ceramic coated but you have to get extremely good at washing and maintaining it. every mistake and shortcut will show. you will become obsessed with getting it just nice.

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stonkstogo@reddit

I would wash my black car and by the time i pulled it into the garage it was covered in dust. Then I would spend the day polishing and waxing. Then when I pulled it out of the garage… it was covered in dust.

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Diogenes256@reddit

Yes.

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Reality-Stinks66@reddit

Get dirty the same day it was washed? More like 5 minutes after it was washed. I love black cars. I will never own one again.

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Ill_Management_7461@reddit

All I ever owned before my current truck & SUV (silver) were black vehicles… it’s the best looking car when clean. That said, I don’t miss spending a lot of my time detailing/cleaning it for it to look dusty/dirty a few hours later. Out here in the PNW and I feel it would be the worst if you have OCD about a clean car since you’d be kicking up a lot of the stuff from the wet roads. To each their own though.

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phdibart@reddit

Black is a pain to keep clean but gorgeous when it is.

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Slippery_Pete92@reddit

I didn't think it was that big of a deal until I had a charcoal and now a blue truck. I came from two white vehicles. When its clean it looks cleaner but when its dirty, its magnified. Especially in the winter with this salty wet concoction that dries and leaves a residue everywhere.

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ApprehensiveWash7969@reddit

Yes its harder but not impossible. And you already have a car wash plan so that will definitely help. And if you keep it in a garage or cover it (like I do with my 370Z) you can be assured you will have a clean car next time you drive.

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GlobalTapeHead@reddit

I live in the mid- Atlantic. A black car gets dirty by the end of the week on nice dry days. It gets dirty by the time you’re out of the neighborhood on not so dry days. On dry days it’s the dust, the pollen, the bugs and the bird poop that gets you. It’s still a problem for lighter colored cars too, but not as noticeable. That being said, I’d still go for the black car because it’s such a classic color.

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Fresh-Acanthaceae-79@reddit

Ppf is a life changer for a black car 🚗

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palmoyas@reddit

Yes. It will only look clean immediately after you wash it and it's sitting in your driveway. Once you drive it at all, it will look dirty.

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Jjmills101@reddit

For a c8, it’ll be fine. Get it fully ceramic coated at a good detail shop (if you’re not sure where, go on your local cars and coffee page and either search or ask about the best detailers in your area). The ceramic coat sounds like a scam but basically to keep it clean you can get away with just rinsing it every two weeks or so and doing a full wash every month and a half (not accounting for dirtier than usual roads or salt)

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PKanuck@reddit

Definitely shows dirt/dust, bugs very quickly.

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Solid-List7018@reddit

Black is a huge pain in the butt... Besides dirty. It also shows dust and water spots. Also, anything that can scratch the paint will. And believe me, it will become a pain in the ass to keep dust scratches and poor cleaning swirls away... All super dark colours show scratches , dings and chips...

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Desperate_Set_7708@reddit

Yes. We have four black vehicles.

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Vivid_World_8397@reddit

Black isn’t a color it’s a full time job keeping clean.

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PathxFind3r@reddit

Yes, absolutely, yes

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joehk67@reddit

If I breathe too hard on my black C4 it gets dirty lol.

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BJoe1976@reddit

Cars get dirty and all darker colors show dirt more easily than lighter colors. I have had 3 cars in solid black, one in a farm green metallic that flipped to gold, and one in white and it wasn’t much better for the areas where the paint wasn’t flaking off. I would assume you won’t be taking it out the few times you get Snow and ice as well.

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Aberration1111@reddit

If its a base C8, whatever, there's a bunch of them being made, do what you want. Personally, I'd use a professional detailer if I'm not going to hand a car like that.

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Sambo12345678@reddit

I will never own another black vehicle. Never looks clean, even right after wash and wax.

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Efficient_Lychee9517@reddit

My truck is black I’ll never do it again ever

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dcamnc4143@reddit

It depends on your definition of "clean". I run my black gti through a car wash once a week (no, I don't care you hand-washer people). It's clean enough for me, but I'm not picky, it's just a commuter/daily.

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CafeRoaster@reddit

It’ll get dirty at the same rate as any other vehicle. The real crime is that you’re buying a C8 Vette, plan to garage it, and aren’t going to give it the clay bar or ceramic coating…

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MVS-SISL@reddit

I have 2 black vehicles - SUV and a roadster - I got them in black cause I thought they looked cool. Never again! They should dirt, scratches, etc., You have to wash them constantly! I now have a silver roadster and a lunar rock truck - they never show dirt - I only needs to wash them twice a year!

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WillyDaC@reddit

I drove a black Porsche to work every day. I put it on the wash rack and hand washed it every evening before I drove home. Work was right next to a busy street and it showed a bunch of dust by the time my work day ended. I prefer three colors of vehicles, red, white and black or a combination and white was the only color that didn't show a bunch of crud as quickly.

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BrilliantDifferent01@reddit

I always avoided a black car all my life for this reason. That and I think they are ugly. Now I own one, used car, I never bother to wash it.

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Booksac777@reddit

Yes.

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Animanganime@reddit

If you have spare time and find cleaning car therapeutic then sure. Otherwise don’t.

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Specialist_Heron_986@reddit

Yes, but only when you look at it closely. I love black cars because it still looks good from a distance and in most lighting conditions even when somewhat dirty. IMO, black is better at hiding surface rust versus lighter colors like white where rust spots and oxidized streaks really stand out.

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07AudiS6V10@reddit

Said it many times, black is a hobby not a color!

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sonyafly@reddit

YES!!! Omg never again. I pay $90 (including tip for every car wash). Never again.

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Lonnification@reddit

Yes.

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No_Win7658@reddit

Yes

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brbimcarrying@reddit

Honestly for me i had black and white cars and to me white is way worse....especially in my area there is a lot of insects and when i go on the highway i get splash of yellow, red, black that i have never been able to clean so in the end i bought a gray car hah

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Desperate_Tune_981@reddit

The only way I'd own a black car again is if I invested in getting it PPF and/or ceramic coated. Otherwise... Nope never again. This will be my first and last black car.

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PDXEng@reddit

The fucking SWIRL marks in the clear coat will drive you mad! I don't like silver/grey cars but there is a reason they are popular

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Desperate_Tune_981@reddit

It depends on where you live. I'm in Phx and own a black car and this will be my LAST black car I own in the desert. It's clean for 48-72 hours before it's dusty again. ESPECIALLY during the summer.

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fiftyfivepercentoff@reddit

Black vehicles look great on the showroom floor but in real life, they are a bitch to keep looking nice. They show every flaw, scratch, and circled pattern from your microfiber cloth. Hours later the dust appears and it’s just so disheartening after all the work to keep it clean. Better to go with a different color that hides all of these issues.

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NovelLongjumping3965@reddit

Detail and ceramic coat every two-three months. Pretty much like any nice car, red and blue also lose that deep color gloss if you don't wax and clean them.

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east21stvannative@reddit

Just purchased a blacked out black truck. It wasn't my 1st choice for color because of all the usual complaints. BUT, it does look better than any other color when it's clean. Yes a dirty black vehicle looks dirtier than a grey vehicle. BUT, here's the positive. By having a color that requires more maintenance, it really does require you to not only keep it clean, but it tends to keep the paint in better condition with all the cleaning and waxing.

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blizzard7788@reddit

I’ve owned nothing but black since 1992. The vehicles get dirty overnight.

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Clean-Entry-262@reddit

I was once told “You’ll own one black car…ONE” and so far it’s been true. They look great when they’re clean …but they’re not clean for very long.

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LongjumpingJob3452@reddit

I’m in the PNW, too. When I had a black car, I gave up trying to keep it clean, because it only looked nice for about 5 minutes after I washed it, lol.

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xT2xRoc@reddit

Everything you've heard about keeping black cars clean is true. Nothing looks better when it's clean than a black car. This is the battle we all live on a regular basis.

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dannydigtl@reddit

Yes.

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nickdarius@reddit

Color doesn’t impact how clean or dirty the car is, but some colors hide defects, scratches and dirt better. Black generally reveals everything without even trying to

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Glittering_Wafer7623@reddit

Black paint shows every imperfection. Bird poop sat on there for ten minutes on a sunny day? You'll probably be able to see it forever. If it's a "nice car" you care about, I'd definitely do a paint protection film.

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ratrodder49@reddit

Yes. The rain will drop dirt on it. I love my black car but I’ll never buy another one. I get, at most, 36 hours of clean car after I wash it.

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yes_ipsa_loquitur@reddit

My black 2013 Outback. Looks TERRIBLE. TERRIBLE.

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Correct_Cockroach818@reddit

Yes. I've had one. It always looked fantastic for 15 minutes right after a wash/polish. Also every ding or dent or imperfection was magnified. I have had quite a range of colors through the years, my " reflex silver " VW is the easiest to keep looking good. Surprisingly, I have a very dark blue Jetta that isn't too hard to keep looking good.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

I have found metallic paints in general hide dirt better, then comes white. My BMW is a metallic white, it really hides dirt. I had a black car, my first new car in 1978. NEVER AGAIN! You could not keep it clean, by the time you dried it and got done at the back you wanted to wash the front again. But not only that, where it was parked in the sun (on the air force base where I was stationed not too far from Palm Springs) the interior got so hot that the dash melted in places, dumped the stereo, dangling by the wires.

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Sig-vicous@reddit

A side note on the touch less wash, although they scratch the paint a lot less than a wash with brushes, they can be rough on a car if used often. The harsh chemicals they use can wreak havoc on your coating/wax, and they're also rough on the plastic and rubber bits. I would look into rinseless washing at home for quick touch up washes. Would recommend a product called ONR (optimum no rinse), and there are others. With that, a bucket or two, and a bunch of microfiber towels, you can clean it up nice in your garage much more quickly than a regular wash. No hose necessary. Granted rinseless would be used for a barely dirty up to a moderately dirty car. If the car is to grimey then a regular washes will be occasionally necessary. But otherwise, I've kept my weekend car very clean for about 5 or 6 weeks at a time between regular washes, by doing rinseless washes over that time.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

Not only that but nearly all car washes now are recycled water, it is filtered for stuff like sand but it is not clean water. The darker the car the more visible the spots are going to be after a wash. Black will show everything, so unless you are using your own hose this is what you will go through. Get the softest chamois you can buy because you will need it.

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zylpher@reddit

Another warning about touch less. If any of the nozzles are broken or don't move line they should. It will blast off your clear coat in nice straight lines. [Not the greatest photo, but you can see where it happened to my car.](https://imgur.com/a/OWRohKQ) I was getting a tow because my CV axle took a shit 15 miles from home.

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Nicegy525@reddit

I own a black Duramax diesel. It shows absolutely everything. If you garage it and don’t daily it, it will stay cleaner. But please invest in some quality hand washing equipment to maintain it yourself. Even when it’s dry and sunny, my truck gets dusty within 1-2 days of driving it. Washing it once a week keeps it reasonably clean for my daily driving. I can wash and wax for special Occasions

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sasquatch753@reddit

I own a black gmc sierra, and yep it is almost impossible to clean, especially if you live somewhere with a lot of dust and dirt roads.

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WishingIwastherenow@reddit

I have a Black Hyundia Palisade and am anal that my vehicle is clean. I keep it washed, waxed and ceramic coating. It shows dust almost immediately after washing and shows every little swirl and dirt. I have a California Duster which I use on it to keep it relatively clean. When it’s clean and shiny it is beautiful but is a pain to keep that way. I also have a 1986 Jaguar that is Windsor Blue. Very dark blue. When I drive it which is rare. I dust it. Go for a drive. Dust it again and put it back in the garage and cover it. Yes dark coloured cars are hard to keep looking pristine but to me it’s worth it.

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Excellent_Mall8819@reddit

Black shows everything, my 07 corvette only gets handwashed by me in my driveway, not black though

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

I had a new black car in 1978, lived in southern California east of LA, the pollution was really bad back then before really tough laws changed that. I would wash the car and go to dry it and it would clearly have visible iridescent slicks all over it from all the unburned gasoline in the air settling on it. Every speck shows up. Dust, bird poop, everything. You would think stuff would show up on a white care better but white actually hides it better. Same with a white stove verses a black glass cook top.

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kykid87@reddit

Nightmare to keep clean if you're actually discerning.

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Particular_Wonder598@reddit

I think black cars getting dirty easier is rewarding . Seeing it clean afterwards is like having a new car

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ed_423@reddit

You will just accept that it will get dirty. But they do look great when it’s clean!

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Ultimate_Driving@reddit

You might be forgetting about dust. The same dust that you have to clean off of your surfaces inside the house will still happen to your car, regardless of whether it's parked in the garage or outside. Yes, if you want a black car to look good, you have to wash it EVERY day, or it'll look like shit the day after. And getting one of those car dusters is a horrible idea, because you're not actually brushing the dust off. It's using the dust on your car as a micro-abrasive to put a bunch of tiny but long scratches on every painted surface of the car. The only way to get rid of the dust is a proper wash. And speaking of scratches...when you do wash a black car, you notice every scratch, especially when the sun is shining on it. I still have friends who swear they'll only ever own black cars, despite how hard it is to keep them looking good. I've had one black car in my life, and the only reason I would ever buy another one is if I'm looking for a very specific option on a used one, and the one I can find that's in the best condition for the best price happens to be black. But even then, I'm wrapping it in a different color to cover all of the scratches.

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Ragnar-Wave9002@reddit

Dirt is more visible on black and white cars. I have agrey car and take it through a car was h maybe once every 2 years. I NEVER wash the damned thing.

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scottwax@reddit

I wouldn't even consider a GM with their crappy black paint.

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MichiganKarter@reddit

Black cars are dirty by the time they're dry. Bright colors hide dirt well.

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Organic-Lead151@reddit

L

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largos7289@reddit

Yes.... it shows every bit of dirt, every dent gets magnified and scratches LOL oh boy! But dang a slick black paint looks sexy as hell.

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DogHoffman@reddit

As a car detailer who’s almost owned exclusively black cars (most not by choice lol) the answer is yes. They will show every scratch and imperfection in the paint. Als don’t listen to the people saying to get a California Duster; those are almost as bad for your paint as a brush car wash.

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RiderFZ10@reddit

Yes. I had a black s2k and it was absolutely beautiful....for 10 mins before it showed every single dust particle that floated onto it 😂

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TheJiggie@reddit

The darker the color, the more imperfections you will see in the paint and the more dust/dirt will show.

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Germone@reddit

I love black cars! But, yes. They show everything.

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captstinkybutt@reddit

Yes.

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StJe1637@reddit

TES

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Sp00nD00d@reddit

It's pretty rough. I had a black 5th gen Camaro, it looked amazing when clean, for about 7 minutes. Even just the pollen in the air would start to show up in less than an hour. I went to a while 6th gen after that, it looked clean for weeks after a shitty wash.

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smokingcrater@reddit

My 3rd car is ever owned was black. Had a love/hate relationship with keeping clean. 20 years later, I somehow forgot all those lessons and got a black WRX. Yep, memories reawakened. Black cars are impossible to keep clean. My silver vehicle parked next to it can go months with ever seeing a car wash, and still looks cleaner than my wrx a day after washing.

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Silver_728@reddit

Keeping black cars clean is a full time job any dust and dirt shows up.

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SoundMedal@reddit

Keeping the wheels clean will buy you some time between washes in my experience

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worstatit@reddit

Black paint is the worst to keep clean and scratch free. Careful hand wash and wax are the only way. Dusting with a "California duster" or something between washes helps. No color looks better, I'd definitely consider for a rarely driven toy.

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Sig-vicous@reddit

Unfortunately, yes. Because of dust. Dirty is dirty but it takes very little time for a car to get some dust on it and it just really shows on a black car. The only way around the dust for me was carrying around a car duster and detail spray. But they can create little swirls with use so that meant I was doing a light polish once every 3 to 4 weeks. They are absolutely beautiful for the first few hours after you wash them, but if I have my way I'll never own a black car again.

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ultrabs@reddit

I've got a 95 black olds lss I keep under a dust cover in garage I only use it in dry conditions, I do what I can to keep the 30 yr old GM paint in decent condition. I also have a black Lexus GS, wasn't looking for another black car but the sparkling Mica paint job put the hook in me... It lives outside. I just use a lot of touch less wash passes,and self detailing when the weather allows

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CarbonReflections@reddit

Get a good quality ceramic coating or ppf applied.

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flyin-lowe@reddit

Just drive around today and look at the white cars compared to the black ones. They are just as dirty, you just can't see it as well on the white vehicles. I live in a cold climate and 90% of the cars right now look white, due to the salt on the roadways. If you have a nice car just had wash it, don't use a car wash.

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Thereelgerg@reddit

No, but it may be more noticeable when it is dirty.

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Agile_Session_3660@reddit

Yes. They are awful for a daily driver. They show everything, that any other color you just wouldn’t see. I love black for a garage queen though.

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Kindal44@reddit

It 100% shows more than I’ve ever seen. Husbands truck is black. First we have ever had. It shows every dent, scratch, rain drop, dust particle, everything. I would never drive one even though I like the color.

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rrapartments@reddit

TBH, all cars on the road are black, gray, or white. Why not a more interesting color?

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RealisticWorking1200@reddit

Just get a car duster and a bottle of quick detailer if it bothers you. No need to wash every time it shows a little dust.

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RWJJR1976@reddit

Yes

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SameAd2686@reddit

I have 1988 Black Mustang GT & wish I had a garage but I don’t. If you garage it you will be fine. I use a car cover on mine. Black paint does show everything..my pet peeve is after washing in touchless car wash & then it rains you get water spots. I hate when it rains on my car. I owned her in Florida & now the snowy north but if I had a garage…..Good luck

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Cyberdink@reddit

Yes. The same day you wash it, you will see dust on it. A white or silver car will appear clean for days of it don't rain

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Due_Mycologistt@reddit

Yes… black cars really do show everything 😅 Dust, pollen, water spots, even light swirl marks. Especially in a damp place like the PNW. The good news is if it’s garaged and not a daily driver, it’s way more manageable.

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