Which car colors lose the most value?
Colour‑Driven Value Decline in the 2025 Auto Market
Recent research by NexusMedia, leveraging EasySearch data, ranks the most depreciable car colours across ten top‑selling models—including sedans, SUVs, pickups, and EVs. The study compares the gap between each model’s MSRP and its current market price, delivering a clear depreciation percentage and a dollar‑value loss for five prevalent paint schemes.
Primary Findings
- Blue – 27.1 % depreciation, $12.4 k loss.
- Black – 23.3 % depreciation, $10.8 k loss.
- Red – 21.7 % depreciation, $8.7 k loss.
- Silver – 21.3 % depreciation, $8.2 k loss.
- White – 18.0 % depreciation, $7.0 k loss.
Blue surfaces as the sharpest depreciator, a 27.1 % cut that eclipses the other hues. Blue EVs decline even steeper, with the Tesla Model Y dropping 50.4 % of its initial price.
Black follows in second place, shedding 23.4 % of value and averaging a $10.8 k loss—exceeding the depreciation of red and silver variants by more than $2 k.
Red, positioned third, depreciates 21.6 % on average. Red vehicles are especially volatile: the Honda CR‑V loses 24.2 %, while the Ford F‑150 experiences a 43.2 % fall.
Silver occupies fourth slot, losing 21.3 % and trailing red closely, with a $8.2 k average devaluation. A silver Tesla Model Y bears a 50.9 % price erosion, contrasted with a mere 3.2 % loss for red Teslas and 0.8 % for white Teslas.
White claims the final position, depreciating 18 % and maintaining the most stable value among the five colors, with an average loss of only $7 k.
Colour Psychology and Market Perception
Colour psychology links specific hues to personality traits, which may influence buying decisions. For instance:
- Black – perceived as rebellious.
- White – viewed as modern and tasteful.
- Red – associated with extroverted drivers.
- Blue – linked to confidence and happiness.
- Silver – regarded as mature and safer.
- Brown – considered introverted and unassuming.
- Green – seen as unfashionable, unbothered by opinions.
- Blue & White – stereotyped as police officers.
Vehicle depreciation has evolved from a predictable financial fact into a nuanced interplay of psychology, technology, and market perception.
