#14. "RE: Your Favorite Color?" In response to Paul D (Reply # 7) Thu May-30-13 01:54 AM by ablib
Obviously I know that black absorbs heat more than white. It would be why I wear lighter clothing in the summer than I do in the winter. In the blazing sun you can actually feel the difference between a black t-shirt and a white one.
However, I have never heard, and can't even fathom, why someone would consider this when picking out the color of their car.
I had a dark blue car once (practically black), and it got ice cold in the summer, and heated fine in the winter the same way my current white car does.
If anything, I know of people who actually do the opposite in cold climates, due to road salt. On a black car the salt is glaringly obvious, whereas on a white car (or any non-dark color) the salt isn't as obvious. This is why it confused me that you would pick a black car in a cold climate.
Cooling a dark colored car in hot weather does not come free. Running the AC impacts fuel mileage. It takes far lees energy to cool a white car than to cool a black car.
At face value what you said seems reasonable, but I'd like to see reference to professionally run test results verifying that there is a significant difference. I kind of suspect that modern cars with improved insulation, treated and tinted windows, better ventilation, and more, all have just about the same cabin temperatures in identical conditions.
Interior colors might make a difference as well as seat materials. I wouldn't want either leather or vinyl in Florida.
We have a winter season but it's not overly cold. I just like black vehicles. For 20 years I liked red, but got tired of it.
You mentioned your car before - here's what I posted back then in response:
Quote:
LOL Years ago my wife had a screaming yellow Honda CRX with impressive black stripes and black door and roof decals. People turned in front of her car and she hit them broadside, ran into the side of the car, and rear-ended it. She called it her little yellow invisible Bumble Bee. All the drivers had the same comment to the police: "I never saw it!"
