Why Are New Cars So Boring? A Look at America’s Color Crisis

4% of pre-owned 2025-model vehicles sold last year were black, white, silver, or gray. 3% of sales. In an age when paint technology can make a Toyota Corolla Cross gleam like a luxury sedan, why are we still choosing the dullest options? There are practical reasons, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle.

The iSeeCars study compared 2025 models with 1996 vehicles. White remains the top color in both eras, but the big shift is in gray and silver. 3%. 4%. 1% share. Meanwhile, red, once a strong second at 20% in 1996, has all but disappeared from the mainstream.

Dealers stock lots with neutral colors because they sell faster. But that creates a chicken-and-egg problem: if buyers only see gray and white, how will they choose anything else? Some studies show orange and yellow cars hold their value better, but those colors are often reserved for high-end sports cars.

The good news? Mazda’s Soul Red Crystal, Lexus’s Nori Green, and Dodge’s retro hues like Plum Crazy and Go Mango prove bold paint is still out there. If you’re tired of parking lots full of gray blobs, custom-order something with personality. Life’s too short for boring cars.