Your dream car colour could actually be a financial nightmare
Paul Barker ponders the price of paint, and how mica and metallic mark-ups are leaving car buyers in the shade over the true cost
Choosing a new car is an exciting time, especially if you’re an enthusiast. But, when comparing prices of similar models, it’s easy to forget additional costs that may skew the price for one car over another – and I’m not talking about going crazy on the options list and spending thousands on upgraded audio systems or the biggest wheels (which are normally not advisable on ride quality grounds anyway!).
I mean something as basic as the colour you choose, and how wide the gaps are for the price of the paint on your car. We’re not thinking of top-end premium cars, either – Maserati will happily take £18,000 from you in exchange for a matte paint job on your new Maserati Granturismo Folgore, for example – but mainstream regular models.
It’s entirely likely that anyone shopping for a new Nissan Qashqai might also have a Skoda Karoq on their shortlist. Unless you want your Qashqai in red, you’ll need to budget another £745 above the list price to cover the paint, whereas you can have your Skoda in any one of five colours including a pearl finish and so-called Exclusive Meteor Grey completely free of charge. Even the optional bright red or orange finishes are only £410. So, if you’re not having your Qashqai in red, the cost of this mid-size SUV has jumped up by £335 – and most likely more than £700 – versus the Skoda.
But it’s not just Nissan. There are big differences between brands. A quick glance through various online configurators shows that SEAT, for example, charges no extra for whatever colour you choose on a new SEAT Ateca, while VW does the same on eight of the Volkswagen Tiguan’s nine colours, with only the £1,310 ‘Exclusive’ paint job costing extra.
Audi doesn’t follow its VW Group siblings in their paint generosity, either, with the Audi Q3 only offered in white for free, and everything else another £575, apart from the custom £4,000 paint job. You pay for a premium badge, obviously. Likewise on the BMW X3, the 26 alternatives to white cost between £875 and £4,585.
Ford, meanwhile, wants another £800 for any Ford Kuga that isn’t painted white, while the Vauxhall Grandland at least comes in a more appealing metallic black as the free colour, with everything else costing £650.
Even if you’re not buying outright, these costs immerse themselves in your monthly rates. So whatever car you’re looking at, don’t get distracted by the shiny colours – and make sure you’re not in the dark about what your favourite shade will cost you.
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