Does Your Car’s Color Affect Your Insurance Rates?

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Written by Nick Versaw

Updated May 26, 2022

Does having a red car raise your rates? What color cars are more expensive to insure?  Although hundreds of Americans believe that their car color affects their insurance rates, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

One of the most exciting parts of purchasing a new car is deciding on the color. Some buyers have skipped over makes and models because they didn’t come in the color they wanted. However, is it true that the color of your car can affect your insurance rates?

The short answer is no. Your insurance company doesn’t take the color of your vehicle into account when determining your auto insurance rates. You’ll be surprised to find out that insurance companies never ask you for the color of your car.

However, many other factors can impact your insurance rates, so you’ll want to shop around to get the best car insurance premiums.

Do Red Cars Cost More to Insure?

We’ve all heard the age-old advice to stay away from red cars and choose a car color that will fly under the radar. The common belief that red cars are more expensive to insure comes from the fact that many sports cars are red.

But the truth is, a red sports car will be just as expensive to insure as a sports car that’s black, blue, or even pink. Insurance companies are paying attention to the car, not the color. If your red car costs more to insure than your friend’s white car, it’s probably because of some other factor, not because it’s red.

We won’t argue that the color red can be more eye-catching than other colors. Red cars can attract more attention from car thieves — and the police. What if the excitement of driving your lovely red car causes you to get a speeding ticket?

Due to the speeding ticket now on your record, your insurance costs will rise, leading you to wonder if some color cars are more expensive to insure than others.

But if you’re driving safely within the law, then drivers of red cars have nothing to worry about — from either the police or their insurance agent.

What Factors Do Car Insurance Companies Use to Determine Rates?

If auto insurance companies don’t look at your car color when determining rates, what do they consider? Let’s take a closer look at the variables used to decide the cost of your premium. Some of these factors may include:

Age: Often regarded as more reckless and inexperienced, teens and younger drivers generally have higher rates. As you age, you’ll see a decline in your rates. Some drivers can see a 20% drop in rates when they turn 25.

Gender: Although it may not seem fair to base car insurance rates on gender, insurance rates for men and women vary. According to some studies, male drivers are higher-risk drivers, and men spend more time driving than women do.

Location: The area you live in plays a big role in calculating your insurance rate. Insurance companies also look at the crime rate, claims, and weather of a location.

Mileage: The more time you spend driving, the more likely you are to get into a car accident. The number of miles you drive every day has a significant impact on your insurance premiums — especially if you choose a usage-based auto insurance policy.

Driving history: Your driving behavior directly affects your risk to an insurer. You can expect to see lower rates if you have a clean record. If your driving history is full of moving violations, be prepared to hand over some serious cash as a high-risk driver.

Claims record: Your driving record isn’t the only record insurance companies consider. A higher amount of claims filed makes you a riskier driver to insure, and this can raise your auto insurance premiums.

Type of coverage: If your car requires comprehensive coverage, your auto insurance company takes a larger risk to insure your vehicle. This results in higher premiums, so check if the extra coverage is necessary for your financial situation.

Limits and deductibles: You can change your deductible to lower your car insurance costs. Some drivers opt for higher deductibles to qualify for lower monthly rates, but this can result in more out-of-pocket costs if you get into an accident.

With so many factors that affect your car insurance rates, shop around for insurance at least twice a year. There may be changes in your life that qualify you for cheaper rates, so compare multiple car insurance quotes before renewing your policy.

When Paint Color Does Impact Car Insurance Rates

We’ve just said that the color of your car doesn’t impact your car insurance rates — but your paint job might. Some drivers elect to get their cars painted with special designs or decals. Depending on your insurance policy, this custom paint job may fall under additional parts and equipment.

If the paint used to spice up your ride is expensive to purchase or supply, you could see a spike in your car’s value. As we all know, the higher your car is valued, the more your car insurance coverage will cost. Custom paint jobs may require additional pieces to be created and applied to your car, and custom parts will also result in a spike in your insurance premiums. 

If this is the case, report these modifications to your insurance provider. If not, failing to do so could invalidate your policy. These modifications are reflected in your insurance premiums to provide coverage in case of an accident.

Rare colors can affect your insurance rates as well. You may have felt like you won the lottery when you got the only sedan in “serious cyan blue,” but don’t celebrate yet. If the paint color is rare or expensive, you may find yourself paying higher premiums.

What Color Cars Are More Expensive to Insure?

So what color cars are more expensive to insure? As mentioned earlier, your insurance company has no idea what color your car is. That’s right. Zero. Zilch. Nada. You don’t need to get red-car insurance to cover your flashy red vehicle.

However, many variables determine what color car is cheapest to own. One study found that 80% of cars come in only four colors — black, white, gray, and silver — and dealers may offer incentives to buy cars in less desirable colors. Colors like yellow, green, or orange are left on the lot much longer than black, white, or silver cars.

So if you’re looking to save a few bucks on a brand new car, opting for an unusual car color may be the way to go. Colors that are harder to sell will be cheaper to buy, and may also depreciate slower than cars in more popular colors.

Get the Best Car Insurance Rates for Your Car

While there’s no one color, make, or model that will give you the best insurance rates, it always pays to do your research. You can visit our resources page to get the facts about other common beliefs and insurance myths.

Although we wish there was one insurance company that always has the best rates, this isn’t the case. To find the best rates for you and your family, you can use Compare.com to compare insurance quotes from multiple companies.

All you need to do is enter your ZIP code here, and you can get started finding the most affordable insurance premiums for your vehicle:

Nick Versaw Insurance Managing Editor

Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.