Best and worst paints

[sachasacha]

We are thinking of buying a newbie. We are looking at solid red or metallilc light blue. Which of these would be better against scratching/durability?

Many thanks!

[jdmccright]

There's no proof that one color lasts better than another. The color pigments are actually only a fraction of what comprises the paint formulae which is an entire system with many coats. On all modern cars, the color coat isn't even the topmost layer...it is a clear coat that provides scratch, UV, and impact resistance.

AFAIK, there haven't been any warranty issues with failing topcoats on Toyotas, but others can chime in with their . And I haven't seen any models in the last 15 years with any paint failure....rolling or otherwise. GM did have this issue back in the 90s due to incompatibility between topcoat and some color coats, but time and technology have rectified this.

For you, it boils down to how easy the paint is to maintain. The most obvious thing you can do to keep the paint in excellent condition is to wash and wax the vehicle regularly. Doing these does more than just make it look nicer, it fills in and smooths the surface on a microscopic level. And should a scratch or ding happen, you don't have dirt or crud in between to gouge the paint and become embedded in the layer.

Most light scratches can be buffed out since they are only into the clear coat. But some might need touchup paint, available at any auto parts store, Walmart, and the like. The color match is typically pretty good to excellent.

In short, go with the color you LIKE BEST, but to be pragmatic, light scratches will show up more on the red since the whitish scratch will contrast more against red versus light blue. Just why are you so worried about scratches anyways...you gonna drive through a patch of cactii every day? An angry mob of key-wielding punks? A parking lot strewn with shopping carts doing a bumper-car imitation?

If you buy the car you love, you'll take better care of it...that's fact. Hope this helps!