The next time you are on the road, take a look around.  According to Cars.com you are not seeing things.  There are an inordinate amount of white cars, trucks, and SUV’s…26% in fact.  That’s more than one in four vehicles. The 2008 DuPont Automotive Color Popularity Report lists the color White as number 1.  This is up from 19% in 2007.  But why?

A question was posed online asking this very question.  Specifically, the query asked why there are so many white cars and trucks on the road; and who buys white vehicles and why.  Over 50 people responded to this informal survey, and the reasons they gave were varied and some of them surprising. 

Topping the list of reasons is the belief that white paint reflects the sun and keeps the interior of the car cooler.  Ken Martin of Richmond, VA says that the “vehicle surface is much cooler to the touch” and Jeanne O’Keefe of The Lippin Group/Los Angeles says that one of the reasons her last two cars were white is because “when it’s hot, my car is less hot than a darker one would be.” 

“In the South, white vehicles reflect the sun best, makes it the coolest (temperature) of any color,” says Barry Epstein, President and CEO of Barry R. Epstein Associates, Inc., a public relations firm in Boca Raton, FL). 

In an exact tie with interior temperature is the viewpoint that white cars are “cleaner”, or at least that dirt doesn’t show on a white car surface.  “My first two vehicles were…gorgeous…when they were clean,” says Diane Bogino (President of Performance Strategies, Inc., Atlanta, GA www.performstrat.com) of her previously owned black cars.  She has since converted to white vehicles.  Kathi Petersen of KP Communications (Ashville, NC) even goes so far as to claim that “white cars don’t show dirt as much, which means you can be more environmentally conscious by not washing the car as often.” 

“The main reason I love white or lighter [color] vehicles is because they hide dust and dirt better than any other color,” claims Ann Marie Moore, MBA (Speaker, Professional Organizer). 

But two respondents beg to differ.  John Z. Wetmore, Producer of “Perils for Pedestrians” (www.pedestrians.org) says that the drawback of a white car is that it shows “dirt more than most other colors.”   Jenna McCarthy, author (www.jennamccarthy.com), believes that the dirty look of a white car forces you to be more diligent in cleaning your car and that the car looking dirty is a plus because you “don’t have to lean on it with your white jeans to discover this [the car is dirty].”  Still the vast majority of the respondents claim that a white car looks cleaner, not dirtier.

Coming in next in frequency is the viewpoint that a white car is more visible on the road thus “they get into less accidents because of it” (Payson Cooper, Managing Member of Payson & Co. LLC www.paysonjewelry.com).  Leah of Boston Family Foodie (www.examiner.com/x-1240-Boston-Food-Mom-Examiner) claims that her husband’s family has always chosen white cars “because they live in the country and they feel that white is the safest color.”   Thomas Weller (Goose Creek Ranch, El Cajon, CA) agrees with Leah and Payson saying that “they [white cars] stand out in the dark better-easier to see.”

Eleven percent of the respondents claim that they prefer white cars because of the viewpoint that a white vehicle is more “classy”.   Kathy Jo Pollack says she purposefully buys white vehicles because “white is classy, sharp, and timeless.”  Carol Weisl (Public Relations Manager in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) “can’t see owning a car in any other color.”  Elizabeth Weintraub (Broker-Associates/Lyon Real Estate of Sacramento, CA   www.ElizabethWeintraub.com) always buys white vehicles because “white never goes out of style” and it usually is “the preferred color choice for many car buyers in the resale market.”  Ms. Weintraub has only bought white cars for the past 40 years! 

Also at 11% are the respondents who purchased a white vehicle, not by choice, but by circumstance. That is because the white car happened to be the only car the dealership had with the options the respondent wanted, as Janie Glover (High Point, NC), Lisa Icenogle (Information Coordinator, Casper College, Casper, WY), and Stuart Nachbar (Principal, Educated Quest  www.EducatedQuest.com) can attest.

Six percent of the respondents claimed they chose white cars because they wanted “green” cars.  Pablo Solomon (artist, Lampasas, TX www.pablosolomon.com) says that since he lives “in Texas, the major reason that people here buy white vehicles is obvious-they reflect the sun…like white reflective metal roofs” and that “to save the planet we should all paint the top surfaces of our cars white or reflective aluminum.”  Kathi Petersen agrees stating that “they [white cars] make a positive environmental impact in terms of reflecting the sun.” 

A handful of those responding to the survey claimed that the color of the car they purchase doesn’t matter and a few of the respondents said that white paint hides scratches and dents. 

Some of the more interesting reasons for owning a white car range from symbolism to business purposes.  Trudy Schuett of Yuma, AZ claims that the sun will bleach out any other car color “so it’s only a year or two before your vehicle is not the color you wanted…” 

“White provides a certain amount of anonymity,” says Karen Tiede of Moncure, NC (www.karentiede.com).  Megan Sullivan (Account Supervisor of Word Hampton Public Relations www.wordhampton.com) thinks a white car is “girly”, which she thinks is complimentary.  Kitty Werner of Waitsfield, VA thinks she is “less apt to be stopped for speeding [while driving a white car].”

Deanna Minich (www.foodandspirit.com) says she “specifically chose a white car for the first time last year because it symbolizes purity, clarification, and higher knowing.” 

Diana Hudson Kresnye of Devine Designs, Ltd, Cleveland, OH (www.DevineDesignsHome.com) chose a white car for business reasons.  “I specifically wanted a white one because I will be using it for business and will be having my business logo and other information put on it.  White will not interfere with the colors of my logo.”  She goes on to say that “visual presentation is important.” 

Whatever the reasons, car owners are progressively choosing the color white.

By Choice or By Default – Why Do People Buy White Vehicles? is a post from: Kellys-Blue-Bk.com

Kellys Blue Book for cars is a renowned automotive industry standard car appraisal guide that provides you with step by step guides that will help you sell your car. And with Kellys Blue Book “Private Party” values, you can find a fair price that others would be willing to pay for your used vehicle. It may sound complicated, but don’t fret because Kellys Blue Book online is easy to use.

First, at the Kellys Blue Book website click the tab for used cars. Under the Kellys Blue Book Values type in your car’s year, make and model or simply choose the specified data from the drop down menu that appears once you click the “down arrow” beside the required data box. Say for example, you want to sell a 2005 Ford Focus:

(1) choose “2005″ on the year box,
(2) click “Ford” from the make box and
(3) click “Focus” on the model box.

After pressing the “GO” button, you will be redirected to the Kellys Blue Book Value page where you have to choose the “Private Party” Value.

The Kellys Blue Book Private Party Value aims to provide you with the fair market price that others would be willing to pay. Then select your car’s trim or version by clicking the Kellys Blue Book list that appears. For example, if your car’s trim is Focus ZX4 S Sedan 4D, click that and go to the Kellys Blue Book “Equipment” page where you choose your car’s specific details, including transmission and mileage, and accessories. Don’t be overwhelmed with the number of selections; all the standard items included on your model are already checked on the Kellys Blue Book page. All you need to do is think about what equipment you have added or modified on your car and just simply click them on the Kellys Blue Book selection choices.

After making the appropriate choices, the final Kellys Blue Book page will appear. You have to select your car’s overall condition – whether excellent, good, fair or poor. These descriptions are properly described on Kellys Blue Book page so it should be fairly easy for you to distinguish the difference between good and fair or between fair and poor. But of course, sometimes it’s hard and you just can’t tell because these are relative terms. What’s good in your eyes may be just fair or excellent to others. And for this, there is always the Kellys Blue Book condition quiz to further help you in your assessment.

But beware! Always be as honest and remain as balanced as possible when making your choices on this Kellys Blue Book page. Don’t let your sentimental attachment to your car cloud your assessment. If you do, you will get an incorrect blue book appraisal value.

After entering all the correct and unbiased information you will see the Kellys Blue Book Private Party Value for your specific car’s condition. You can further confirm your car’s value by comparing it with other similar cars in the market by browsing through Kellys Blue Book Local Listing Search. This will show you similar cars available in your area. Once you become satisfied with the result you’ve come up with for your car’s blue book value, you can then concentrate on making your car more attractive to buyers. Get it cleaned. Shine the tires, Replace the burnt-out taillight bulb. You can then sit back and just wait for the bucks to roll in, and you’ll be ready to  Buy a New Car Online.

For the driver in all of us: Apply for the Discover® Open Road Card today! No messing around. The link goes directly to the application, it takes five minutes and it’s free to apply. So hurry on over.

Using Kellys Blue Book to Determine the Value of Your Car is a post from: Kellys-Blue-Bk.com

Before you even attempt to buy or sell your car, it is essential that you get a car price guide to save yourself from the embarrassment and pain of being ripped off. The most widely known car value guide or blue book for cars (U.S.) is Kellys Blue Book. Kellys Blue Book has been available in print since 1933 and Kellys Blue Book online auto blue book version has been running since 1995. That simply shows the reliability that Kellys Blue Book has shown and the trust they’ve earned from manufacturers, dealers and the public through all those years. Better yet, both the Kellys Blue Book for cars online and in print are simple and easy to use.

How to Use the Kellys Blue Book Printed Version: 

The blue book for cars values in the printed version are alphabetically listed by manufacturer and then by models. For example, let’s say you’re interested in buying a new Honda Pilot. To look for it in Kellys Blue Book, first, sift through the pages until you reach the Honda section. After that, thumb through the Ps until you find “Pilot”. If you are looking through the Kellys Blue Book New Car Guide version, you will find the following beside your selection: (1) a manufacturer’s suggested retail price MSRP (which, of course, is usually inflated), (2) the dealer invoice or how much the dealer paid the manufacturer for the car, minus all the overhead expenses like advertising, etc., (3) Kellys Blue Book New Car value, and (4) the optional-equipment price. You’ll want to compare the first three values just to see how much the differences are among them, if any. If your dealer’s asking price is near both Kellys Blue Book New Car value (the actual selling price of the car, which varies depending on region) and Kellys Blue Book dealer’s invoice, then your dealer is offering you the car at fair market prices. Remember though that a car’s fair market price is always lower than its MSRP. If the price offered you goes way beyond that, keep on bargaining. You might even get a price lower than Kellys Blue Book New car value or here’s an idea for you, just look for a new dealer and be sure to tell the current dealer that you’re going to do that. They might get more flexible on the price if they know you’re going to go to a competitor.

Order Kellys Blue Bk:

The Kellys Blue Book Used Car Guide is just as easy. Again, find your car of choice by sifting through the pages of the Kellys Blue Book for cars in the alphabetical list. Once you find your selection, you will have the following information: (1) Kellys Blue Book Retail value (or the average asking price by dealers around the country), (2) Kellys Blue Book Private-party value (or the estimated price you could expect to get for a car if you personally sold it to a private buyer), and (3) Kellys Blue Book Trade-in value (or the typical price that a dealer would offer you for your used car). Take note that the retail and trade-in prices are higher than private party values on Kellys Blue Book for cars because of the dealer’s overhead costs. Remember that there are many factors that can affect the final price of used cars (depreciation, for one, its current condition is another). And more often than not, the actual “selling” price is different than Kellys Blue Book Retail value.

Kellys Blue Book Online

If using Kellys Blue Book car prices in print is quick and easy, Kellys Blue Book for cars online is much, much simpler. With a simple click of a button, a huge array of blue book auto information becomes available to you within seconds. What’s more, the blue book car prices and information online get updated weekly. You only need to go to Kellys Blue Book website and select the type of car you want, whether new or used. For blue book values of new cars, click on the make and model then select your specific make or manufacturer (Toyota) and model (Corolla). You will then be asked to choose a specific model year together with a list of options (overview, pricing, photos, reviews, free price quote). Of course, if you want to know the Kellys Blue Book price, simply click the pricing tab. If you want the blue book car value for different versions or body trim of the car, for example, a car may be available in 4-door or 2-door or hatchback, etc., simply click in your selection. The Kellys Blue Book website will then show you pictures of your selection, its MSRP, the Kellys Blue Book dealer invoice price, and the Kellys Blue Book Price. If you type in your zip code, the available dealers selling the car in your area will also appear. It’s that easy!
Looking for the blue book value for a used car at Kellys Blue Book website is similar; you just have to click in a few more options. These steps are indicated on the page so all you have to do is just follow the same steps under the Kelly Blue Book Used Cars tab. For example, if you want a Toyota Corolla 2005 model, select 2005 as the specific year, Toyota for make and Corolla for model. Then select your Kellys Blue Book Value, whether trade-in, private party or blue book for cars suggested retail value. You will then be redirected to choose a specific version or body trim. Next, you will need to select your required equipment and mileage.

Don’t be overwhelmed with the number of selections, the standard items on the Kellys Blue Book page are already checked. You just need to modify or add more equipment as you see fit.

Finally, you have to choose your vehicle’s condition – from excellent to poor. Don’t worry if you really can’t distinguish the characteristics of each. Kelly Blue Book Used Cars condition category has a description provided below each. And if you still can’t decide, fill out a Kellys Blue Book condition quiz. The Kellys Blue Book website will then show you pictures of your selection and its pricing information to give you an idea of how much to sell or buy your car for. If you’re looking to buy just within your area, you can search the Kellys Blue Book local dealer listing by just clicking on the tab.

Keep in mind that the blue book values provided by Kellys Blue Book are not the final value of the car of your choice but only its fair Market Value. Use the information you gather from Kellys Blue Book only as a guide to determine the final price of your vehicle. You can sell (or buy) your car at a higher or lower price if you want. But if your target buyers are one of the millions who consult Kellys Blue Book, don’t expect a crowd asking for your car if you’ve got it priced too high.

*****

For the driver in all of us: Apply for the Discover® Open Road Card today! No messing around. The link goes directly to the application, it takes five minutes and it’s free to apply. So hurry on over.

Kellys Blue Book: How to Use It is a post from: Kellys-Blue-Bk.com