Black car in the heat? (Phoenix, Tempe: sale, rent, loan)

[martina26]

I have a black Volvo with about 70k miles and got totally ripped off by this mom-n-pop dealership and am $4k upsidedown. (not really part of my story but I am trying to pay it down and sell it before it has any major problems).

Now I will get to the point:

1. Will the extreme desert summer heat have any affect on this car? Such as damage it or cause engine problems? I am so upset over being upside down on my loan and am trying so hard to pay it down and am now worrying about spending more money on this car if the desert heat proves too much for it. Its a black car with black tinted windows and black leather interior.

I am trying to pay it down to private party sale and then buy a light colored cloth interior vehicle.

2. Will I even have a chance of selling a black car in Phoenix?

Sorry if this post sounds dumb, I am a girl who knows nothing about cars and just need some helpful advice

I am moving to Phoenix in December and am really excited but also having anxiety due to the move and my car.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by martina26

I have a black Volvo with about 70k miles and got totally ripped off by this mom-n-pop dealership and am $4k upsidedown. (not really part of my story but I am trying to pay it down and sell it before it has any major problems).

Now I will get to the point:

1. Will the extreme desert summer heat have any affect on this car? Such as damage it or cause engine problems? I am so upset over being upside down on my loan and am trying so hard to pay it down and am now worrying about spending more money on this car if the desert heat proves too much for it. Its a black car with black tinted windows and black leather interior.

I am trying to pay it down to private party sale and then buy a light colored cloth interior vehicle.

2. Will I even have a chance of selling a black car in Phoenix?

Sorry if this post sounds dumb, I am a girl who knows nothing about cars and just need some helpful advice

I am moving to Phoenix in December and am really excited but also having anxiety due to the move and my car.

He-he, black cars are certainly not particularly popular around here! If I were you, I'd get rid of it before moving. I don't think it'll get damaged (had a black car in the household for a few years due to the same reasons - from out of state), but you definitely won't be comfortable in it and it may be harder to sell it.

[Bummer]

No, Martina, you don't sound dumb but you do sound like you've been mislead.

Definitely, black vehicles do absorb more of the Desert Sun and Heat but, although it may make it more uncomfortable for the occupants, it has very little negative effect on the performance of the vehicle itself other than constantly looking dirty.

A well maintained Volvo with 70k miles should serve you well as long as you continue to maintain it but be prepared for a little higher than usual maintenance expenses. This is not unique because it has always been my feeling that most foreign vehicles tend to be more expensive to maintain in the long run.

Obviously you are unhappy with your Volvo because of the original purchase but how is it otherwise? I wouldn't take a substantial loss prior to moving merely because of the color. If selling is a possibility, go for it, but there are plenty of black vehicles here in Arizona.

I had a Black Beauty once and swore, NEVER AGAIN, but it was primarily due to the "always looks dirty" syndrome, not because it didn't perform well in the heat.

Good Luck!

[aj661]

I'd worry more about the mechanical condition of the car and not the color. I've had many dark colored vehicles here over the years and owned a black 1985 Mustang GT for eleven years. I'd still be driving it if a drunk in truck hadn't rear-ended it and almost killed my wife in 1996. It will get a few degrees hotter inside than a white car but ANY car parked in the sun here is going to get a little toasty in the summer. That's why God gave us a/c .

The color won't affect how it runs. Park in the shade. Get reflective window tint. Put a shade in the windshield when you park. Put a towel over the steering wheel before you get out. (Don't know what to say about black leather - gray would have looked better, sorry). Maybe gray cloth seat covers?

Look around: There are still a lot of black cars out here. Bummer's right (again)...the biggest problem with black is keeping it clean!

[TurcoLoco]

Black shows the dust, white shows the dirt that is about it. As Bummer and AJ661 already mentioned, the dark color will not cause it to run worse (remember Knight Rider? ...ok fine bad joke). How is the condition of the paint? If it is fading, etc. a new paint job might be wise too but if you can and want to sell it the way it is, then nevermind.

As far as selling it goes, it shouldn't be a problem especially if you are cute and do not refer to anything under the hood as "thingy"!

My windows are also factory tinted, especially the backdoors and the back window is like limo tint but as AJ661 emphasized, the darkness of the tin is one thing but it should also be the reflective kind. It makes a huge difference!

[uli2000]

Id get seat covers for the leather seats.

[aj661]

Okay, I have an excuse: I'm over 50, retired, bored, have no life anyway and can't sleep. So does martina26...she's worried sick about owning a black car.

But uli2000, Bummer, sierraAZ and that crazy Turkish Guy: Why are you people reading and posting about car colors on a FRIDAY NIGHT???? GET A LIFE!!! Or one of you rent some movies and I'll go buy some beer. This is really sad .

[joninaz]

Originally Posted by aj661

Okay, I have an excuse: I'm over 50, retired, bored, have no life anyway and can't sleep. So does martina26...she's worried sick about owning a black car.

But uli2000, Bummer, sierraAZ and that crazy Turkish Guy: Why are you people reading and posting about car colors on a FRIDAY NIGHT???? GET A LIFE!!! Or one of you rent some movies and I'll go buy some beer. This is really sad .

Best nights to go out are Sun-Thur... less crowded, better deals, more casual! Disclaimer: I went out earlier, but to the opening night of the Tempe Marketplace (friends dragged me there) and spent too much money and time on food, drinks, plus got sick of crowds and was home by midnight.

In any case, Martina, any car is going to get baked and any color leather is going to get hot. I moved here with a whitish leather car and it was brutal to get into after sitting in the summer sun. But it also depends on what your situation will be. If you have covered parking at home/work it makes a big difference. The direct sun is the killer. My ex-car was also a design that had a wide windshield and a big dashboard that seemed to be custom made for absorbing heat and required a half hour of full blast AC to cool down. As mentioned, tinting can help. It's like turning the oven down from 500 to 250. But in any case, you deal with it.

It sounds to me like the bigger issue is affordability. I don't know the details, but you should first weigh the cost of getting out of your current deal with a used car versus moving here and buying a new car (much more money) or a used car that might have its own problems beyond a propensity to heat up more quickly in the summer. Moving is expensive on many levels, so maybe its best not to take on a new burden until you've settled in a bit.

[country pride]

Originally Posted by martina26

I have a black Volvo with about 70k miles and got totally ripped off by this mom-n-pop dealership and am $4k upsidedown. (not really part of my story but I am trying to pay it down and sell it before it has any major problems).

Now I will get to the point:

1. Will the extreme desert summer heat have any affect on this car? Such as damage it or cause engine problems? I am so upset over being upside down on my loan and am trying so hard to pay it down and am now worrying about spending more money on this car if the desert heat proves too much for it. Its a black car with black tinted windows and black leather interior.

I am trying to pay it down to private party sale and then buy a light colored cloth interior vehicle.

2. Will I even have a chance of selling a black car in Phoenix?

Sorry if this post sounds dumb, I am a girl who knows nothing about cars and just need some helpful advice

I am moving to Phoenix in December and am really excited but also having anxiety due to the move and my car.

Actually, December is a good time to move to the Phx area. Sure beats moving in the summer. Heck, when we first came to Az, my kids and I moved to Northern Az in the middle of winter, lol, in a U-Haul pulling our van conversion. Snow and ice were issues on my paint and I didnt have a garage or carport.
As far as the colour of your car, well, those of us who have darker colours on our vehicles all know the concenquences. But I have cloth seat covers and limo tint, which helps a little with the interior. I wouldnt mind having my truck painted a few shades lighter (its a very dark gray) but have lived with it for over 2 years now...
The downside though, is scratches are more visible and how much dirtier it can look too. If you have a carport or garage, it helps to park in there as much as possible. Otherwise, you can simply make the best of owning something dark in Az, you wouldnt be the only one.

[Ponderosa]

I see lots of black cars these days. Many more than there used to be it seems. Black is big in California and half the people that move here come from there so maybe that is why. Anyway, I had a black truck once with black leather seats and it was no hotter IMO than the white one I have now. It was just impossible to keep clean. The water here is hard and the air very dry so when you wash the car, you have to dry it very, very fast to avoid water spots. Otherwise, black is cool.