A new study has confirmed what many parking lots already suggest, with American car buyers still overwhelmingly choosing white, black, gray, and silver. According to an iSeeCars study, grayscale colors now make up 80.4 percent of the US car market. That includes white, black, gray and silver, leaving much less room for brighter shades.
White is still the most popular car color in America, taking 25.7 percent of the market. Black follows at 23.4 percent, while gray sits close behind at 22.9 percent. Put those three together, and they account for roughly 72 percent of vehicles.
The biggest change over the past 30 years has been the rise of gray. In 1996, it made up just 3.6 percent of the market. By 2025, that had jumped to 22.9 percent, making it one of the clearest signs that buyers have moved toward safer, more neutral choices.
Blue is the most popular non-grayscale color, but even that only accounts for 9.1 percent of the market. Red has fallen much harder, dropping from 20.1 percent in 1996 to just 7.0 percent in 2025. Green has also slipped sharply, falling from 13.4 percent to 2.2 percent.
The only brighter color on the main list to gain ground is orange, although only slightly. It moved from 0.2 percent market share in 1996 to 0.3 percent in 2025, so it is still very much a niche choice.
Vehicle type makes a difference too, as trucks are the most grayscale-heavy category, with white leading the way. SUVs are similar, while passenger cars are now led by gray rather than white.
Sports cars are where buyers seem more willing to have a bit of fun. Non-grayscale colors make up 36.2 percent of sports cars, with shades like blue, yellow, purple, and orange gaining share.
Still, the overall picture is pretty clear — America’s roads are getting less colorful, and white, black, and gray are doing most of the heavy lifting.