Monday, August 15, 2022

Car Shopping

Audi A4 Allroad


A little while back I mentioned that I was car shopping. I ended up delaying my purchase because of the conventional wisdom that supply line issues would ease the second half of this year. Well, that didn't happen, so I've decided to take the plunge anyway. 

My current car is an Audi and I love it. Audi has just started taking orders on 2023 models, so I am going to order one - they are saying 6 months for delivery. It reminds me of when my family and I were living in Germany and my dad had a Jaguar custom built and it arrived just as we were moving back to the States and it came back on the ship with us. My dad had a picture of it being hoisted off the ship. My car will be built in Germany and come over by ship.


Jaguar Mark II Sedan


I love luxury wagons - I had a navy blue Volvo V90 that I loved and my current car is a black Audi wagon. I have decided on an Audi Allroad that is an elevated luxury wagon that can be driven off road.

So I have scheduled a meeting at Audi Sarasota this week. My biggest issue is the color. I have always loved dark cars. I have had graphite gray, hunter green, navy blue, and black. But in South Florida, dark cars are very hot. My current Audi is black exterior and black leather interior. Hot!!!!

So I am trying to talk myself into a white car. I grew up in the Chicago area where nobody drove white cars and then lived in DC for ages where dark sedans were the look. One of my guys who works for me here calls my Audi "The Beast" i.e. the black cars the President rides in. LOL.

Here is the Audi Allroad below in white.


Audi A4 Allroad

I am test driving both the Audi A4 Allroad and the A6 Allroad. My backup if I can't talk myself into a white is a silver.

I am really getting to like the color white in general here in South Florida - my house is white stucco and the interior is painted in an off white.

I learned that studies show that using white or silver paint instead of black paint raise fuel economy, decreases carbon dioxide emissions, and reduce other automotive emissions.

Air conditioning in cars not only decreases fuel economy but also increases tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. In this sense, cool-color cars influence both the driver and the planet.

Any input from those of you who live in hot climates would be great. Color exterior? Color interior? What color interior with white? With silver? And have any of you been through the car buying experience lately? Many manufacturers like BMW and Audi have decided to stay with this new business model where there are few cars on the lot and you order your car to be custom made. The order time will be less when supply line issues ease, but they do not plan to go back to the old days of their lots filled with cars.

At any rate, please share any thoughts.




47 comments:

  1. We live in Texas---a very hot climate and usually have light color cars. We always have light interiors as well.

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  2. I am currently looking for an Audi Q5 with a black or white exterior and an Atlas Beige interior. The beige interiors look so elegant IMHO.

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  3. We lived in Houston for 15 years and drove an Audi A4. It was silver with dark gray interiors. All car interiors get quite hot in Houston so local drivers tend to use the windshield reflector screens to mitigate the heat inside the car. That said, we were pretty comfortable in our silver Audi. Light gray interiors might have helped a bit.

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    1. Houston weather is intense. The silver with gray sounds pretty. My husband had that in a BMW.

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  4. Go with White or light colored with pale interior. Black will be very hot. I was reared in south Texas and have always driven a white car, less one. Just makes sense in a hot climate like Texas or Florida. I did change once for a Black Lexus LS 500L. It was a true luxury to drive, but hot in summer.

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    1. I completely agree. I have had an all black car in Florida for 3 years.

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  5. Go WHITE or Silver. In South GA weather is also HOT - so my interior on BMW X3 is Chamois tan. Would NEVER have BLACK exterior or interior. AS - I am one who tries to distance myself from going "for the look" ;)

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    1. Black interior and exterior is my favorite, but definitely not Florida friendly.

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  6. I live in California. White with tan or silver with gray.

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  7. I have lived in Sarasota County for 40 years and have driven a dark Mercedes for 35 of those years - Charcoal Gray, Navy, and two black ones. My husband has always driven a white truck. I think hot is hot, no matter the color. Buy what you like.

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    1. I agree. I’m in central Fl and drive a black Mercedes wagon with a light beige interior. It doesn’t seem any warmer to me than my husbands white Audi with a beige interior. As you said, hot is hot!

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    2. Dark colors do absorb heat. I have decided a light color might fun for a change, but black will always be my favorite. I am keeping my black Audi too.

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  8. Love those old Jaguars!

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  9. I have white in south Florida, I love it, but I can not find my car easily in a parking lot. Everyone has white, silver or gray!

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  10. North Carolina here. I always drive white cars for a few reasons: it is cooler (tan interior), safer because it’s easier to see and I know I won’t get tired of it. Gray ones are hard to see in the rain. Good think.

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    1. I really feel white is safer and agree it is easier to see.

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  11. What about a light blue car with a tan or white interior? A while back you posted a picture of a vintage BMW that, I thought, was a beautiful shade of blue. I drive a black luxury sedan with a black interior, and although it looks very elegant, it gets very hot in the Summer months. I live in CA, so I don't experience temperatures as hot as people do that live in the south and southwest, but it can still be unpleasant here. Some automobiles look terrific in certain colors, but not so in others - just like people, I suppose. I have to agree with Anonymous - buy what you love. You won't regret it.

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    1. You can't find light blue nowadays. I had a light blue BMW and Jaguar but back in the day. Car colors have become limited and a bit dull.

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  12. Blondes go better with white cars. 😊 Tan interior.

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  13. I love white cars!! That’s all I drive. I live in Charleston,SC so I understand the hot car problem, Also, on my last car, i had the ceramic coating put on-LOVE IT!!!!! Always looks clean and shiny and not more having it waxed! Consider having the light interior as well, you’ll love it! PS I love Audi’s too-they are under that VW, Porsche, Bentley,etc they have a long history on building great products!!

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    1. I was wondering about the ceramic coating. That's great to know.

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  14. I also love white, and you're smart to be ordering now. Black cars are going to be way less popular because it's quickly becoming hotter everywhere.

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  15. Texas girl here. I love luxury SUVs and all of mine have either been pearly white or silver/pewter tone. My current car has creamy-colored leather interior, but it's just me who uses the car, so it stays clean and cool. It's such a feminine, sophisticated look, IMO. And it's comfortable in this heat!

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    1. I had a Jaguar with white leather interior, but was always terrified when a passenger had jeans on or a black leather jacket because as you know, the dye can transfer.

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  16. I am a part-time Naples resident. I drive a Volvo XC40, gray with a light beige leather interior. The light interior stays so much cooler than a black one. Regardless of your exterior color, go light with your interior.

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  17. White, white, white here in South Florida! Tan interior. Looks classy.
    Seems the majority of higher end cars here are white. I never noticed that until someone pointed that out to me.

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    1. I think the majority of cars here are white regardless of price point. White with tan is a nice choice.

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  18. Hi Beth, my only comment is to make sure you choose the air cooled seat option. I neglected to add that to my black leather seats when I purchased my car and regret it every summer!

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  19. A light color interior will prolong the car’s life in south Florida. The heat alone can crack the dashboard and leather seats over time.

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    1. My car is garaged 99% of the time, but I do think a light interior will be cooler.

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  20. Beth, I live in the Northern VA/DC area like you used to. I love my Jaguar F-Pace in British Racing Green. I agree that dark cars are the way to go in DC. I would switch to a lighter color in Florida. White or silver would blend well with the tropical architecture. You’re blog is beginning to convince me to consider moving south once my kids are done with college. I hate cold winters, but I love my cozy sweaters for fall!

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    1. I had two Jaguars and loved them. They lost me when they got rid of the jaguar hood ornament. I loved Alexandria and never wanted to leave and strangely enough I like it here even more.

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  21. I was living in Chicago also! I will only drive Black Mercedes-Benz Sedan made in Germany. it drives beautiful in the Hamptons and NYC, Al

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    1. Were you at Marshall Fields? You can't beat German cars.

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  22. People in the USA love driving their Cars, Al

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  23. I think yours is a great problem to have......I have always been partial to white cars here in Texas, although I stepped outside my comfort zone on my current one and purchased silver with a light dove gray leather interior, I'm really happy with it. I also purchased a special windshield screen made especially for my model vehicle which perfectly fits mine so that I can keep some of the heat out of the car when I am out running errands. It is hotter than hell here in Dallas and I have to do SOMETHING!. Good luck on your choices.....just remember: you don't have to keep it forever.....you can always sell it and buy a different color if white or silver turns out not to be your cup of tea.

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    1. I get very attached to my cars. I am even keeping my current Audi because I can't bear to get rid of it.

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  24. I have lived in the deep South my entire adult life and my number one car color pick is always white. I did grow up in DC and cars used to be dark- always! I had a dark car twice (one a dark green Land Rover) and I will never go dark again. I love that it is actually environmentally friendly to have a light colored car! My current car is white - I don't believe they show dirt any more than a black car - it's just "different dirtiness" that shows on white vs. black!! LOL

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    1. My problem with white cars is not dirt, nothing shows dirt more than black. I just don't find white cars to be elegant. I'm trying....

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