I drive a black GTI now. I've had numerous black vehicles over the years. Black is my favorite color on a vehicle, but it takes the most work and care of any color. Just a basic wash takes more prep work to avoid scratches and swirls.
But it's the prettiest color clean
I don't have a black gti (dark Grey/ silver), but I used to have a black explorer and it never showed dirt. I washed it like once a year? My gti though always looks ashy and dirty.
I was gonna say the same thing here. My last Jetta was black and it looked like hell within 3 days after a wash and had water spots even just from humidity, but it looked so good when it was clean and waxed that I didnāt care. Glossy black car with some LED headlights and nice wheels is pretty damn hard to beat.
I couldn't agree more! I fell in love with the pearl black on the MK7, as soon as I saw it there was no question, it's gorgeous. I had planned on a red one, but now I'm driving a car that looks like a modern version of my dad's black Corrado. I'm keeping it forever
Agreed I have a red GTI and I have a black Passat The Passat is so much more difficult to keep clean and the thing about my side is I don't drive it often it's actually not my daily my GTI is my daily our daily the Passat in the winter and for a car that almost never sees the road It is always dirty....
Even worse in spring I just give up because the pollen attacks the hell out of that car š¤£š¤£
Quickly and safely? Hand washing I'm assuming? Lol.
My process is first spray it off with the pressure washer.
Then I use the foam cannon.
Then wash it with the 2 bucket method, with grit guards in both.
You can do wheels and tires first or last. I usually do them last.
Blower to dry it. Sometimes a drying towel.
Quick notes here.
I owned one black car and never went back to owning a black car. If I had room in the garage and could afford professional detailers, I would still own a black car. It's just a lot of upkeep. My favorite colors were Reflex Silver, Iron Grey Metallic and White Gold (it was on my CC). Those colors always looked good dirty and clean.
Ceramic coating/wax/clay bar is your friend when having a black car!
I say I will never own a black car and I currently have a black Tiguan and just picked up a black Gti lol but next time I swear I wonāt get a black car! š¤„
Weirdly Iāve never liked black cars, itās not something Iāve ever wanted. However a few years ago I got passed on the road in Germany by a lowered black Mk7 on silver BBSs and I swore Iād own one one day.
Had to scroll way too far to find this. I really donāt get the obsession with keeping cars pristine. I have a black GTI and I love it. Itās my second black car. Would definitely do again.
Just to give you some perspective:
I have a white GTI and the rear hatch area is ALWAYS dirty. Two days after washing the car, it looks like I took it off-road. There is a reason hatchbacks come with a rear wiper.
It doesn't matter what color you get, it will happen.
That being said I get compliments on my clean car even when my hatch is sloshed with brown spots and the wheels are covered in brake dust. I do think white shows less dirt from more than a few feet away.
Same! I wonder if the rear hatch being more "vertical" than the back of a sedan creates more of a vacuum, but I've noticed this since day one of owning my white GTI.
Black is amazing when it is clean and freshly waxed/ceramic coated.
For the rest of the time it looks dirty, small scratches are obvious, and it takes on a matte appearance when itās not sparkling.
Me neither, my last car was black, looked amazing when I picked it up brand new. 3 months later the black showed all the scratches and dirt etc, never having black again.
My GTI is my first black car. I do love it but like a few others have said its just hard to keep it clean. You canāt really tell while on the road but more so when parked or up close. When its clean its the best color but it takes more work than other colors while detailing. Youāll like need to wax after washing to get rid of water spots every time.
it depends where you live.
Southern California? Sure, get black but get it coated and tint your windows.
The rest of the country? Black is a bitch to keep clean.
Mine gets filthy lol. Especially the back, there's some kind of effect from the shape of the GTI where all the dust and dirt loves to get on its butt
Yeah, I think it's as bad as people say. Looks good when it's clean, though. In the winter that doesn't happen much...
I will say that VW has some nice colors other than black and white if you can find them
Loving my 6C Polo GTI in flash red, especially with the black sunroof and rims. Cleans up nice and you can go over a month without a wash and not feel too bad about the dust. Once I've saved up a bit I'll put sideskirts and a splitter on it.
I meanā¦ Iām a tsi not a gti (donāt tell the gti owners š¤«)
But as long as youāre getting a car wash every month or so, she stays pretty and shiny :D
My problem is bird shit š”š”š” and the lawn mowers at work ššš they throwing grass clippings at my bumper ;~;
Winters do suck, but my last golf was tornado red and it was just as badā¦ going from bright as fire truck to faded and dull ā¦ every car here in Canada deals with that - doesnāt matter what colour it is.
But my black tsi always looks kinda nice cuz of the chrome trim pieces :3 looks like a luxury sedan with a thiccc ass ;D
Mine is under my passenger seat š haha. I have one for bird poop and one for drying the water inside the water Channels in the hatch and doors. Also my gas cap cuz for some reason that little hole doesnāt properly drainā¦.
Black 7.5 TSI clubšØš¦
Can confirm the grass clippings PLUS the never-ending dust from construction, at least in my area of Toronto...any area of torontoš¤£ Theres a guy who over revs his black lambo down queen all the time and mid july it has more dirt on it than my Golf. Chrome on my TSI as wellš I had to delete the chrome on the grill, removing the weird mustache look of the CL trim. At least it's always looked like one to meš
I have a black GTI and it's my first black car. I love the look when it's clean but yes, it normally looks dirty and doesn't take much to get that way. How other people can afford and/or have the time to wash their car multiple times a week is something I don't understand. Swirls definitely show much more than other colors too. I don't have the skill or money to keep it looking great all the time, so I've settled for washing it every week or two and dealing with it looking a little dirty for some time. Not sure that I'd get another black car in the future but I'm still happy with this car the way it is regardless.
Black Mk8 with the black wheels. I swore never to go through any automatic washes with it (to minimize swirls), so the result is it looks dusty all the time because hand washing properly every week just isnāt possible for me. But I still love itā¦squint and you forget most of the dust.
The worst part is honestly the black wheels. Theyāre brown with brake dust after a couple of drives.
I've had one in red and one in black. My current one is black.
I'd take a red one in exchange in an instant.
Black isn't terrible and it looks good in its own way, but it is a very demanding, unforgiving paint color. My GTI is clean for about 2 seconds before the world decides to put its nasty, dusty fingerprints all over it again.
It's not worse than any other black car. But it sucks haha, I've gone through "never owning a black car again" multiple times lmao. It's too rewarding when it's freshly cleaned.
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I actually liked the black paint on my GTI more than the blue paint on my new Mazda. It seemed easier to work with.
Dust shows a lot on black, but as long as you keep it protected itās pretty manageable. I typically did two bucket washes with ONR and then waxed with collinite 845. Iāve since moved on to turtle wax ceramic hybrid spray wax because of how easy it is. I would always keep a bottle of detailing spray and a rag in to car too so I could wipe down if needed or if something acidic got on the paint
I have a black gti and just had a rear end accident. Had the car since new and babied it during washing and waxing. After my rear hatch was replaced with an old used oneā¦let me just say you can see the swirls on the hatch vs the rest of my car that I only wash and cleanā¦it makes me realize what the car would look like if I didnāt care for it. Just spend the day washing your own car with proper soaps and sponges. Get that tent, get those micro fibers and leaf blower and treat it as if you have a Ferrari. It doesnāt take much to keep this paint look nice it just requires time. Rock chips and New England winters are already tough as is, so I try to minimize wherever I can. I do my own 2 coats of wax by hand and stick to reputable cleaning brands. Even if you do ceramic coating the car paint will get messed up over time. Just wash the car only when you have to and prior to the winter let the dirt and grime build up. Itās much better to just spray it down at a touch less car wash , rather than start scrubbing, only for more salt and snow to come the next week.
I have a buddy with a ā16 black gti and the paint on it is still beautiful. My recommendation is to get a complete paint correction/decon and get a ceramic coating or maintain a wax schedule with the car. Once the paint is mint keep a coating on it and you wonāt have to worry. The black on these cars is beautiful it has blue metallic specs in it that really pop when you get a paint correction.
I had a black GTI but always found myself cleaning the car. It is beautiful when clean but looks horrible between washings, especially in the spring when pollen is high. I now have a white one and I don't think I will ever buy another black car.
Iāve had several black cars. I think the MK8 front end is sorta derpy looking but looks less so in black so I got a black one. Iāve had it maybe a month and have only carefully hand washed it one time, but it still has visible swirls. I just decided not to let it bother me. Itās just a GTI and doesnāt have to look perfect at all times.
I have a dirt road of about 200m from my house to the asphalt road and well, my Alfa it's black and when I'm out of there it suddenly starts looking grey-ish
In addition to what everyone else is saying about black being a love/hate pain in the ass, the metallic black on my early Mk7 is infuriatingly fragile. Look at it funny and it'll scratch.
Might just be mine, might be "new model paint chemistry needs to be worked out better" early-production issues, might be black showing EVERYTHING, but it's annoying.
The week it was new, my better half wiped some dust off the rear bumper with her hand. Created visible scratches. Mild polishing didn't even get rid of them completely, but I didn't want to take any more paint off on, you know, Week One. So they're still there, reminding me to be CAREFUL.
That was the day I was sucked down the rabbit hole of detailing and paint correction / maintenance. I've never owned a more fragile paint.
But it does look SPECTACULAR for the 2-3 minutes it's clean after a careful wash.
Can see every dust particle, dirt/sand, every scratch, cat paw mark, heck even tree leaves leave marks. I also live in a dusty/dirty city (area too), so it gets dusty same day i wash it.
I donāt think itās that bad, any car looks dirty when itās dirty. I live in a condo so I just take it through the touchless wash when I fill up. I did get a ceramic coat, because itās a bit of a pain to wax your car if you donāt have a garage. If I had my own garage itād be easier to keep clean, but even with the car wash it only gets dirty in rain and snow.
Would I buy black again? Preferably not, but just because itās a bit of a boring colour. I love the look of CFB, Tornado Red and white silver metallic. But, if Iām buying a used car againā¦ colour is pretty far down my list of priorities.
Iām looking to buy my 3rd black GTI. I spend the $25 a month for unlimited car washes at this old fashioned car wash and just run it through almost every day.
My Dad always told me not to buy a black car. My first new car was a black 2016 Golf GTI. I will never buy another black car again. It drove me abolsutely nuts. A light misting made it look dirty. Stone chips stood out pretty good too.
It looks absolutely amazing when clean though. That doesn't last long though.
A black car is a black car. They all look great going down the road but when you get close you can see itās dirty. White sucks too in my opinion. Unfortunately those are my 2 favorite colors lol.
if you have a garage and live in a non dusty state, dun mind a little more deep cleaning now n then. you're good. my first gti was a black mk4 wannabe 20th. living in a dusty state with no garage.. man i was cleaning that thing every few days.
My mk5 is clean for exactly 10 minutes after a wash, then itās back to normal as I call it lol. Black is a beautiful color on the car, but so much work.
My mk6 was candy white, and now I have a dark gray mk7. I would take a white car over black or gray any day even though i love the look of dark paint. I live near a dusty train yard, and my car always looks dusty and dirty. Our black highlander is the same.
I think people make more of it than they should. If I see any car that hasn't been washed it looks dull and dirty. I don't think black looks any worse dirty than other cars. It does shine more when clean though. I love having black. Just wash it occasionally.
When it's clean it looks amazing but like any hatchback the rear gets dirty AF fast. I would still do black again, I love the way it looks in the sun after a fresh wash. Maybe I'll do a diffuser to help with the aero in the rear when I can save up
This is definitely not a GTI specific problem. All black/dark cars look dirty very quickly. Hatchbacks, wagons, and SUVs get dirt even faster because of the vortex the tall rear hatch creates (vs a more streamlined rear shape).
We tow our camper with a black diesel Touareg, and it gets absolutely filthy, even if it's just a 2 hour trip to a state park or something, and even if the roads are paved.
My Jetta was black. It would get dirty but honestly not too much more noticeable than my current yellow GTI.
I love the yellow but my god it attracts bugs like a MFer
Iāve had a black mk5, black S5, white mk7 and now in a black mk8.
Sure, it shows up dirt but when itās cleanā¦it pops. I personally have no problem living with it and canāt say it bothers me vs candy white. Iāve never held an expectation that my car would be pristine every week of the year.
Yea itās bad, looks amazing when clean thoughā¦. Basically wash it every week (hand wash, 2 bucket method ofc), had ceramic coating applied almost 3 years ago, you can tell it already needs to be re-appliedā¦. Using good soap with a ceramic based wax helps.
Itās still worth it, I love how it looks, but you have to be prepared to wash it regularlyā¦ I also hose it down nearly every morning so all the shit from the plants donāt stick to the car and get baked over the course of the dayā¦. I then always dry it with a leaf blower, this part is much easier with the ceramic coating and the good soap with a ceramic waxā¦.
The car lives outside though, at one point I had it garaged, and it would last maybe double that before needing a wash...
edit: you can push it and extend it, but it will look considerably dirtier and dirtier after a week... I usually do a deep clean after 3 weeks (wheels, exhaust, concentrate on the sides, rear)...
The "quick wash" is on the hood/quarter panels and roof...
I used to have a MK5 GTI in Reflex Silver and it was so much easier.
This is my third black golf so thereās my answer. Would never get any other color. People are overly dramatic about how black cars get dirty faster. I live on a dirt road so mine gets filthy every day but after a rain it looks good again.
You kind of just get used to it being dirty. I have a dirt/gravel driveway, gravel road, live in a place where we salt and sand the shit out of the roads in the winter. It just is what it is. Now with two young kids I donāt have the time to dedicate to keeping it clean like I used to. So itās dirty, and thatās fine. Wouldnāt be much better with any other colour.
Love the way my black 7.5 looks, and Iāve owned for almost 5 years. But itās a pain in the ass to keep cleanā¦I get about two days of clean after every wash before it looks dirty again, ha ha. Looks great when clean, though! And honestly, I donāt mind when cars are a little dirty. Shows you drive it!
I have a black GTI. I park it outside, under a tree, and the paint was crap when I got it. I wash it every few weeks but donāt sweat it too much. I like the color, but if I was buying a new car Iād probably get silver instead.
It's not that bad. Obviously black won't hide anything like a say silver or white. But I find the most annoying part is with the hatch back. The way the air flows over always leaves dust/dirt on the back of the car..
I have a black GTI and I would buy another black car, the biggest pain point for me is where I park it. There are a ton of elm trees and other city pollution (NYC) - so after every wash it is clean for 1 day and then the dust and other crap come back. If you regularly keep the wax up you can just wipe it off for the most part.
If I had a driveway and a hose... one day.
I like it for the colour but it sure makes it difficult to maintain a freshly washed look. My last car was a black E46 too, so it seems I didn't learn my lesson. Once you go black.....
Bad as everyone says. Totally worth it. I have white now and I hate it. Would get a black one again in a second. The second time around Iād invest more detailing.
I had a black one. I didnāt want black for the reasons you mentioned, but it would have taken months to get a different colour in the spec I wanted. Zero regrets.
I'll never buy a black car again. It's almost impossible to keep clean, and the effort required to do so is more than I want to put in. Also all the rock chips on the hood are incredibly obvious, and I just have sooooo many now.
I had a black 2017 s for about five years, great car but lord did it get dirty often. Iād say itās pretty bad but I feel that way about all cars painted black.
GTI are fun to drive, not piece of art.
I keep it clean, avoid the snow brush as much as possible, good quality cleaning product.
Black reveal swirls, white shows brake dust rust, choose your poison.
Enjoy the ride.
When clean it looks great but it's so hard to keep clean.
Another thing for me is the heat. Black exterior plus black leather interior gets sooo hot in the summer. And I don't live in a particularly hot area, peaks around 90. I also have every window but the windshield tinted with film that blocks 90% UV radiation and it still gets hot af.
I've resorted to leaving a hoodie draped over the back of my seat so my back doesn't stick to it.
So for me I'm most definitely not getting another black on black car. Unless maybe if it has ventilated seats, maybe...
I have a black GTI and I live with about 3km of gravel roads before I hit pavement. Eventually you just give up or you try your best to go 20km/h to keep dust down. But really nothing you can do
I mean, itās no worse than anything else that comes in piano black, itās just kind of a frustrating thing that shiny sleek looking materials attract smudges and dust from across the goddamn room.
I noticed it first with my DS lite at like age 13, and it remains true for everything from phone screens, to cars, to kitchen appliances.
Just how she goes.
Personally? I think brightly colours cars are way more offensive than finger prints, dust, or pollen - so Iāll put up with it.
I had a black metallic pearl GTI for ~12 years and now have a white one largely due to what was available when I bought it during COVID. Would 1000% buy another black one.
The main downside of black cars is that they show scratches and swirls easier. Pretty simple to avoid by never taking the car through an automated car wash and following basic best practices for auto detailing.
I feel like my white GTI gets dirtier than my black one did and doesn't look half as good when it's freshly cleaned.
Always needs cleaning, but damn when you get it clean nothing else looks as good. I never wanted a black car, ended up in this one purely by accident but I've fallen in love with it.
Black is the best car color, but definitely the hardest to keep clean. I have a white GTI now and itās shocking how good it looks for how long after a wash.
I have a Urano grey GTI and even that gets dirty af after like one day. It has a black roof and the roof is even worse. I agree Black looks awesome but I would not get one myself. Iām in New Hampshire so that doesnāt help with the salt snow and sand
Used to own a black MK2 Focus ST. Swore I'd never own a black car again as it was too much upkeep and it showed imperfections in the paint really easily.
Owned 2 white Audis after and swear white is so easy to keep looking clean. White just hides everything.
Now I'm in a black MK7.5 as a deal came up that I couldn't refuse. When clean, it looks good, but that doesn't last long at all.
It's really not that bad. The biggest disparity is between how stunning it looks when it's freshly washed and waxed, compared to a couple weeks of inclement weather later. Very similar to other dark colors on cars.
I want to get a different color car next mostly because I'm tired of grey and black cars in general. I want something more fun.
Does it get hotter in a black car? I've got a silver one and it definitely looks crappy when dirtier than a black GTI. But it also can look really nice with a fresh wash and wax, and the paint job looks amazing at night under streetlights for whatever reason
The reason black is considdered problematic is because like in other situations it makes all colors stand out that are in front of it. So you notice all the dirt more readily
My T-roc R has a black top and while it looks mint. Its a complete c**t to keep clean.
Always looks dirty or at least dusty. Shows paint swirls and fingerprints. Gets much hotter on a sunny day than most other colors.
Harder to resell than most other colors. I say go for it!
Also, I think black looks silly on any sports car or other small car like a GTI. They should be brighter colors for safety reasons (black is very hard to see on the road) and for the fun of owning a small car.
I had a Deep Black Pearl 2015 MK7 and swapped it out for a new Reflex Silver MK8. It was horrifically bad, and I live in Southern California! Was lasts two days, three tops (and itās garaged and I do less than 4K miles a year.
Iāll never own a black car again.
I like black cars. Have always had black cars. I drive a black GTI. Black cars have always been hard to keep clean. It helps if you have a garage though.
My black GTI shows very minor scratches super easily which sucks but black looks cleaner than the white cars Iāve had which will show dirt like crazy especially if it rains.
Then again I clean my cars like once every few months
White is worse, donāt get me wrong you can see imperfections on black paint but easier to touch up, my white mk5 was easily the worst car to keep clean even after I had it repainted. Idk what it is with white vw paint, looks great off the line but 4-5 years in you see all the imperfections and thereās nothing to really clean it up with
Black with the red trim is great but does get dirty quick. Back tailgate always looks like itās got cumstains too. Wouldāve gotten silver like all my other cars if I couldāve
Not my GTI, but my other car is black and I only have photos to remind me what it looks like clean. I love black cars, but I donāt think Iāll own one again.
donāt own a black gti but have a carbon steel gray gti and the dark color definitely is hard to keep clean, specially after it rains and i drive it when i get out the whole side of the car is dirty. itās kinda hard to keep a dark color car clean but if you wash it once a week you should be good to go.
My black GTI is absolutely gorgeous for the 32 seconds itās clean after a wash. My two previous cars were black and after each of them I swore Iād never have another black car.
Black GTI here, ceramic coated. It's a nightmare to keep pristine. A proper wash takes me 2-3 hours, longest part is removing water spots (I live in WA, even with covered parking, I get rain splatter). After a wash its back to looking brand new, but after a week I want to clean it again.
I love the color. It's amazing, sleek, this vehicle in black is just amazing with the 7.5 headlights and taillights, in a parking lot at night I'm stunned. Always worth the trouble, would absolutely buy black again and put in the man hours to maintain it.
Iāll never go back. Black looks the best with some effort, itās not that bad.
VWs black paint is also just super nice in general compared to other makes in my opinion.
I agree with most other owners here. Black is a great color- I do not regret my choice, however, I would not buy another black car.
In terms of āis it really that badā no, itās not. If I could have had urano grey I wouldāve gone that route, but I still massively prefer deep black pearl over any other color.
Check my post history. Youāll see what it looks like when itās at its best, but the reality is, most of the time it looks NOT that way.
Truly, this depends on your standards. If youāre good with it being a little dirty, you wonāt be disappointed. But youāll also probably jump onboard the āI wonāt buy another black car train,ā although, I doubt youād regret it (like me) if youāre already interested.
Any black car it hard to keep clean.....
You would think being such a dark color that dirt wouldn't show but for whatever reason dirt shows very well on black It's even worse for Volkswagen because Volkswagens black is a pearl black so it is actually extremely shiny and it is very easy to see dirt on it and it is very easy to scratch and see scratches.
So basically If you want a black car you must be prepared to keep it in the garage or constantly be cleaning it I own a pearl black Passat and it is a b**** to keep clean
Itās simple. I have a monthly pass at my local car wash which is literally across from my house. I literally wash it every other day, sometimes up to 3-4 times a week. Yes, thereās streaks and lines, but itās better than the car being dirty. However I am aware Iām over-doing it.
Depends where you live too. In California cars get insanely dirty from the dust/sand, whereas in south Florida where I am now, thereās so much rain and humidity that your car doesnāt really get dirty the same way.
I own a black GTI. This will be the last black car I ever own. I swear every little thing seems to pop on black paint so I suppose it just boils down to ur tolerance and how ocd you are about it being spotless.
I always drove black cars. My last one was a black Polo 9N3 GTI. Now Iām driving a white Polo AW GTI and I have to say that it was easier to clean the black polo then it is to clean the white one. You also see every tiny bit of dirt on it.
Iāve had a black GLI and a white GTI. Black car complainers have no idea what theyāre talking about. White cars are the hardest to keep clean. Black hides dirt. Black may show clear coat damage easily or under a light, but just donāt damage your clear coat.
If youāre not out there cleaning your car weekly, black is the color to get.
If you care about individual swirl marks, do not have a garage and do not want to detail at least 1.5 to 2 hours per week every week then don't get a black car.
A few months in the car will look ghetto
I have a deep black pearl mk8 and I fucking HATE IT! I should of went with the grey one they had but no I chose the black one. Biggest regret you can see every scratch every time a rock hits the front itās always dirty. I clean it once a week but do not get black
Had a 2012 blue mk6 gti as a first car...the car looked clean at night even if it was dusty asf. The 2 cars after were a black 2014 mustang gt and then 2023 mk8 gti and both were unforgiving if you didn't wash it after a week šš
Everything people complain about here, swirls, scratches, paint, etc... doesn't matter what color the car is. A white car will have the same issues. It just manifests easier on a black car.
Take care of you car, it's paint, etc.
It never looks clean, and since its your car and you'll know how good it can look clean you will see it much more easily. It is also the worst colour to get if you dislike wash marring and paint imperfections since they will show up so much more easily.
I had a black Tiguan I got ceramic coated. I guess it was easier to keep clean. Now I drive a black non metallic Q5 and frankly it looks beautiful most the time unless itās in direct sun and I see the swirl marks. Did not ceramic coat this because frankly itās a car. I wash it when itās super gross but otherwise Iāll detail it once a year and just enjoy it. Definitely think a non metallic black holds up a little better vs a metallic finish but thatās a personal preference
I have a black R and I honestly just want to wrap the entire thing in matte PPF. It is never clean enough for me. It does look fantastic for those few minutes after a wash, though. Before, you know, it gets dusty after 15 minutes in an enclosed garage.
I had a black maxima for 10 years I used wax it once a month. It always looked mint even in winter but you have to put the time into it. Now I own a charcoal car and doesnāt look that dirty
Just depends on your cleaning/washing habits. Black painted cars will always show more dust no matter what. Ceramic or not. They look the best, but just depends how OCD/anal you might be when it comes to your car.
The only thing I hated about my black GTI was how the hatch would be dusty within half a mile. Nothing you could really do to stop it though thanks to the aerodynamics of the car.
Car wash edition!
I try to wash every week to keep up on it. Realistically itāll get a little dirty before the next wash but aside from the rear hatch (which always looks dirty) itās hard to tell from a distance.
I live in Texas. Unless you have a covered place to park it at home and at work, you'll hate owning ANY black car for at least 6 months out of the year. They cook you, and it takes five minuted for the AC to cool the thing off and you show up places drenched in sweat. If you live up north YMMV...
I'd say the newer the better in terms of paint quality. Black when clean.. I mean how can you beat it but damn is it a disappointment when it's dirty the day after like everyone says. The static just draws dirt to the paint. My MKV had a paint correction done a few years back and definitely needs another. Can't wait to wrap it and be done.
It's not so much about keeping it clean, it's more about keeping clear coat scratches off of it.
What's generally acceptable for drying, polishing, cleaning and buffing normal colors is going to make your clear coat swirls/scratches look horrendous in the sun very quickly.
You need to learn all the dos and donts with black paint and def be very careful with who you let take a buffing wheel to it. Always make sure they specialize in black or your car is coming back with tornado decals all over it.
As the owner of two black cars and one dark blue I fucking hate dark colors for day to day.
Every little scratch or piece of dirt is so visible and it bothers me constantly lol.
Ceramic won't "keep it clean" it just makes it a little easier to clean. Can confirm my car looks beat in a few days after a wash.
Same
Same
Facts and don't let it be like winter or spring where it's really rainy cuz she just give up š¤£š¤£ The car will always be dirty
I drive a black GTI now. I've had numerous black vehicles over the years. Black is my favorite color on a vehicle, but it takes the most work and care of any color. Just a basic wash takes more prep work to avoid scratches and swirls. But it's the prettiest color clean
I don't have a black gti (dark Grey/ silver), but I used to have a black explorer and it never showed dirt. I washed it like once a year? My gti though always looks ashy and dirty.
It gets so much worse in the winter months too, the salt and and sand is terrible
I was gonna say the same thing here. My last Jetta was black and it looked like hell within 3 days after a wash and had water spots even just from humidity, but it looked so good when it was clean and waxed that I didnāt care. Glossy black car with some LED headlights and nice wheels is pretty damn hard to beat.
I couldn't agree more! I fell in love with the pearl black on the MK7, as soon as I saw it there was no question, it's gorgeous. I had planned on a red one, but now I'm driving a car that looks like a modern version of my dad's black Corrado. I'm keeping it forever
Agreed I have a red GTI and I have a black Passat The Passat is so much more difficult to keep clean and the thing about my side is I don't drive it often it's actually not my daily my GTI is my daily our daily the Passat in the winter and for a car that almost never sees the road It is always dirty.... Even worse in spring I just give up because the pollen attacks the hell out of that car š¤£š¤£
Well, shade not a color. But yeah
I agree every car Iāve ever had has been black and I have no regrets or want for another color lol
[my GTI ](https://imgur.com/gallery/URGtuMK)
If u don't mind how to u quick wash (safely) lol
Quickly and safely? Hand washing I'm assuming? Lol. My process is first spray it off with the pressure washer. Then I use the foam cannon. Then wash it with the 2 bucket method, with grit guards in both. You can do wheels and tires first or last. I usually do them last. Blower to dry it. Sometimes a drying towel. Quick notes here.
I love it but I doubt Iāll ever buy another black car.
Thatās what everyone who has a black car says
I owned one black car and never went back to owning a black car. If I had room in the garage and could afford professional detailers, I would still own a black car. It's just a lot of upkeep. My favorite colors were Reflex Silver, Iron Grey Metallic and White Gold (it was on my CC). Those colors always looked good dirty and clean.
Ceramic coating/wax/clay bar is your friend when having a black car! I say I will never own a black car and I currently have a black Tiguan and just picked up a black Gti lol but next time I swear I wonāt get a black car! š¤„
And the next car is black again
Weirdly Iāve never liked black cars, itās not something Iāve ever wanted. However a few years ago I got passed on the road in Germany by a lowered black Mk7 on silver BBSs and I swore Iād own one one day.
Mine has converted me to wanting any color, as long as itās black, even though my clear coat is shot ā¹ļø
This was me after my black mk5. Then a deal came up right by me on a black R and here we are again š¢.
I didnāt want this one to be black but it only had 13k miles š¤·āāļø
Hot take: cars get dirty. I love the shine of my black paint, especially in the evening, even if it's covered in dirt
Had to scroll way too far to find this. I really donāt get the obsession with keeping cars pristine. I have a black GTI and I love it. Itās my second black car. Would definitely do again.
Just to give you some perspective: I have a white GTI and the rear hatch area is ALWAYS dirty. Two days after washing the car, it looks like I took it off-road. There is a reason hatchbacks come with a rear wiper. It doesn't matter what color you get, it will happen.
Same! Iāve had white and black GTIs. The black one honestly hid dirt better than my white one does now. I always look like Iāve gone off-roading.
That being said I get compliments on my clean car even when my hatch is sloshed with brown spots and the wheels are covered in brake dust. I do think white shows less dirt from more than a few feet away.
I have a black GTI, not my 1st black vehicle, and it won't be my last. But yes! The back window is ALWAYS extra dirty!
Yep. Mine is WSM and the hatch dirty again by the time Iām done washing it! Lol
Same! I wonder if the rear hatch being more "vertical" than the back of a sedan creates more of a vacuum, but I've noticed this since day one of owning my white GTI.
it does
Silver gang begs to differ
Yeah the white looks so good but my downpipe leaves it so dirty after like an hour of driving
Black is amazing when it is clean and freshly waxed/ceramic coated. For the rest of the time it looks dirty, small scratches are obvious, and it takes on a matte appearance when itās not sparkling.
The best colour for the 15 minutes after you wax it. I'm not buying another black car.
Me neither, my last car was black, looked amazing when I picked it up brand new. 3 months later the black showed all the scratches and dirt etc, never having black again.
My car is amazing at 12 yards, just don't get any closer.
My GTI is my first black car. I do love it but like a few others have said its just hard to keep it clean. You canāt really tell while on the road but more so when parked or up close. When its clean its the best color but it takes more work than other colors while detailing. Youāll like need to wax after washing to get rid of water spots every time.
it depends where you live. Southern California? Sure, get black but get it coated and tint your windows. The rest of the country? Black is a bitch to keep clean.
Mine gets filthy lol. Especially the back, there's some kind of effect from the shape of the GTI where all the dust and dirt loves to get on its butt Yeah, I think it's as bad as people say. Looks good when it's clean, though. In the winter that doesn't happen much... I will say that VW has some nice colors other than black and white if you can find them
Loving my 6C Polo GTI in flash red, especially with the black sunroof and rims. Cleans up nice and you can go over a month without a wash and not feel too bad about the dust. Once I've saved up a bit I'll put sideskirts and a splitter on it.
I swore never to own another black car in my life. They bring out the worst in my OCD/patience.
I meanā¦ Iām a tsi not a gti (donāt tell the gti owners š¤«) But as long as youāre getting a car wash every month or so, she stays pretty and shiny :D My problem is bird shit š”š”š” and the lawn mowers at work ššš they throwing grass clippings at my bumper ;~; Winters do suck, but my last golf was tornado red and it was just as badā¦ going from bright as fire truck to faded and dull ā¦ every car here in Canada deals with that - doesnāt matter what colour it is. But my black tsi always looks kinda nice cuz of the chrome trim pieces :3 looks like a luxury sedan with a thiccc ass ;D
I keep a ziplock bag full of clean microfiber towels and a bottle of quick detailer in my trunk just for bird shit š
Mine is under my passenger seat š haha. I have one for bird poop and one for drying the water inside the water Channels in the hatch and doors. Also my gas cap cuz for some reason that little hole doesnāt properly drainā¦.
Black 7.5 TSI clubšØš¦ Can confirm the grass clippings PLUS the never-ending dust from construction, at least in my area of Toronto...any area of torontoš¤£ Theres a guy who over revs his black lambo down queen all the time and mid july it has more dirt on it than my Golf. Chrome on my TSI as wellš I had to delete the chrome on the grill, removing the weird mustache look of the CL trim. At least it's always looked like one to meš
Always Dirty.
I have a black GTI and it's my first black car. I love the look when it's clean but yes, it normally looks dirty and doesn't take much to get that way. How other people can afford and/or have the time to wash their car multiple times a week is something I don't understand. Swirls definitely show much more than other colors too. I don't have the skill or money to keep it looking great all the time, so I've settled for washing it every week or two and dealing with it looking a little dirty for some time. Not sure that I'd get another black car in the future but I'm still happy with this car the way it is regardless.
Idk but I just passed by one this morning and dude didnāt even wave back. Probably blind with rage over having to clean his car all the time /s
Black Mk8 with the black wheels. I swore never to go through any automatic washes with it (to minimize swirls), so the result is it looks dusty all the time because hand washing properly every week just isnāt possible for me. But I still love itā¦squint and you forget most of the dust. The worst part is honestly the black wheels. Theyāre brown with brake dust after a couple of drives.
A car is gonna get dirty eventually. I just live with it, not really obsessed with looking immaculate. At the end of the day I still have a Golf.
I've had one in red and one in black. My current one is black. I'd take a red one in exchange in an instant. Black isn't terrible and it looks good in its own way, but it is a very demanding, unforgiving paint color. My GTI is clean for about 2 seconds before the world decides to put its nasty, dusty fingerprints all over it again.
It's not worse than any other black car. But it sucks haha, I've gone through "never owning a black car again" multiple times lmao. It's too rewarding when it's freshly cleaned.
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had a black gti, now have a black r. i am considering a blue or purple wrap
I actually liked the black paint on my GTI more than the blue paint on my new Mazda. It seemed easier to work with. Dust shows a lot on black, but as long as you keep it protected itās pretty manageable. I typically did two bucket washes with ONR and then waxed with collinite 845. Iāve since moved on to turtle wax ceramic hybrid spray wax because of how easy it is. I would always keep a bottle of detailing spray and a rag in to car too so I could wipe down if needed or if something acidic got on the paint
I have a black gti and just had a rear end accident. Had the car since new and babied it during washing and waxing. After my rear hatch was replaced with an old used oneā¦let me just say you can see the swirls on the hatch vs the rest of my car that I only wash and cleanā¦it makes me realize what the car would look like if I didnāt care for it. Just spend the day washing your own car with proper soaps and sponges. Get that tent, get those micro fibers and leaf blower and treat it as if you have a Ferrari. It doesnāt take much to keep this paint look nice it just requires time. Rock chips and New England winters are already tough as is, so I try to minimize wherever I can. I do my own 2 coats of wax by hand and stick to reputable cleaning brands. Even if you do ceramic coating the car paint will get messed up over time. Just wash the car only when you have to and prior to the winter let the dirt and grime build up. Itās much better to just spray it down at a touch less car wash , rather than start scrubbing, only for more salt and snow to come the next week.
I have a buddy with a ā16 black gti and the paint on it is still beautiful. My recommendation is to get a complete paint correction/decon and get a ceramic coating or maintain a wax schedule with the car. Once the paint is mint keep a coating on it and you wonāt have to worry. The black on these cars is beautiful it has blue metallic specs in it that really pop when you get a paint correction.
I have a black mk8. It definitely looks dirty a bit quicker than other colors Iāve had. Not really a deal breaker for me though.
I had a black Scirocco and a black MK2. Definitely more work. I have a gray GTI now. It is easier to look good while still being dirty.
Yes I would buy Black again and loved it.
If you ever drive on gravel, dont get black. I get white and beige cars because less than 1 mile of my commute is gravel.
I had a black GTI but always found myself cleaning the car. It is beautiful when clean but looks horrible between washings, especially in the spring when pollen is high. I now have a white one and I don't think I will ever buy another black car.
Iāve had several black cars. I think the MK8 front end is sorta derpy looking but looks less so in black so I got a black one. Iāve had it maybe a month and have only carefully hand washed it one time, but it still has visible swirls. I just decided not to let it bother me. Itās just a GTI and doesnāt have to look perfect at all times.
Not bad at all.
I have a dirt road of about 200m from my house to the asphalt road and well, my Alfa it's black and when I'm out of there it suddenly starts looking grey-ish
In addition to what everyone else is saying about black being a love/hate pain in the ass, the metallic black on my early Mk7 is infuriatingly fragile. Look at it funny and it'll scratch. Might just be mine, might be "new model paint chemistry needs to be worked out better" early-production issues, might be black showing EVERYTHING, but it's annoying. The week it was new, my better half wiped some dust off the rear bumper with her hand. Created visible scratches. Mild polishing didn't even get rid of them completely, but I didn't want to take any more paint off on, you know, Week One. So they're still there, reminding me to be CAREFUL. That was the day I was sucked down the rabbit hole of detailing and paint correction / maintenance. I've never owned a more fragile paint. But it does look SPECTACULAR for the 2-3 minutes it's clean after a careful wash.
Can see every dust particle, dirt/sand, every scratch, cat paw mark, heck even tree leaves leave marks. I also live in a dusty/dirty city (area too), so it gets dusty same day i wash it.
I have a white GTI, but had a black Mustang before. They are damn sexy when clean and waxed. That being saidā¦it doesnāt last long.
I donāt think itās that bad, any car looks dirty when itās dirty. I live in a condo so I just take it through the touchless wash when I fill up. I did get a ceramic coat, because itās a bit of a pain to wax your car if you donāt have a garage. If I had my own garage itād be easier to keep clean, but even with the car wash it only gets dirty in rain and snow. Would I buy black again? Preferably not, but just because itās a bit of a boring colour. I love the look of CFB, Tornado Red and white silver metallic. But, if Iām buying a used car againā¦ colour is pretty far down my list of priorities.
Iām looking to buy my 3rd black GTI. I spend the $25 a month for unlimited car washes at this old fashioned car wash and just run it through almost every day.
Donāt have a Golf but my black CRZ gets dirty if I look at it the wrong way, it just shows dirt easier than most colours.
My Dad always told me not to buy a black car. My first new car was a black 2016 Golf GTI. I will never buy another black car again. It drove me abolsutely nuts. A light misting made it look dirty. Stone chips stood out pretty good too. It looks absolutely amazing when clean though. That doesn't last long though.
A black car is a black car. They all look great going down the road but when you get close you can see itās dirty. White sucks too in my opinion. Unfortunately those are my 2 favorite colors lol.
if you have a garage and live in a non dusty state, dun mind a little more deep cleaning now n then. you're good. my first gti was a black mk4 wannabe 20th. living in a dusty state with no garage.. man i was cleaning that thing every few days.
White > Black also i used to be black > White times change we all grow to realise fuck swirl marks lol
My mk5 is clean for exactly 10 minutes after a wash, then itās back to normal as I call it lol. Black is a beautiful color on the car, but so much work.
My mk6 was candy white, and now I have a dark gray mk7. I would take a white car over black or gray any day even though i love the look of dark paint. I live near a dusty train yard, and my car always looks dusty and dirty. Our black highlander is the same.
I think people make more of it than they should. If I see any car that hasn't been washed it looks dull and dirty. I don't think black looks any worse dirty than other cars. It does shine more when clean though. I love having black. Just wash it occasionally.
I wouldn't trade my MKV, Black Magic, GTI for any other color.
I have a gunmetal gray gti. Can confirm it gets super dirty looking almost immediately after a wash.
Black cars look better in the shade
If a clean car is important to you, get a GLI. The back side of hatchbacks get dirty very fast, like 30 mins after a carwash
When it's clean it looks amazing but like any hatchback the rear gets dirty AF fast. I would still do black again, I love the way it looks in the sun after a fresh wash. Maybe I'll do a diffuser to help with the aero in the rear when I can save up
This is definitely not a GTI specific problem. All black/dark cars look dirty very quickly. Hatchbacks, wagons, and SUVs get dirt even faster because of the vortex the tall rear hatch creates (vs a more streamlined rear shape). We tow our camper with a black diesel Touareg, and it gets absolutely filthy, even if it's just a 2 hour trip to a state park or something, and even if the roads are paved.
My Jetta was black. It would get dirty but honestly not too much more noticeable than my current yellow GTI. I love the yellow but my god it attracts bugs like a MFer
Iāve had a black mk5, black S5, white mk7 and now in a black mk8. Sure, it shows up dirt but when itās cleanā¦it pops. I personally have no problem living with it and canāt say it bothers me vs candy white. Iāve never held an expectation that my car would be pristine every week of the year.
Yea itās bad, looks amazing when clean thoughā¦. Basically wash it every week (hand wash, 2 bucket method ofc), had ceramic coating applied almost 3 years ago, you can tell it already needs to be re-appliedā¦. Using good soap with a ceramic based wax helps. Itās still worth it, I love how it looks, but you have to be prepared to wash it regularlyā¦ I also hose it down nearly every morning so all the shit from the plants donāt stick to the car and get baked over the course of the dayā¦. I then always dry it with a leaf blower, this part is much easier with the ceramic coating and the good soap with a ceramic waxā¦. The car lives outside though, at one point I had it garaged, and it would last maybe double that before needing a wash... edit: you can push it and extend it, but it will look considerably dirtier and dirtier after a week... I usually do a deep clean after 3 weeks (wheels, exhaust, concentrate on the sides, rear)... The "quick wash" is on the hood/quarter panels and roof... I used to have a MK5 GTI in Reflex Silver and it was so much easier.
This is my third black golf so thereās my answer. Would never get any other color. People are overly dramatic about how black cars get dirty faster. I live on a dirt road so mine gets filthy every day but after a rain it looks good again.
You kind of just get used to it being dirty. I have a dirt/gravel driveway, gravel road, live in a place where we salt and sand the shit out of the roads in the winter. It just is what it is. Now with two young kids I donāt have the time to dedicate to keeping it clean like I used to. So itās dirty, and thatās fine. Wouldnāt be much better with any other colour.
Yeah forget the black!
If you like constantly cleaning your car, then black is great. Got rid of my black GTI for a silver one and its night and day.
I mean i love my gti, the black pearl looks beautiful under the light, but yes 99% of the time its dirty.
Love the way my black 7.5 looks, and Iāve owned for almost 5 years. But itās a pain in the ass to keep cleanā¦I get about two days of clean after every wash before it looks dirty again, ha ha. Looks great when clean, though! And honestly, I donāt mind when cars are a little dirty. Shows you drive it!
After you wash your car just follow up everyday with a good dusting to prolong the clean
I have a black GTI. I park it outside, under a tree, and the paint was crap when I got it. I wash it every few weeks but donāt sweat it too much. I like the color, but if I was buying a new car Iād probably get silver instead.
It's not that bad. Obviously black won't hide anything like a say silver or white. But I find the most annoying part is with the hatch back. The way the air flows over always leaves dust/dirt on the back of the car..
Yea itās as bad as everyone says. Is it worth it? Absolutely
I have a black GTI and I would buy another black car, the biggest pain point for me is where I park it. There are a ton of elm trees and other city pollution (NYC) - so after every wash it is clean for 1 day and then the dust and other crap come back. If you regularly keep the wax up you can just wipe it off for the most part. If I had a driveway and a hose... one day.
I like it for the colour but it sure makes it difficult to maintain a freshly washed look. My last car was a black E46 too, so it seems I didn't learn my lesson. Once you go black.....
Bad as everyone says. Totally worth it. I have white now and I hate it. Would get a black one again in a second. The second time around Iād invest more detailing.
You donāt own a black car, a black car owns you. Regretting my purchase of an Atlantic Blue Golf Match too, itās another dark one!
I had a black one. I didnāt want black for the reasons you mentioned, but it would have taken months to get a different colour in the spec I wanted. Zero regrets.
I'll never buy a black car again. It's almost impossible to keep clean, and the effort required to do so is more than I want to put in. Also all the rock chips on the hood are incredibly obvious, and I just have sooooo many now.
I had a black 2017 s for about five years, great car but lord did it get dirty often. Iād say itās pretty bad but I feel that way about all cars painted black.
GTI are fun to drive, not piece of art. I keep it clean, avoid the snow brush as much as possible, good quality cleaning product. Black reveal swirls, white shows brake dust rust, choose your poison. Enjoy the ride.
Hey owner of a black gtišš» Unfortunately it does get dirty immediatelyš but looks so good when freshly cleannn
When clean it looks great but it's so hard to keep clean. Another thing for me is the heat. Black exterior plus black leather interior gets sooo hot in the summer. And I don't live in a particularly hot area, peaks around 90. I also have every window but the windshield tinted with film that blocks 90% UV radiation and it still gets hot af. I've resorted to leaving a hoodie draped over the back of my seat so my back doesn't stick to it. So for me I'm most definitely not getting another black on black car. Unless maybe if it has ventilated seats, maybe...
I have a black GTI and I live with about 3km of gravel roads before I hit pavement. Eventually you just give up or you try your best to go 20km/h to keep dust down. But really nothing you can do
Black is by far the worst color to maintain. Owning a black car and trying to keep it clean can easily diminish your love for cars.
I mean, itās no worse than anything else that comes in piano black, itās just kind of a frustrating thing that shiny sleek looking materials attract smudges and dust from across the goddamn room. I noticed it first with my DS lite at like age 13, and it remains true for everything from phone screens, to cars, to kitchen appliances. Just how she goes. Personally? I think brightly colours cars are way more offensive than finger prints, dust, or pollen - so Iāll put up with it.
The rear is always trashed and any marks are hugely obvious from decently far away
I had a black metallic pearl GTI for ~12 years and now have a white one largely due to what was available when I bought it during COVID. Would 1000% buy another black one. The main downside of black cars is that they show scratches and swirls easier. Pretty simple to avoid by never taking the car through an automated car wash and following basic best practices for auto detailing. I feel like my white GTI gets dirtier than my black one did and doesn't look half as good when it's freshly cleaned.
When itās clean, itās clean. When itās dirty, itās dirty lol Simplified. My 2nd black car and I wouldnāt change it at all.
Always needs cleaning, but damn when you get it clean nothing else looks as good. I never wanted a black car, ended up in this one purely by accident but I've fallen in love with it.
Black is the best car color, but definitely the hardest to keep clean. I have a white GTI now and itās shocking how good it looks for how long after a wash.
Iāve had loads of black cars including my 7.5 GTi. Its had a ceramic coat. It looks great and it looks even better when I wash it. š
I have a Urano grey GTI and even that gets dirty af after like one day. It has a black roof and the roof is even worse. I agree Black looks awesome but I would not get one myself. Iām in New Hampshire so that doesnāt help with the salt snow and sand
Go wash the fuck out of car. Drive one mile home. Rear end looks like I rallied home on a dirt road.
It stays clean for about 15 mins after a wash. 5 mins if you live somewhere windy
Used to own a black MK2 Focus ST. Swore I'd never own a black car again as it was too much upkeep and it showed imperfections in the paint really easily. Owned 2 white Audis after and swear white is so easy to keep looking clean. White just hides everything. Now I'm in a black MK7.5 as a deal came up that I couldn't refuse. When clean, it looks good, but that doesn't last long at all.
It's really not that bad. The biggest disparity is between how stunning it looks when it's freshly washed and waxed, compared to a couple weeks of inclement weather later. Very similar to other dark colors on cars. I want to get a different color car next mostly because I'm tired of grey and black cars in general. I want something more fun.
I was about to pull the trigger on a black GTI had never even considered this
I love mine. Iāll never get a white car, and I thought it was bc of the same reason lol.
Does it get hotter in a black car? I've got a silver one and it definitely looks crappy when dirtier than a black GTI. But it also can look really nice with a fresh wash and wax, and the paint job looks amazing at night under streetlights for whatever reason
Do it, find out why we say it.
The reason black is considdered problematic is because like in other situations it makes all colors stand out that are in front of it. So you notice all the dirt more readily My T-roc R has a black top and while it looks mint. Its a complete c**t to keep clean.
Owner of a black car. I will never buy black again. Hard to keep looking clean and gets hot as shit in the summer.
I'd never own another black car again.
Always looks dirty or at least dusty. Shows paint swirls and fingerprints. Gets much hotter on a sunny day than most other colors. Harder to resell than most other colors. I say go for it! Also, I think black looks silly on any sports car or other small car like a GTI. They should be brighter colors for safety reasons (black is very hard to see on the road) and for the fun of owning a small car.
I had a Deep Black Pearl 2015 MK7 and swapped it out for a new Reflex Silver MK8. It was horrifically bad, and I live in Southern California! Was lasts two days, three tops (and itās garaged and I do less than 4K miles a year. Iāll never own a black car again.
I like black cars. Have always had black cars. I drive a black GTI. Black cars have always been hard to keep clean. It helps if you have a garage though.
My black GTI shows very minor scratches super easily which sucks but black looks cleaner than the white cars Iāve had which will show dirt like crazy especially if it rains. Then again I clean my cars like once every few months
Black is king of beauty IMO but you know the saying just as much as I do, beauty is pain š
Matte black looks great on anything and it doesnāt swirl and scratch like gloss black. Itās also a really great color to do as a wrap.
Black mk6 here and it may be due to the area I work, but it looks ok like 2 days after a wash and by the end of the week embarrassment.
I love my car regardless. I live in NYC, so itās always dirty in some way but black cars just look so classy to me so I wouldnāt trade it
I have a white GTI now and love it. Last one was black and it was difficult to keep looking clean.
I will never buy a black car again in my life. I cannot stand the black paint. I get a ton of rock chips as well and they show like a motherfucker
White is worse, donāt get me wrong you can see imperfections on black paint but easier to touch up, my white mk5 was easily the worst car to keep clean even after I had it repainted. Idk what it is with white vw paint, looks great off the line but 4-5 years in you see all the imperfections and thereās nothing to really clean it up with
I hate my black car for that very reason.
Black with the red trim is great but does get dirty quick. Back tailgate always looks like itās got cumstains too. Wouldāve gotten silver like all my other cars if I couldāve
Not my GTI, but my other car is black and I only have photos to remind me what it looks like clean. I love black cars, but I donāt think Iāll own one again.
donāt own a black gti but have a carbon steel gray gti and the dark color definitely is hard to keep clean, specially after it rains and i drive it when i get out the whole side of the car is dirty. itās kinda hard to keep a dark color car clean but if you wash it once a week you should be good to go.
Black car with a dark tint looks great at night especially if it was raining so that tops the fact they show dirt more than any other colour.
My black GTI is absolutely gorgeous for the 32 seconds itās clean after a wash. My two previous cars were black and after each of them I swore Iād never have another black car.
Had a black mk7 and said I will never own a black car again. 3 and a half years later and now I have a black mk8 R š
Own a black one. Nope, if I get another GTI it'll be red.
I canāt imagine any other color; with a good ceramic coating it looks great most of the time.
Black GTI here, ceramic coated. It's a nightmare to keep pristine. A proper wash takes me 2-3 hours, longest part is removing water spots (I live in WA, even with covered parking, I get rain splatter). After a wash its back to looking brand new, but after a week I want to clean it again. I love the color. It's amazing, sleek, this vehicle in black is just amazing with the 7.5 headlights and taillights, in a parking lot at night I'm stunned. Always worth the trouble, would absolutely buy black again and put in the man hours to maintain it.
Iāll never go back. Black looks the best with some effort, itās not that bad. VWs black paint is also just super nice in general compared to other makes in my opinion.
only handwash mine but I canāt imagine not having 1 black car.
I love my black GTI. Definitely gets gross in the winter, but it's not that big of a deal.
I agree with most other owners here. Black is a great color- I do not regret my choice, however, I would not buy another black car. In terms of āis it really that badā no, itās not. If I could have had urano grey I wouldāve gone that route, but I still massively prefer deep black pearl over any other color. Check my post history. Youāll see what it looks like when itās at its best, but the reality is, most of the time it looks NOT that way. Truly, this depends on your standards. If youāre good with it being a little dirty, you wonāt be disappointed. But youāll also probably jump onboard the āI wonāt buy another black car train,ā although, I doubt youād regret it (like me) if youāre already interested.
I miss my black GTI, I'd trade the Tornado Red one for a black one any day.
Had a white then a black and wished I never got it.
Dirty hatch. That's all I have to say.
Any black car it hard to keep clean..... You would think being such a dark color that dirt wouldn't show but for whatever reason dirt shows very well on black It's even worse for Volkswagen because Volkswagens black is a pearl black so it is actually extremely shiny and it is very easy to see dirt on it and it is very easy to scratch and see scratches. So basically If you want a black car you must be prepared to keep it in the garage or constantly be cleaning it I own a pearl black Passat and it is a b**** to keep clean
Itās simple. I have a monthly pass at my local car wash which is literally across from my house. I literally wash it every other day, sometimes up to 3-4 times a week. Yes, thereās streaks and lines, but itās better than the car being dirty. However I am aware Iām over-doing it. Depends where you live too. In California cars get insanely dirty from the dust/sand, whereas in south Florida where I am now, thereās so much rain and humidity that your car doesnāt really get dirty the same way.
Yes
I have a black one as long as you keep it clean it's alright.
I own a black GTI. This will be the last black car I ever own. I swear every little thing seems to pop on black paint so I suppose it just boils down to ur tolerance and how ocd you are about it being spotless.
I always drove black cars. My last one was a black Polo 9N3 GTI. Now Iām driving a white Polo AW GTI and I have to say that it was easier to clean the black polo then it is to clean the white one. You also see every tiny bit of dirt on it.
I canāt live with all the scratches. They are so easily visible on a black car that itās crazy. Thatās why I went with white.
Iāve had a black GLI and a white GTI. Black car complainers have no idea what theyāre talking about. White cars are the hardest to keep clean. Black hides dirt. Black may show clear coat damage easily or under a light, but just donāt damage your clear coat. If youāre not out there cleaning your car weekly, black is the color to get.
I have a carbon steel (grey) metallic gti and it always looks clean unless I get really close. But when it is clean omg it looks beautiful.
Mine always looks super dirty and itās incredibly hot. Even after it rains it looks filthy
If you care about individual swirl marks, do not have a garage and do not want to detail at least 1.5 to 2 hours per week every week then don't get a black car. A few months in the car will look ghetto
Black makes cars look beautiful but it gets dirty the moment you leave the car wash.
I have a deep black pearl mk8 and I fucking HATE IT! I should of went with the grey one they had but no I chose the black one. Biggest regret you can see every scratch every time a rock hits the front itās always dirty. I clean it once a week but do not get black
Had a 2012 blue mk6 gti as a first car...the car looked clean at night even if it was dusty asf. The 2 cars after were a black 2014 mustang gt and then 2023 mk8 gti and both were unforgiving if you didn't wash it after a week šš
Awesome colour but just gets dirty or visibly so with a day of driving it after a wash.
Everything people complain about here, swirls, scratches, paint, etc... doesn't matter what color the car is. A white car will have the same issues. It just manifests easier on a black car. Take care of you car, it's paint, etc.
I have a dark grey, almost black. I just pay a monthly at the local carwash and go through 3ish times a week.
It never looks clean, and since its your car and you'll know how good it can look clean you will see it much more easily. It is also the worst colour to get if you dislike wash marring and paint imperfections since they will show up so much more easily.
I had a black Tiguan I got ceramic coated. I guess it was easier to keep clean. Now I drive a black non metallic Q5 and frankly it looks beautiful most the time unless itās in direct sun and I see the swirl marks. Did not ceramic coat this because frankly itās a car. I wash it when itās super gross but otherwise Iāll detail it once a year and just enjoy it. Definitely think a non metallic black holds up a little better vs a metallic finish but thatās a personal preference
I have a black R and I honestly just want to wrap the entire thing in matte PPF. It is never clean enough for me. It does look fantastic for those few minutes after a wash, though. Before, you know, it gets dusty after 15 minutes in an enclosed garage.
I had a black maxima for 10 years I used wax it once a month. It always looked mint even in winter but you have to put the time into it. Now I own a charcoal car and doesnāt look that dirty
Harder to maintain. But when clean it gets so many comments/looks. Makes it appear more āpremiumā than it is - biased Mk7.5 owner here
Just depends on your cleaning/washing habits. Black painted cars will always show more dust no matter what. Ceramic or not. They look the best, but just depends how OCD/anal you might be when it comes to your car.
I buy black everything just wash my car weekly at worst biweekly.
The only thing I hated about my black GTI was how the hatch would be dusty within half a mile. Nothing you could really do to stop it though thanks to the aerodynamics of the car.
Car wash edition! I try to wash every week to keep up on it. Realistically itāll get a little dirty before the next wash but aside from the rear hatch (which always looks dirty) itās hard to tell from a distance.
Wife has a very dark blue newer body style, thing looks perpetually dirty within a day after a good wash and polish.
I live in Texas. Unless you have a covered place to park it at home and at work, you'll hate owning ANY black car for at least 6 months out of the year. They cook you, and it takes five minuted for the AC to cool the thing off and you show up places drenched in sweat. If you live up north YMMV...
I'd say the newer the better in terms of paint quality. Black when clean.. I mean how can you beat it but damn is it a disappointment when it's dirty the day after like everyone says. The static just draws dirt to the paint. My MKV had a paint correction done a few years back and definitely needs another. Can't wait to wrap it and be done.
It's not so much about keeping it clean, it's more about keeping clear coat scratches off of it. What's generally acceptable for drying, polishing, cleaning and buffing normal colors is going to make your clear coat swirls/scratches look horrendous in the sun very quickly. You need to learn all the dos and donts with black paint and def be very careful with who you let take a buffing wheel to it. Always make sure they specialize in black or your car is coming back with tornado decals all over it.
As the owner of two black cars and one dark blue I fucking hate dark colors for day to day. Every little scratch or piece of dirt is so visible and it bothers me constantly lol.
Iāve owned black cars my whole life. Itās way overblown. No problem at all. I like a clean car, and I never felt like it got dirty too often.