Which colour shows the dirt?

slmorgan42 · Mar 29, 2025

When I got my orange car back in Feb I make a comment in a thread I cannot find saying it seemed to really show the dirt.

Since then I have worked out it was just due to the bad wash job the dealer did before giving it to me. Turned out there was still loads of muck, dirt whatever behind things like door handles etc. So every time it rained this would come through and smear down the body. Having now power washed the car and run it through a car wash it shows very little dirt.

Love my car more every day

Rolfe · Mar 29, 2025

The blue is absolutely horrendous for showing the dirt. I just got mine back on a car transporter after having a puncture and it was absolutely filthy. I took it to a hand car wash which did a great job, but just driving it home again on wet roads has caused it to show more dirt on the doors especially.

I used to have a gold Peugeot which was fairly amazing for still looking reasonable even in the worst of the weather. I would have thought the Tango would have been much the same.

slmorgan42 · Mar 29, 2025

Rolfe said:
The blue is absolutely horrendous for showing the dirt. I just got mine back on a car transporter after having a puncture and it was absolutely filthy. I took it to a hand car wash which did a great job, but just driving it home again on wet roads has caused it to show more dirt on the doors especially.

I used to have a gold Peugeot which was fairly amazing for still looking reasonable even in the worst of the weather. I would have thought the Tango would have been much the same.

Now I have had it cleaned it has actually been quite good. As long as I do not get the bad street parking spot under the tree that no one wants. But that’s more a bird issue and than a car issue lol

salty · Mar 29, 2025

Have to agree. Orange is a good colour for not showing dirt. Even when it's minging (which to be fair isn't very often with me) . And IMO, White isn't too bad either. The absolute best colour for not showing dirt is Silver. And Without a doubt any dark colour and particularly Black, is the the worst.

Rolfe · Mar 29, 2025

I dunno. That light/bright blue can give it a fair run for its money.

pjmmk · Mar 30, 2025

Depends, I think. Dark dirt, like normal grime, tar spots, etc. shows up more on light cars. Salt, the nasty stuff they scatter all over the roads at this time of the year, shows up more on darker cars.
For me, the car I've had that showed the least dirt was a grey/silver Citroen, a long time ago.
Just stay away from black paint unless you love cleaning your car...

ReintjeWA · Mar 30, 2025

The Tango is great for not showing Aussie dust, unfortunately the black roof shows it very well.

decrep · Mar 30, 2025

depends on the dirt colour, If you are in a coal mining town I'd go for black. Up north here in the iron mines, definitely anything with red in it.
Is copper ore blue? Maybe green?

T1 Terry · Mar 30, 2025

White is great for showing up the South Australian dust, but silver hides it well, the 4 sliver cars in the fleet still look clean, the 4 white ones looks like no body loves them, the black Jaguar still looks elegant, even though it hasn't been washed for over 12 mths, both the taxi orange Prius and the yellow '74 VW Kombi look unloved even after they are washed, enamel paint is just like that, always needs a cut and polish .... till there in no paint left to polish

T1 Terry

Kenp1 · Mar 30, 2025

I've got the blue, it's seems pretty good at hiding the muck.

slmorgan42 · Mar 30, 2025

ReintjeWA said:
The Tango is great for not showing Aussie dust, unfortunately the black roof shows it very well.

Interesting does yours have a black roof? I have a LR and the roof is orange.

ReintjeWA · Mar 30, 2025

slmorgan42 said:
Interesting does yours have a black roof? I have a LR and the roof is orange.

Yeah I think it's the Aussie spec. Our options are the Excite 51, or Excite 64, equivalent to the SE. Then there is the Essence 64 which is like the Trophy, and the Trophy ER is called Long Range 77. The Essence and Long Range are visually the same as far as I can tell.

And then the Xpower is the Xpower.

Wizard of Oz · Mar 30, 2025

Grey is the only choice. Mine has Soft99 Kiwami wax on it, and it still appears clean and shiny (from a few metres away) even with a layer of dust on it.

Rolfe · Mar 30, 2025

Kenp1 said:
I've got the blue, it's seems pretty good at hiding the muck.

You have different muck in the West Midlands? Although I have noticed that dirt that seems very obvious when wet isn't nearly so obvious once the car is dry.

David38 · Apr 5, 2025

Mine is blue ok with normal dirt but attracts the birds to use car as a toilet!

T1 Terry · Sunday at 4:36 AM

Rolfe said:
You have different muck in the West Midlands? Although I have noticed that dirt that seems very obvious when wet isn't nearly so obvious once the car is dry.

I've noticed the dirt on the white isn't near as obvious when I'm actually in it and driving it ...... so, at the moment, I avoid looking at it from the outside too much ..... we'll be heading east at the end of the mth, it rains more over there, so it will be on the trailer and getting a wash .... or at least a rinse, while we drive the 16,000 kms in the motorhome ...... I stopped doing the charger mapping after 5 recharges to get to our first overnight stop around Hay

So, trailer mods and on the trailer it is ..... unless someone has a great ideal about how to remote control the MG4 so I can flat tow it??

T1 Terry

Griiffalo · Tuesday at 1:24 AM

Rolfe said:
The blue is absolutely horrendous for showing the dirt. I just got mine back on a car transporter after having a puncture and it was absolutely filthy. I took it to a hand car wash which did a great job, but just driving it home again on wet roads has caused it to show more dirt on the doors especially.

I used to have a gold Peugeot which was fairly amazing for still looking reasonable even in the worst of the weather. I would have thought the Tango would have been much the same.

We got our Blue one filthy a few days ago. We drove though a forrest on slippery dirt roads for around bend after bend in a rainstorm. The roads had a lot of clay. That is the dirtiest it has ever been. Eventually, I took it to my local car wash place and washed it myself. Three days later it still sparkles and gleams. Generally the Blue looks very polished and clean.

T1 Terry · Tuesday at 2:18 AM

Griiffalo said:
We got our Blue one filthy a few days ago. We drove though a forrest on slippery dirt roads for around bend after bend in a rainstorm. The roads had a lot of clay. That is the dirtiest it has ever been. Eventually, I took it to my local car wash place and washed it myself. Three days later it still sparkles and gleams. Generally the Blue looks very polished and clean.

You washed the car, voluntarily, by yourself ..... unsupervised ...... you know the rules ......photos or it never happened

T1 Terry

Griiffalo · Tuesday at 3:18 AM

T1 Terry said:
You washed the car, voluntarily, by yourself ..... unsupervised ...... you know the rules ......photos or it never happened

T1 Terry

Here in OZ 90%+ of the car wash places have a bay you drive into. They provide high pressure soap hoses, a foaming brush, various rinse and liquid polish options and spot free rinse. You HAVE TO wash it yourself. There is no other option. It happens ALL THE TIME.
If you can find an automatic car wash, you could go there, but why?

T1 Terry · Tuesday at 5:30 AM

Griiffalo said:
Here in OZ 90%+ of the car wash places have a bay you drive into. They provide high pressure soap hoses, a foaming brush, various rinse and liquid polish options and spot free rinse. You HAVE TO wash it yourself. There is no other option. It happens ALL THE TIME.
If you can find an automatic car wash, you could go there, but why?

My sentiments entirely Dorrie ..... I think that was the line Herb used in Number 96 all those yrs back

T1 Terry

Which colour shows the dirt?

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