Thread: Defender - is black (hot?) in summer?

Originally Posted by Landi

I've got a black 110 with a white roof. My partner's grey VW Polo gets A LOT hotter when parked out in the sun. Not sure exactly how much, but it's definitely noticeable. I never really get into my 110 after being parked in the sun and feel like it's that hot. Maybe the white roof makes a difference.

2 major issues there:

1. (as mentioned by others) the angled windows on modern cars are terrible for heat !
2. Appreciably smaller cabin volume in the Veedubya so it will heat up quicker.

Originally Posted by carlschmid2002

Some people on here reckon the Puma zircon is so much better than the TD5.Well the TD5 must have been completely useless then.

Yes, it is...

No way I would ever have a black car of any kind (though I have a black bike!).

Ours is white, and I've attached a layer of chequer-plate aluminium to the top of the roof rack as an extra sun blocking layer... makes a huge difference to the internal temperature...

I have a black all over 90 with heavy window tints If on a hot day i park it in shade the aircon works a treat,so much so that i have to turn it off every now and again to get the feeling back in my toes (i fitted the Mud UK air flow to the footwell thingy) but if left in the open i find it cooler to open the windows and get the air moving. I have a sunroof with a mesh floor but I have a piece of ply zip locked to the rack over the sunroof for summer days. keeps the interior a lot cooler but still helps airflow when open.....

yes, black absorbs more heat in the sun, along with any other dark colour, which might translate to a higher interior temperature. But most of the heat is radiated into the car through the windows, having more vertical windows such as on LR's helps.


The worst thing with black is - it shows every scratch, mark, chip, fingerprint, polish swirl, dust, bird poo, splash, water mark.......... for me it was too much. Fortunately my Black Kia Sorrento destroyed itself, so I got a Silver Discovery. My wife still has a black Grand Scenic though, but I don't care about that.

I've not noticed any appreciable difference in heat between black and white motorcycle helmets -and those are a damn sight closer to the old scone that a LR roof....


I can see where a 'tropical' roof (jury rigged or otherwise) to shade the roof would make a difference though.


TeamFA - of course you have a black bike. So do I. That makes us cool... and its a well known fact that black bikes go faster.

Originally Posted by VladTepes

That makes us cool... and its a well known fact that black bikes go faster.

Faster than RED, wouldn't thought that was possible Mike


At least it's easier to keep two wheels on the ground TIC

Black is the new red. All hipsters know that.

After a lots of internal wrangling (and a major disagreement with my wife) I ended up with the all black 110.

So far we have easily survived two very hot summers and done some major drives (covered about 30k in my first year alone).

Air con started out very cold but just lately it seems to have lost a bit of its chill. Will take it in to get looked at shortly. In saying that we have still got through the recent run of four days over 40 without any major complaints from the two kids in the back!

Personally I have never regretted my choice of colour. It does show the dirt and I have few scratches from some bush tracks. But a wash and good wax seems to hide the blemishes.

Also I constantly get positive comments from primary school kids to teenagers and gen Y through to the grandparents who reminisce about their memories (albeit the later always involve the old camel/sand colour).

Note: I second the comments about heat from the floor. I put some camp bed foam down to deaden the noise and it did cut the heat back a bit too. My next project will be better nsulation.