There are three things of great importance when it comes to choosing the right rental car. The two obvious considerations are Space and Budget. The third most important factor is one often overlooked, and is in large part due to something most automakers don’t tell you (and that you hopefully never need to find out for yourself): The alarm button on your key fob doesn’t work more than 8 spaces away (and that is being generous).

The third factor, therefore, is Color. Namely, stay away from greyscale.

In the US, about 50% of cars are white, grey/silver, or black. Globally, more than 70% are.

There are reasons for this. White, for instance, doesn’t show dirt as easily and because these colors have remained popular, they have greater resale value. But as a renter, you are not washing or selling your rental car, and thus these factors make no difference to you.

As a traveler, the important thing to you is finding your car again. Between remembering your itinerary and destinations, remaining calm in new cultures and situations, little brain space is left to devote to memorizing the make, model, and license plate number of your rental car and where you parked it every time over a three day trip. You will surprise yourself by how automatically you will look for your everyday car in the overcrowded museum parking lot. There is nothing worse than being caught in a suburban parking lot in the pouring rain without your glasses (because it is raining) frantically trying to remember what car you are driving and where you parked it, and the horror that hits you when you contemplate just trying your key in every white car in the lot. This has happened. To more than one of us.

So, do yourself a favor. All else being equal, get the most audacious color car in the rental lot. If it is a work trip, red or blue may be as obnoxious as you can stand. But on family vacation - you will never see these people again.