Iridescent Pearl Tricoat vs Summit White Paint (What is the Difference?)

The book says there are 50 shades of gray but there are really over 130 official shades. Interestingly there are also almost as many shades of white although not all of them are available as options for cars or trucks.

This post is focusing on two of these variations of white which people often mix up. Iridescent pearl tricoat and summit white at first glance look very similar but what are the differences between the two? Read on to find out more and see which might be the best choice for you.

A Quick Comparison

The above table gives us a quick idea of how the two colors stack up against each other but let's take a deeper dive into how they compare.

Outer Appearance

When you are picking the color of your truck you are doing so because you want it to have a certain look. Now white certainly isn’t the most popular choice and this is largely due to the problems of keeping the truck looking good.

Darker colors hide a multitude of sins but a white truck shows up every speck of dirt and requires constant cleaning to keep it gleaming. As such the Summit white color which evokes a vision of a snow capped mountain will show up mud and dust terribly.

The aptly named iridescent pearl tricoat accurately describes the tones you will see with this paint job on your truck. If you see a pearl from a distance it will appear white but up close with the right angle of light you will see other colors as well.

Iridescent pearl tricolor mimics the patina of a pearl with the off-white yellowish appearance in certain lights. Stood next to a similar truck in summit white this pearl color would be noticeably not white.

This is really a case of preference as both colors are attractive in their own ways. Some people may enjoy the clean snowy look of summit white while others may enjoy the for want of a better term iridescence of iridescent pearl tricoat.

Benefits of the Colors

If white is what you want for your truck and you want that premium look then summit white will probably be the choice for you. There are no hues or shimmers to the coloration; it is simply plain white which can not be said for iridescent pearl tricolor.

As mentioned the pearl color has elements of yellow to it which make for a pleasing appearance but means that it will never appear completely white other than at a distance. The benefit of this iridescence however is that dust does not show up as readily as it does against summit white.

So a slightly dusty truck with a pearl tricoat will still look great whereas a dusty truck with summit white will look very much like a dusty white truck.

Best for Off-Road Driving

The paint job obviously makes no difference to what’s going on under the hood so a coat of paint does not affect performance. It’s all aesthetics when it comes to these two truck colors so which is most suitable for going off-road?

Generally most people who opt for a white truck are probably not intending to make heavy use of it on dirt roads. I mean what is the point of a white truck that will look terrible if you were to drive it off-road. If however you don’t mind a dirty truck and want a white paint job there is a clear winner in this category.

As mentioned the summit white color really shows up the dust and dirt. Iridescent pearl tricoat however hides some of the dust and dirt making it a clear better choice for driving dirt type tracks. Of course they do both show up dirt and mud far more than a darker color choice.

Price

This may be the deal breaker or maker when it comes to choosing between these two colors. There is a very marked difference between the cost of the two paints with the pearl tricot being noticeably more expensive.

On average choosing iridescent pearl tricoat over summit white is going to cost $500 more. This is not an insubstantial amount when you are buying a new truck. It is the kind of money you spend because you really like one color over the other.

With the benefits of pearl tricoat being rather subtle when compared to summit white you might opt to save that $500 for something more important than a pearl like paint job.

How Similar Are These Colors?

At a distance on a cloudy day you might not realize these trucks have different color paint jobs. This is despite the fact that the iridescent pearl tricoat is not truly a white color and summit white is certainly not a pearl color.

On closer inspection under sunlight you can definitely see the difference between the two colors when placed side by side. With all things in life it’s about perspective so at times they look alike but they in reality are not.

Conclusion

These two colors are very similar at a glance but do have some notable differences. Unquestionably the biggest difference is price as an iridescent pearl tricoat will cost you hundreds of dollars more than a summit white paint job.

If price is not an issue then the choice fully comes down to personal preference as the only other difference pertains to how the two show up surface dust. In truth both colors can quickly look bad with excess mud and dust although the pearl tricoat is slightly more forgiving.

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