My two boys love it when I bring home yellow test cars. Doesn’t matter how well they drive, whether or not the back seat fits their boosters. As long as it’s yellow, it’s cool.

The other day, after a session on WebKinz.com, my boys asked me to find them some pictures of yellow trucks on the computer. So we went to Chevrolet.com to configure a Silverado 1500 crew-cab. No yellow paint option. We also couldn’t find a yellow Ford F-150 on the company’s Web site. Nissan was a bust with its Titan. No yellow Honda Ridgelines, either. Yellow Toyota Tundra? Forget it.

Finally we went to Dodge. Lo and behold, we found a Quad Cab SLT 4x4 in "Detonator Yellow." Looked great. So, just for ha-has, I continued on and picked the options I’d like. Big Hemi V8? Check. Popular Equipment Group? Check. Top-level sound system? Check. Finally, being a good CR safety advocate, I clicked on Electronic Stability Program. I also chose the Supplemental Side Curtain Air Bags option. But, to my amazement, a pop-up surfaced with the message "Detonator Yellow Clear Coat Exterior Paint, Medium Slate Gray Interior Color will be replaced with Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat Interior Paint, Khaki Interior Color."

Huh? What does an exterior color have to do with an interior safety feature?

Curiosity got the best of me, so the next day I contacted Chrysler. The initial response was, "Weird; on the face of it, doesn't make sense. I'm checking with the Product Planning guys…" To the PR person’s credit, he got back to me fairly quickly and said, "The short story is that side air bags (which currently have a very low take rate) are installed at only one plant, and Detonator Yellow is painted at only one plant—not the same plant. The good news is that side air bags are standard on '09 Rams..."

So, if you’re currently shopping for a truck (and all the auto companies are hoping you are, since truck sales these days are taking a pounding) and want a yellow Dodge Ram with all the safety features, you’ll have to get one without the brightest paint scheme out there. But I guess there’s a reason most school buses are painted yellow: makes them pretty easy to see coming or going. In the end, when buying a new vehicle, make sure you get all the desirable safety features, even if you have to compromise on the color.

It may not be easy being green, but it’s even harder to be yellow.

—Mike Quincy