I don't like the Space Gray at all either. In fact, it's the only colour I don't like. Well, it's OK, but I'd take Gold, Rose Gold, or Silver over it any day of the week. Space Gray IMO just looks very bland and conservative.
I bought silver although part of the reason is that it's easier to keep it pristine. If you baby any of the other colours it will do fine, but there's always the chance of paint chips. I know the Apple Store can be a rough environment, but the Space Gray I saw in store looked horrible after just a few small scrapes. Very high contrast between a dark gray background and a silver scratch. Instantly noticeable. Reminded me of the black iPhone 5.
My gold iPhone 5S held up well, but that's because it was always in a case. I don't keep my laptops in such cases. However, if you look at used models at used iPhone shops, the scratches on the coloured iPhones often look worse than the scratches on the silver ones, for obvious reasons.