Base-spec cars that still look good...

Base-spec cars that still look good...

Author
Discussion

white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,280 posts

206 months

Friday 19th February 2016
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Small wheels, wheel trims, black plastic door mirrors and handles. The base model of a car usually looks a bit crap, which I'm sure in most cases is a bit of a marketing ploy. I have gone in a couple of times to buy a basic new car and ended up with a higher spec one, as I can't live with the plain looks of the base model. However, do any cars buck this trend and actually look good as a base model? I'm sure that I read somewhere once that if a car looks good in base spec in silver then it's a good design.

Sporty cars like coupes and roadsters probably have a bit of an advantage to start off with, as they are a bit more expensive anyway but outside of that, there are a few small cars that I think look pretty good in base spec. Base spec VWs used to still look decent but I'm not so convinced now. Here are 3 to get the ball rolling.

Fiat 500 Popular

I bought one of these for my wife 7 years ago. She actually preferred the red and ivory seats on the Popular to the tweedy trim in the Lounge. The alloy wheels on the Lounge were nice but a bit fancy and we just wanted some cheap, economical, unpretentious transport and the standard wheel trims looked just fine. We did however have to spec chrome mirror caps and a leather-trimmed steering wheel, as the standard items were just nasty.



Suzuki Swift GL

This was the other car that we looked at and the one that I would probably have chosen as it was a bit less girly. Looked and drove great in my opinion (yes I would prefer a Sport) but as a cheap to buy and run commuter to run alongside something a bit more special, I would still have one no hesitation.



MG ZR

Likewise the MG ZS. I sold these for a while and they were really popular at the time. Nothing else for the money (9000 pounds new) offered the sporty looks of the ZR/ZS (16" alloys, body-coloured bumpers/door handles, spoiler, sports seats) and I think that is why they were so popular, even though they lacked some features such as electric windows and a CD player! The contemporary base-spec Rover 25 on wheel trims also still looked pretty smart IMHO but appealed to a slightly older demographic!



So PH, base spec cars that still look good. What are your thoughts?

Shuvi McTupya

24,460 posts

262 months

Saturday 20th February 2016
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Just wanted an excuse to post this pic that cropped up on FB this morning..



It was probably base spec at some point wink

ikarl

3,787 posts

214 months

Saturday 20th February 2016
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Yeah, but the OP said that looked 'good'

CX53

2,991 posts

125 months

Saturday 20th February 2016
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I have to admit, I've got a strange want for one of these... Less than 6 bags brand new.



I rather like the steel wheels and black bumpers!

Quhet

2,657 posts

161 months

Saturday 20th February 2016
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Shuvi McTupya said:
Just wanted an excuse to post this pic that cropped up on FB this morning..



It was probably base spec at some point wink
I really like thatpaperbagboxedin

PSRG

741 posts

141 months

Saturday 20th February 2016
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I think the basic VW Up! looks OK in bright red... Lacks a few essential details inside though I think.


white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,280 posts

206 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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Two good shouts there with the Sandero and Up. Yes, I get that. If I'm buying a cheap new car, I'm even reluctant to pay for metallic paint! What's the point of getting a high spec Sandero/Up when you can get a nicer Duster/Polo for the same money? Even the top-spec Up still only has a 1 litre engine.

GroundEffect

13,864 posts

171 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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It's almost entirely marketing.

Krikkit

27,416 posts

196 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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The Mercedes C215 CL500 looked pretty good.




John D.

19,248 posts

224 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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Z3.

There's one in silver on steel wheels which looks great near me. The owner even had the wheels refurbed a while ago to get rid of the rust! Never seen another without alloys.

giantdefy

696 posts

128 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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PSRG said:
I think the basic VW Up! looks OK in bright red... Lacks a few essential details inside though I think.

Be good if they did a collaboration with French Connection UK

Tickle

5,574 posts

219 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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Race base EK9 looks good as does the GT86 RC

Both JDM only though... and the EK9 is from the late 90's

tali1

5,281 posts

216 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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280/300 S class W140 with wheeltrims .Nice!


Slow

6,973 posts

152 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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John D. said:
Z3.

There's one in silver on steel wheels which looks great near me. The owner even had the wheels refurbed a while ago to get rid of the rust! Never seen another without alloys.
Pretty sure they are just a set of steels off a e36 or such. They werent ever sold with steelies as a base model.

http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/Z/Z3-E36

BarbaricAvatar

1,417 posts

163 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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W202's always tend to look good regardless of spec (or colour)

Superhoop

4,761 posts

208 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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MX-5 base model looks good....


Hub

6,766 posts

213 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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Perhaps not exactly the sort of thing you were after but I prefer this Caterham 160 to some of the more blinged up ones. It suits the classic 7 look.




MrBarry123

6,057 posts

136 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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Lamborghini Aventador
Ferrari 488
Lamborghini Huracan
Porsche 991 911
Ferrari FF
Ferrari F12
McLaren 650S
McLaren 675LT

Don't think I'm doing it correctly...

Tickle

5,574 posts

219 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
quotequote all
MrBarry123 said:
Lamborghini Aventador
Ferrari 488
Lamborghini Huracan
Porsche 991 911
Ferrari FF
Ferrari F12
McLaren 650S
McLaren 675LT

Don't think I'm doing it correctly...
The cooking Maclaren F1 would of done for me, the sooped-up LT and GTR ones are a step too far.

M4cruiser

4,421 posts

165 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2016
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For sure I'd prefer coloured mirrors and a chrome grille, but I could live with this:-