Manufacturer Stingieness

[Mave]

StRemy said:

This is what you get for ca. 20k £ in a new Caddy Kombi



It was nice to drive a “fat” 2.0 TDI instead of a 1.5/1.6 so typical these days though.

The thing that strikes me about that, isn't so much that there's not much equipment, but that car prices haven't gone up much.

I used to have a 1996 Alfa 145 QV - the list price of that was over £16K, and in the same year I paid £80K for a 2 bedroom flat which is now worth about £350K...

[S2r]

The passenger seat height adjustment is an option on an Up GTi...

[The0perator]

I had a mark 2.5 focus zetec and the oddest thing
The more upmarket versions had footwell lights. However I found out that the bulb holders were installed and indeed live so I just popped some bulbs on w5w if I remember and they worked.
So someone got paid at ford to decide to save maybe £2 on every car by not putting in four blubs...

[Mave]

The0perator said:

I had a mark 2.5 focus zetec and the oddest thing
The more upmarket versions had footwell lights. However I found out that the bulb holders were installed and indeed live so I just popped some bulbs on w5w if I remember and they worked.
So someone got paid at ford to decide to save maybe £2 on every car by not putting in four blubs...

They didn't decide to save £2 though. They decided to try to get you to pay XXXX for something which would only cost them an additional £2.

[ChevronB19]

DSLiverpool said:

My 1982 Fiesta XR2 (mk1) had headrest pads as an option - fair enough.

It had a radio with one speaker in a rear side panel no cassette just a radio, when I upgraded to a Pioneer the speakers were upgraded but the passenger side was always a bit muffled, swapped the radio - same - swapped the speaker - same - then we realised a tape cover "blank" was on the inside of the side panel cutouts muffling the sound.

At least it had under bonnet soundproofing, my mate's Fiesta Supersport didn't have that!

At least in the past, some ‘base’ model features must’ve cost more than just using the feature from the higher up model.

For example, base Fiesta Mk1’s didn’t have a glovebox lid. It must’ve cost more to tool the lower dash so it didn’t have hinge and catch slots than it would’ve just to put a glovebox lid on.

[Max M4X WW]

normalbloke said:

Max M4X WW said:

Back in 2011, my parents ordered an Audi A4 company car. It was an S-Line Black Edition so pretty much top of the range (excluding S, RS etc) and had the usual massive wheels, fancy interior, B&O stereo etc and had a list price of around 35k from memory.

When it arrived we realised we (or the dealer, who should have really suggested it IMO) missed a £150 option for interior lighting back which gave you a glovebox light (!!!) and lights in the sun visors.

I thought this sort of thing would be standard on a high spec, 'prestige' car costing £35k+!

But everyone knows S line is for those with champagne tastes and lemonade pockets.

The thing is, at the time there wasn't really an alternative. The SE was low spec and adding all the stuff you do get on an S-Line would have cost a fortune. It's better value to go up a trim level than add all the options.

These days they do a Vorsprung with EVERYTHING, but then you probably don't want all that and it makes the cars a bit expensive!

[Decky_Q]

MattyD803 said:

Monkeylegend said:

Why was it cheaper to cut a hole in the roof, fill it with a sunroof, then cover it with a headlining, as opposed to pressing out the roof as one piece and fitting a headlining?

I am guessing a little here, but I don't think it would have been a traditional 'sunroof' so to speak (i.e. tilt openable with mechanism), more a fixed glass pano roof insert with an internal blind - perhaps that was the "default" option and certain models had this 'covered'.....hence probably not cheaper not to change the whole production run (or indeed the design or tooling) to allow for a reduced number of solid roof vehicles....the question for me would be why bother covering some though......just put a manual roll back in if not electric, don't just cover it up completely.

It was what would now be called a panoramic roof, the entire roof skin was made of 1 piece of tinted glass. It didn't open or tilt. It saved on production costs to have 2 varieties of roof lining and 1 common bodyshell.

[jollysoutherner]

Currently hiring a Renault Zoe. No interior lights in the back which is fun while the kids sort seat belts out.

[Court_S]

The0perator said:

I had a mark 2.5 focus zetec and the oddest thing
The more upmarket versions had footwell lights. However I found out that the bulb holders were installed and indeed live so I just popped some bulbs on w5w if I remember and they worked.
So someone got paid at ford to decide to save maybe £2 on every car by not putting in four blubs...

My Mk7 Fiesta Zetec S was the same; one footwell lights from factory but all I needed was two bulbs.

[Triumph Man]

Always surprised me that electric (or indeed any) lumbar adjustment used to be an option on high level BMWs (ie the 7 series). Seemed a bit tight.

[Pit Pony]

My Wife and I have similar requirements in cars, and have ended up with car probably built down the same assembly line, but designed to appeal to different demographics.

Here goes
Hers

Astra J 1.6 Auto Excit 5 door.
115 bhp
Steel wheels
Front electric windows, keep fit rear windows.
Power Sockets x2
Manual aircon
Cruise control (No speed limiter)
Phone controls (blue tooth)
Electronic hand brake. (This and the auto box was why she wanted it, also has hill hold)
A spare wheel

Mine

Astra J 1.4T GTC SRi 3 door
140 bhp
Rock hard suspension.
18 inch alloys with silly profile making it not that comfy, but lots of grip.
Front Electric windows. Fixed rear windows. Rear glass is almost black.
1 power socket plus a USB connect for the DAB Radio.
Manual aircon
Cruise control and speed limiter
Phone buttons, but the option to actually connect a phone was not specified by the original buyer
Normal hand brake. (No hill hold as such but the auto will hold it any way as long as not too steep)
No spare wheel.
Auto lights
Auto main beam function
Rain sensing wipers.
Front fog lights.
Boot open button on remote
Red dash board.
Red stitching on the half leather seats.
Rear disks.
Auto dip mirror.
Front and rear parking sensors.


To be honest I'd rather swap most of the auto stuff for a spare wheel and the ability to make hands free calls.

I bought it because i wanted my wife to be able to drive my car, and I figured that if the controls were the same, it would be more likely to happen, but more powerful engines from GM in the Astra range do not come with an autobox, so it was either the mediocre 1.6 or the less mediocre 1.4T and the 1.4T auto only seemed to be available in GTC/SRi format, hence the stupid wheels and tyres and rock hard suspension which isn't needed.

[DavePanda]

Burgerbob said:

Unfortunately you get what you pay for in life.

Many vans are bought by businesses to move goods around. The lower spec model dues that just as well so why pay for creature comforts for the underpaid driver?

With cars, there is logic to having low spec models and then adding the options you want, and not paying for what you don't want. Although some manufacturers do remove some features during the cars life, this gets great initial media reviews for a well specced car, but keeps costs down in later years. Then, when the car is end of life, sell run out fully loaded specials.

Exactly that, it's a vehicle that 90% of drivers are being paid to drive so they don't care what it has or doesn't have and the companies buying them won't pay for something that isn't needed.

Company cars are the same, our company had C Classes for our depot managers across the country a few years ago, they were base models, halogens etc, same for sales.

[Lester H]

Trevatanus said:

My 67 plate Fiesta S Line has lovely black wheels, electric windows, heated front and rear screens etc etc etc, but no spare wheel

All in the name of weight saving in order to appear "green" and save a tiny drop of fuel.

[greygoose]

The0perator said:

I had a mark 2.5 focus zetec and the oddest thing
The more upmarket versions had footwell lights. However I found out that the bulb holders were installed and indeed live so I just popped some bulbs on w5w if I remember and they worked.
So someone got paid at ford to decide to save maybe £2 on every car by not putting in four blubs...

Same with the focus ST, bizarre to put the fittings in but not the bulbs.

[Mr Tidy]

Shrimpvende said:

My other half's Qashqai even came with 360 cameras as standard!

That made me laugh. A few years ago I followed a neighbour into my road in his 2012 Qashqai and noticed he had a brake-light out so I went and told him. Either it had no sort of warning system, or he was more oblivious than I thought.

My 1985 Scorpio, 1991 Sierra, 1994 C-Class and all 8 post 2000 BMWs would show a warning if a bulb was out!

Anyway Mrs Tidy got invited to the Mini R56 launch event in 2006 having bought a new R50 in 2003, and left after placing an order for a Cooper that arrived just in time for Christmas.

Her selected options added more than 50% to the list price with heated front screen, A/C, Bi-Xenons, full leather, Harmon Kardon stereo, red interior highlights, power-fold mirrors, interior lights in changeable colours and probably a few more I've forgetten. Lovely car though!

[GC8]

Nickbrapp said:

No Ad blue gauge

How much Adblue do they use? Surely it is slow enough to not need a gauge, with a low level light still giving you plenty of warning?

I would put 2l./40p of Adblue into an old pop bottle and keep it as a reserve, and problem solved.

[spreadsheet monkey]

Lester H said:

Trevatanus said:

My 67 plate Fiesta S Line has lovely black wheels, electric windows, heated front and rear screens etc etc etc, but no spare wheel

All in the name of weight saving in order to appear "green" and save a tiny drop of fuel.

And the cost saving of not including a spare wheel and tyre, of course.

I'm fine with spare wheels being dropped. In a lot of cars, the spare wheel well is still there, and you can buy a space saver spare from a breakers yard and put it in there if you really want one.

[tenmantaylor]

I just send my endless thanks for those who donate their top spec extras for free on all the used cars I've ever bought.

[jamei303]

jollysoutherner said:

Currently hiring a Renault Zoe. No interior lights in the back which is fun while the kids sort seat belts out.

To get any rear interior lights on the Volvo XC40 standard spec you need to add the lighting pack for £950 which amongst other things such as fog lights includes "Multicolour Theatre Lighting, Tailgate Illumination, Front Door Pocket and Front Cupholder Illumination, Rear Reading and Courtesy Lights and Ambient Front Door and Instrument Panel Lighting"

[MattyD803]

jamei303 said:

To get any rear interior lights on the Volvo XC40 standard spec you need to add the lighting pack for £950 which amongst other things such as fog lights includes "Multicolour Theatre Lighting, Tailgate Illumination, Front Door Pocket and Front Cupholder Illumination, Rear Reading and Courtesy Lights and Ambient Front Door and Instrument Panel Lighting"

That's hideous. We accepted and lived with it on our £15k (new) C4 Cactus back in 2016....but on a £26k+ Volvo, that's ridiculous. that must only be £25 worth of wiring, housing and bulbs?!?