New car options/spec. Where do you compromise/draw the line?
Discussion
Having specced up a few new cars on configurators (but not bought them), it seems that it's not completely out of the ordinary to add 10-20k to a car's base price these days once you have added all the options and features that you would ideally like. Clearly this is obscene, as 10-20k would easily buy you a very decent second vehicle and you're never going to recoup those costs when you sell it on. Also, if you're making payments, your payments are going to shoot up drastically. So, if you buy new cars, where do you draw the line when it comes to options? Do you limit yourself to a set price limit for options or a percentage of the basic price or do you just say to hell with it and get exactly what you want? Do you pick the options that are best for resale or just get the options that you actually want? The German manufacturers (and JLR) seem particularly bad for this, so perhaps you prefer the Japanese/Korean model where everything tends to be standard and there are minimal options but sometimes that means shelling out a significant amount extra for the next spec up when you really only wanted a couple of the extra features that come with that trim level.
Conversely, if you buy used, where do your priorities lie on spec? Will you sit it out for the perfect spec car to come up at the right price and in a location that is convenient for you or will you compromise on spec based on budgetary/time constraints?
My priorities tend to be as follows:
1) Engine - when I bought my 2008 Polo new, it had to be the 1.4 TDI, which due to stock and time constraints meant that I had to compromise on the spec and colour. I learnt this the hard way from buying a car with the wrong engine (mk4 Golf GTi 2.0) because it looked nice, when I should have gone for a lesser spec with a TDI engine. If I was buying a 3-Series for example, I would rather have a lower spec 330d/340i than a higher-spec 320i/320d.
2) Transmission - I tend to favour a manual transmission and particularly these days, manual versions of some cars are becoming increasingly difficult to find e.g. if I was buying a used Golf GTI, it would have to be the six-speed manual rather than the DSG. Equally, some cars such as a Mercedes or luxury SUV would need to be auto. I guess that also if I was getting an Audi or an SUV then I would be seeking out a quattro/AWD version.
3) Colour - Being a fan of more assertive colours over boring monochrome ones, finding the colour that I want particularly on the used market is getting increasingly hard. When we bought my wife's new Fiat 500, it had to be red, even though it irked me that it was an extra cost option. For the Toyota that replaced it, it was the bright blue colour of the one that we bought that really sold it to us, despite the rest of the car not being that exciting!
4) General aesthetics - Alloy wheels is a must for me these days and even the wheels on the top-spec "GTI" models can look a bit rubbish these days, "forcing" you to upgrade them. The aforementioned Toyota came as standard on steel wheels, which looked rubbish, so I had to go for the 17" alloy wheel upgrade, even though it was probably detrimental to the ride and the upgrade package also came with a sunroof, which I didn't particularly want! I also confess to paying extra on the Fiat for chrome mirror caps and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Admittedly, I couldn't stand the cheap feel of the standard plastic steering wheel but it meant spending about 500 pounds extra, as it was part of a "package" that came with Bluetooth as well.
5) Other options - I've driven a fair few "fully-loaded" new cars and there are plenty of options and features that I would find desirable on my next car: heated seats, heated steering wheel, leather, keyless entry, dual-zone climate, , panoramic roof, navigation for example but my first car in the late-1990s had next to no features other than an upgraded stereo and speakers and I can't say that I really missed having all these features. Alloys, AC and a CD player would be pretty essential for me these days but then most modern cars have those features. The only time when individual options were really important to us were when we got my wife's MPV and specifically wanted the seats that fold down flat into the floor and the tri-zone climate control. We could have got a newer vehicle with lower miles in a lesser spec and in a colour that was more to our liking for similar money but in this case, those features were what we specifically wanted.
So, how much would you be prepared to spend on options if you were speccing up a new car and taking budgetary/time constraints into account when buying new/used where do you compromise on spec/options?
Conversely, if you buy used, where do your priorities lie on spec? Will you sit it out for the perfect spec car to come up at the right price and in a location that is convenient for you or will you compromise on spec based on budgetary/time constraints?
My priorities tend to be as follows:
1) Engine - when I bought my 2008 Polo new, it had to be the 1.4 TDI, which due to stock and time constraints meant that I had to compromise on the spec and colour. I learnt this the hard way from buying a car with the wrong engine (mk4 Golf GTi 2.0) because it looked nice, when I should have gone for a lesser spec with a TDI engine. If I was buying a 3-Series for example, I would rather have a lower spec 330d/340i than a higher-spec 320i/320d.
2) Transmission - I tend to favour a manual transmission and particularly these days, manual versions of some cars are becoming increasingly difficult to find e.g. if I was buying a used Golf GTI, it would have to be the six-speed manual rather than the DSG. Equally, some cars such as a Mercedes or luxury SUV would need to be auto. I guess that also if I was getting an Audi or an SUV then I would be seeking out a quattro/AWD version.
3) Colour - Being a fan of more assertive colours over boring monochrome ones, finding the colour that I want particularly on the used market is getting increasingly hard. When we bought my wife's new Fiat 500, it had to be red, even though it irked me that it was an extra cost option. For the Toyota that replaced it, it was the bright blue colour of the one that we bought that really sold it to us, despite the rest of the car not being that exciting!
4) General aesthetics - Alloy wheels is a must for me these days and even the wheels on the top-spec "GTI" models can look a bit rubbish these days, "forcing" you to upgrade them. The aforementioned Toyota came as standard on steel wheels, which looked rubbish, so I had to go for the 17" alloy wheel upgrade, even though it was probably detrimental to the ride and the upgrade package also came with a sunroof, which I didn't particularly want! I also confess to paying extra on the Fiat for chrome mirror caps and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Admittedly, I couldn't stand the cheap feel of the standard plastic steering wheel but it meant spending about 500 pounds extra, as it was part of a "package" that came with Bluetooth as well.
5) Other options - I've driven a fair few "fully-loaded" new cars and there are plenty of options and features that I would find desirable on my next car: heated seats, heated steering wheel, leather, keyless entry, dual-zone climate, , panoramic roof, navigation for example but my first car in the late-1990s had next to no features other than an upgraded stereo and speakers and I can't say that I really missed having all these features. Alloys, AC and a CD player would be pretty essential for me these days but then most modern cars have those features. The only time when individual options were really important to us were when we got my wife's MPV and specifically wanted the seats that fold down flat into the floor and the tri-zone climate control. We could have got a newer vehicle with lower miles in a lesser spec and in a colour that was more to our liking for similar money but in this case, those features were what we specifically wanted.
So, how much would you be prepared to spend on options if you were speccing up a new car and taking budgetary/time constraints into account when buying new/used where do you compromise on spec/options?
I would never buy a car from new, especially spec'd up... Complete mugs game. Buy a 6-18 month old one still in warranty with low mileage with as many options as possible in the colour/spec I want (give or take less essential options) from anywhere in the country from a main dealer or other large dealership.
S9JTO said:
I would never buy a car from new, especially spec'd up... Complete mugs game. Buy a 6-18 month old one still in warranty with low mileage with as many options as possible in the colour/spec I want (give or take less essential options) from anywhere in the country from a main dealer or other large dealership.
Number one with a bullet !S9JTO said:
I would never buy a car from new, especially spec'd up... Complete mugs game. Buy a 6-18 month old one still in warranty with low mileage with as many options as possible in the colour/spec I want (give or take less essential options) from anywhere in the country from a main dealer or other large dealership.
And bought with "cash" of course? 
Can't speak for new but had a similar compromise used.
13k budget for a 320d or 320i when I bought mine
I sacrificed leather and an auto box , for lower than average mileage (43k Vs all others at 60k) and adaptive xenon's .
The lights made the car look so much newer, so even an SE with upgrade alloys (as mine has) looks good, whereas I am not a fan of the Sport with halogens.
For me engine and transmission decisions first, then must have spec items , then anything else is a bonus.
All whilst meeting price mileage and condition criteria.
13k budget for a 320d or 320i when I bought mine
I sacrificed leather and an auto box , for lower than average mileage (43k Vs all others at 60k) and adaptive xenon's .
The lights made the car look so much newer, so even an SE with upgrade alloys (as mine has) looks good, whereas I am not a fan of the Sport with halogens.
For me engine and transmission decisions first, then must have spec items , then anything else is a bonus.
All whilst meeting price mileage and condition criteria.
white_goodman said:
Having specced up a few new cars on configurators (but not bought them), it seems that it's not completely out of the ordinary to add 10-20k to a car's base price these days once you have added all the options and features that you would ideally like. Clearly this is obscene, as 10-20k would easily buy you a very decent second vehicle and you're never going to recoup those costs when you sell it on. Also, if you're making payments, your payments are going to shoot up drastically. So, if you buy new cars, where do you draw the line when it comes to options? Do you limit yourself to a set price limit for options or a percentage of the basic price or do you just say to hell with it and get exactly what you want? Do you pick the options that are best for resale or just get the options that you actually want? The German manufacturers (and JLR) seem particularly bad for this, so perhaps you prefer the Japanese/Korean model where everything tends to be standard and there are minimal options but sometimes that means shelling out a significant amount extra for the next spec up when you really only wanted a couple of the extra features that come with that trim level.
Conversely, if you buy used, where do your priorities lie on spec? Will you sit it out for the perfect spec car to come up at the right price and in a location that is convenient for you or will you compromise on spec based on budgetary/time constraints?
My priorities tend to be as follows:
1) Engine - when I bought my 2008 Polo new, it had to be the 1.4 TDI, which due to stock and time constraints meant that I had to compromise on the spec and colour. I learnt this the hard way from buying a car with the wrong engine (mk4 Golf GTi 2.0) because it looked nice, when I should have gone for a lesser spec with a TDI engine. If I was buying a 3-Series for example, I would rather have a lower spec 330d/340i than a higher-spec 320i/320d.
2) Transmission - I tend to favour a manual transmission and particularly these days, manual versions of some cars are becoming increasingly difficult to find e.g. if I was buying a used Golf GTI, it would have to be the six-speed manual rather than the DSG. Equally, some cars such as a Mercedes or luxury SUV would need to be auto. I guess that also if I was getting an Audi or an SUV then I would be seeking out a quattro/AWD version.
3) Colour - Being a fan of more assertive colours over boring monochrome ones, finding the colour that I want particularly on the used market is getting increasingly hard. When we bought my wife's new Fiat 500, it had to be red, even though it irked me that it was an extra cost option. For the Toyota that replaced it, it was the bright blue colour of the one that we bought that really sold it to us, despite the rest of the car not being that exciting!
4) General aesthetics - Alloy wheels is a must for me these days and even the wheels on the top-spec "GTI" models can look a bit rubbish these days, "forcing" you to upgrade them. The aforementioned Toyota came as standard on steel wheels, which looked rubbish, so I had to go for the 17" alloy wheel upgrade, even though it was probably detrimental to the ride and the upgrade package also came with a sunroof, which I didn't particularly want! I also confess to paying extra on the Fiat for chrome mirror caps and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Admittedly, I couldn't stand the cheap feel of the standard plastic steering wheel but it meant spending about 500 pounds extra, as it was part of a "package" that came with Bluetooth as well.
5) Other options - I've driven a fair few "fully-loaded" new cars and there are plenty of options and features that I would find desirable on my next car: heated seats, heated steering wheel, leather, keyless entry, dual-zone climate, , panoramic roof, navigation for example but my first car in the late-1990s had next to no features other than an upgraded stereo and speakers and I can't say that I really missed having all these features. Alloys, AC and a CD player would be pretty essential for me these days but then most modern cars have those features. The only time when individual options were really important to us were when we got my wife's MPV and specifically wanted the seats that fold down flat into the floor and the tri-zone climate control. We could have got a newer vehicle with lower miles in a lesser spec and in a colour that was more to our liking for similar money but in this case, those features were what we specifically wanted.
So, how much would you be prepared to spend on options if you were speccing up a new car and taking budgetary/time constraints into account when buying new/used where do you compromise on spec/options?
You talk about making payments - are you thinking of leasing? PCP purchase?Conversely, if you buy used, where do your priorities lie on spec? Will you sit it out for the perfect spec car to come up at the right price and in a location that is convenient for you or will you compromise on spec based on budgetary/time constraints?
My priorities tend to be as follows:
1) Engine - when I bought my 2008 Polo new, it had to be the 1.4 TDI, which due to stock and time constraints meant that I had to compromise on the spec and colour. I learnt this the hard way from buying a car with the wrong engine (mk4 Golf GTi 2.0) because it looked nice, when I should have gone for a lesser spec with a TDI engine. If I was buying a 3-Series for example, I would rather have a lower spec 330d/340i than a higher-spec 320i/320d.
2) Transmission - I tend to favour a manual transmission and particularly these days, manual versions of some cars are becoming increasingly difficult to find e.g. if I was buying a used Golf GTI, it would have to be the six-speed manual rather than the DSG. Equally, some cars such as a Mercedes or luxury SUV would need to be auto. I guess that also if I was getting an Audi or an SUV then I would be seeking out a quattro/AWD version.
3) Colour - Being a fan of more assertive colours over boring monochrome ones, finding the colour that I want particularly on the used market is getting increasingly hard. When we bought my wife's new Fiat 500, it had to be red, even though it irked me that it was an extra cost option. For the Toyota that replaced it, it was the bright blue colour of the one that we bought that really sold it to us, despite the rest of the car not being that exciting!
4) General aesthetics - Alloy wheels is a must for me these days and even the wheels on the top-spec "GTI" models can look a bit rubbish these days, "forcing" you to upgrade them. The aforementioned Toyota came as standard on steel wheels, which looked rubbish, so I had to go for the 17" alloy wheel upgrade, even though it was probably detrimental to the ride and the upgrade package also came with a sunroof, which I didn't particularly want! I also confess to paying extra on the Fiat for chrome mirror caps and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Admittedly, I couldn't stand the cheap feel of the standard plastic steering wheel but it meant spending about 500 pounds extra, as it was part of a "package" that came with Bluetooth as well.
5) Other options - I've driven a fair few "fully-loaded" new cars and there are plenty of options and features that I would find desirable on my next car: heated seats, heated steering wheel, leather, keyless entry, dual-zone climate, , panoramic roof, navigation for example but my first car in the late-1990s had next to no features other than an upgraded stereo and speakers and I can't say that I really missed having all these features. Alloys, AC and a CD player would be pretty essential for me these days but then most modern cars have those features. The only time when individual options were really important to us were when we got my wife's MPV and specifically wanted the seats that fold down flat into the floor and the tri-zone climate control. We could have got a newer vehicle with lower miles in a lesser spec and in a colour that was more to our liking for similar money but in this case, those features were what we specifically wanted.
So, how much would you be prepared to spend on options if you were speccing up a new car and taking budgetary/time constraints into account when buying new/used where do you compromise on spec/options?
For £324 a month with zero deposit, you could have a car with:
250BHP petrol
4 wheel drive, automatic transmission
Higher ground clearance but not an SUV
LED running lights
Full LED headlights
High beam assist
Auto lights and auto rain sensing wipers
Adaptive cruise control
Semi autonomous auto pilot system
Leather seats
Heated seats
Autofolding heated door mirrors
Front and rear park assist
Roof rails
Electric tailgate
2 zone climate control
Clean air zone pollen filtering system
12 inch TFT crystal dashboard driver display plus centre console infotainment display
Power folding headrests
Push button power folding rear seats
330W stereo as standard
DAB radio
Road sign detection
A safety feature list as long as your arm
Getting bored typing now - still about 30 standard items to go.....you get the idea. Not bad for £324 a month and no deposit
In summary - if you go for a car that has everything/almost everything you need as standard, then that'll be cost effective in terms of lease/PCP or if buying outright, holding its value - as you've haven't spunked thousands on extras that won't give value at resale.
soupdragon1 said:
You talk about making payments - are you thinking of leasing? PCP purchase?
For £324 a month with zero deposit, you could have a car with:
250BHP petrol
4 wheel drive, automatic transmission
Higher ground clearance but not an SUV
LED running lights
Full LED headlights
High beam assist
Auto lights and auto rain sensing wipers
Adaptive cruise control
Semi autonomous auto pilot system
Leather seats
Heated seats
Autofolding heated door mirrors
Front and rear park assist
Roof rails
Electric tailgate
2 zone climate control
Clean air zone pollen filtering system
12 inch TFT crystal dashboard driver display plus centre console infotainment display
Power folding headrests
Push button power folding rear seats
330W stereo as standard
DAB radio
Road sign detection
A safety feature list as long as your arm
Getting bored typing now - still about 30 standard items to go.....you get the idea. Not bad for £324 a month and no deposit
In summary - if you go for a car that has everything/almost everything you need as standard, then that'll be cost effective in terms of lease/PCP or if buying outright, holding its value - as you've haven't spunked thousands on extras that won't give value at resale.
Just trying to start a conversation really but go on, I'll bite! What car do you speak of?For £324 a month with zero deposit, you could have a car with:
250BHP petrol
4 wheel drive, automatic transmission
Higher ground clearance but not an SUV
LED running lights
Full LED headlights
High beam assist
Auto lights and auto rain sensing wipers
Adaptive cruise control
Semi autonomous auto pilot system
Leather seats
Heated seats
Autofolding heated door mirrors
Front and rear park assist
Roof rails
Electric tailgate
2 zone climate control
Clean air zone pollen filtering system
12 inch TFT crystal dashboard driver display plus centre console infotainment display
Power folding headrests
Push button power folding rear seats
330W stereo as standard
DAB radio
Road sign detection
A safety feature list as long as your arm
Getting bored typing now - still about 30 standard items to go.....you get the idea. Not bad for £324 a month and no deposit
In summary - if you go for a car that has everything/almost everything you need as standard, then that'll be cost effective in terms of lease/PCP or if buying outright, holding its value - as you've haven't spunked thousands on extras that won't give value at resale.
Great question to ask. Good thread.
See I personally think driving round in the car you don’t really want having spent <still probably a lot of money> on it is worse value than spending <still probably a lot of money + £a few grand more> to get exactly what you did want.
So when I got stuck in the snow in my penny pinching (but still expensive) front wheel drive transit van and had to sleep in the damned thing I shot a look at my car trader mate (who was stuck along with me) and said “Remember when you said only a mug buys an all wheel drive transit for £3k extra?....”
See I personally think driving round in the car you don’t really want having spent <still probably a lot of money> on it is worse value than spending <still probably a lot of money + £a few grand more> to get exactly what you did want.
So when I got stuck in the snow in my penny pinching (but still expensive) front wheel drive transit van and had to sleep in the damned thing I shot a look at my car trader mate (who was stuck along with me) and said “Remember when you said only a mug buys an all wheel drive transit for £3k extra?....”
Luckily my daily is a company car so options aren't quite a painful to me personally however from experience;
Not worth it;
Flappy paddles (used on the 1st drive, never again)
Fully electric memory seats (99% of the time I'm the driver)
Worth it;
HUD (a revelation once tried)
Speed limit display (yes I should know but often don't)
Sat Nav with real time traffic (Yes I guess I could use the phone...)
Upgraded stereo (much better on BMW's)
Not worth it;
Flappy paddles (used on the 1st drive, never again)
Fully electric memory seats (99% of the time I'm the driver)
Worth it;
HUD (a revelation once tried)
Speed limit display (yes I should know but often don't)
Sat Nav with real time traffic (Yes I guess I could use the phone...)
Upgraded stereo (much better on BMW's)
On the last one, I went for:
Biggest Supercharged engine in budget,- I enjoy driving.
Heated Sports Seats, hang over from prior car.
Adaptive suspension & steering. - I like corners.
Sports Diff - I really like fast corners.
Specific styling pack, as it was the cheapest option to B&O Stereo and better feel steering wheel. - I have a s
te singing voice, and I use the steering wheel a lot.Compromises.
Colour - Its driving me to/from ten train station, white will do as it will look like a taxi..
Memory seats - im using it 95% of the time, so 2 seconds delay wont kill me..
SatNav -worked out I go somewhere I don't already know about twice a year. Not worth £30pm/£1000 over 3ys, when I could buy one for £100 and leave it in the glove box.
musts for the main car
- air con,
- cruise,
- lecy windows,
- variable speed/auto sense wipers
- alloys
- bluetooth stereo
- minimum 4 doors
The rest can be a compromise, but
- rear cupholder
- folding mirror
- auto wipers
- auto lights
- adaptive cruise
are all high on the would like list
Low on the list/things I wish I could deselect if it meant a cheaper car
- leather (too cold or too sweaty, too slippy)
- heated seats
- keyless entry/start
- stoopid big wheels
Fun car has a totally different set of priorities
- air con,
- cruise,
- lecy windows,
- variable speed/auto sense wipers
- alloys
- bluetooth stereo
- minimum 4 doors
The rest can be a compromise, but
- rear cupholder
- folding mirror
- auto wipers
- auto lights
- adaptive cruise
are all high on the would like list
Low on the list/things I wish I could deselect if it meant a cheaper car
- leather (too cold or too sweaty, too slippy)
- heated seats
- keyless entry/start
- stoopid big wheels
Fun car has a totally different set of priorities
I always add my must haves then if there’s any budget left over il think about it
LED headlights/upgrade to the better ones
Upgraded stereo
Panoramic roof
Adaptive cruise control if its not standard
Engine il always think over 150bhp is enough
Colour I’m Not fussed about, usually silver
Interior always a light colour
LED headlights/upgrade to the better ones
Upgraded stereo
Panoramic roof
Adaptive cruise control if its not standard
Engine il always think over 150bhp is enough
Colour I’m Not fussed about, usually silver
Interior always a light colour
mholt1995 said:
white_goodman said:
Just trying to start a conversation really but go on, I'll bite! What car do you speak of?
Sounds like the Volvo S/V90s on good lease deals recentlySave £50 a month and the regular v90 in T4 190bhp engine, 2wd at £284
The standard spec is incredible when you look at what else you get from other brands in this price range.
My key point though, go for a car that's well specced as standard for maximum value or has been mentioned, by a well specced used car.
VW's in rline trim are pretty well specced for the money too.
soupdragon1 said:
Yes. That's the one. V90 cross country T5 for £324, no deposit.
Save £50 a month and the regular v90 in T4 190bhp engine, 2wd at £284
The standard spec is incredible when you look at what else you get from other brands in this price range.
My key point though, go for a car that's well specced as standard for maximum value or has been mentioned, by a well specced used car.
VW's in rline trim are pretty well specced for the money too.
That sounds like a pretty good deal actually. How does one find out about these really good lease deals?Save £50 a month and the regular v90 in T4 190bhp engine, 2wd at £284
The standard spec is incredible when you look at what else you get from other brands in this price range.
My key point though, go for a car that's well specced as standard for maximum value or has been mentioned, by a well specced used car.
VW's in rline trim are pretty well specced for the money too.
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