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There was once an adage that is very much worth the difference to spring for the model of car that is a step above entry level, even if it means moving down a notch in brand.. Is this still true, or was it ever true?
There was once an adage that is very much worth the difference to spring for the model of car that is a step above entry level, even if it means moving down a notch in brand.. Is this still true, or was it ever true?
Same engine, body, suspension,...different features/options. If you don’t need nor want those options then a base model is fine. The real difference is when you move up high enough for a more powerful engine, sport tuned suspension, and much higher luxury options. Some cars have the same engine across all package levels so for those it’s a matter of which options you can do without. For others the step up is near luxury sport sedan level once packaged up. However, when you reach that level then you come to the debate between a fully loaded entry brand model or a similarly priced near luxury brand base model.
Unless you want options or a sporty suspension or a bigger engine the basic make up of the vehicle is the same from base to fully loaded. The fully loaded models just have the cool shiny stuff
My advice is, consider what you would want if you could could build the car from scratch: engine, transmission, automatic and remote functions, etc. Then choose the trim level that most closely fits what you need or want. It might be the base trim or it might be the top of the line.
Not really these days. The cars are probably built on the same assembly line with shared parts and all you’re paying for is the name, design, and options. The only reason people even went for the middle model is either for looks/status and/or build quality back in the day
Gone are the days of “you get what you pay for”. I don’t think you’d be satisfied at all if you go down a notch in brand. Like if you wanted an Audi and the A6 was too expensive, the A4 was in your price range but it’s the entry level, and you end up getting a fully loaded VW Passat for the sake of not having the “cheap” model. Either way the Passat is nowhere near the A4 in terms of what you get. One is a VW, the other is an Audi. If you took away the badges you probably won’t even see a noticible difference in quality.
Now it’d be different if you sprung for the used/CPO middle model instead of a new entry model. Pay the same money and get more features at the cost of some mileage/age. Otherwise you’re not really losing anything these days by going down a notch in brand.
I hate base model, its like they purposely make then look bad on purpose! Very few cars look good in the base model. Just check out a Camry LE, and compare to the SE winch is the main seller, and costs less than $2k more.
There was once an adage that is very much worth the difference to spring for the model of car that is a step above entry level, even if it means moving down a notch in brand.. Is this still true, or was it ever true?
I think this was more true back in the day when base models sometimes didn't include things like carpet, FM radio, automatic transmissions, and even air conditioning. These days basically almost every car has those features in addition to much, much more as standard.
I think the issue was base models back in the day were hard sell on the used market in comparison to better equipped vehicles. With modern cars in a large metro area I doubt it will be much of an issue as there will always be people looking for transportation on a tight budget.
I buy vehicles that meet MY needs and don't worry about stuff like this. The only exception would be trucks where a 4x4 will hold value considerably better than 2wd models.
It was never true. Entry level cars in the past were always popular as they were the most affordable. Automakers have done a good job in convincing people they need all the extra's as that is more profitable.
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