by "Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
Published 09/28/2017 at 22:36
by "Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
Published 09/28/2017 at 22:36
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STARS: 1
Why is “Limited” an upper trim or even the highest trim on many car models? What’s limited mean and where did it come from?
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
09/28/2017 at 22:40, STARS: 1
I’m assuming because there was initially a “limited” amount of vehicles produced nicely like that. It used to be base, SR5, then Limited with Toyota. They have since added Platinum which is my favorite designation.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
09/28/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 0
Yeah, I’ve noticed that there’s a bit of a debate going on between car brands on whether or not Platinum is top trim or Limited is.
Platinum makes more sense to be the top but Ford doesn’t seem to think so lol
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/28/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 2
As in “limited edition”, except often it isn’t. Buicks would often have “limited” in them, and all I would say to myself was, “yup, it sure is, but not the way they mean.”
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
09/28/2017 at 22:47, STARS: 3
It’s all just marketing. If I owned a company I’d just call my trims “Really Poor”, “Poor”, “Middle Class”, “Fancy”, “Dang”, and then “Fancy Kristen Fancy”(not really but this was a good comment imo)
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
09/28/2017 at 22:49, STARS: 0
Don’t forget the SR! Base, SR, SR5, and then Limited was added later, IIRC.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
09/28/2017 at 22:50, STARS: 5
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
09/28/2017 at 22:52, STARS: 1
lol I was thinking mid 2000s but you’re right. SR5 was the cream of the crop before.
"Berang" (berang)
09/28/2017 at 22:53, STARS: 1
Oldsmobile Limited, was a huge car. I think it has 40" wheels, which even in the 1910s was huge.
I think Limited as a trim just implies limited edition. But I also think limited has, or had connotations of speed. A “limited” express train was one that stopped at fewer stations, and so ran at a higher average speed, and I suspect that the Oldsmobile Limited, for example was probably named in reference to this, and I suspect many other examples of the word being applied to fast/sporty cars also reflected this.
"Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner" (gavinharter30)
09/28/2017 at 22:54, STARS: 0
Livin that king ranch life
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
09/28/2017 at 23:03, STARS: 5
It’s the polar opposite of whatever this means.
"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
09/28/2017 at 23:04, STARS: 1
I want to say that “Limited” came about after the big oil crisis in the 70s since you could no longer offer more car, more engine, more performance for more money. So you would have a market that wants smaller and more efficient/economical cars but are willing to pay the larger/performance car prices to get more amenities and better materials in that cheaper/smaller car. Thus an automaker would make a Limited amount of their regular cars with that upmarket equipment for those customers.
Of course eventually you get enough people finding a size of car they like with the engine and fuel economy they want that there becomes an pretty much unlimited market for those limited vehicles. That’s why everyone has them and why Limited tends to be interior and amenity upgrades rather than adding any kind of performance or mechanical changes.
Of course now we are willing to pay more than double MSRP for the exact same mechanical car but with more luxury materials and technology. Most of the Platinum trims you see popping up are (were) fully-loaded cars with a discount added on for buying all the options and giving you a badge that let’s everyone know that your car is fully-loaded and the absolute top of the line.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
09/28/2017 at 23:10, STARS: 0
Heh, my knowledge kinda cuts off right around there.
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
09/28/2017 at 23:14, STARS: 1
My dad had a 05 SR5 Tundra, has a 05 SR5 Sequoia, and a 14 Tundra Platinum. You see why my knowledge consists of mid 2000- now Toyota trim levels in particular? Haha.
"scoob" (scoobsti)
09/28/2017 at 23:49, STARS: 1
They are limited editions, that’s why they’re so rare!
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
09/28/2017 at 23:58, STARS: 1
...or as I prefer to call it, the “I paid more than you did” edition.
"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
09/28/2017 at 23:59, STARS: 1
Like the other said, it used to be a limited run of models, and has been going on for decades. What’s really confusing is companies that DON’T use it as their top or even high-trim models. I was surprised to find out that Chrysler’s sedan tiers apparently go: Limited to S to C, whereas I thought it was C to S to Limited. I think Hyundai had a weird setup at least on the Elantra, where it went: GLS, GS, SE, Limited, then GT, or something like that. It was also odd that the lowest trim level had more letters in it than the other alphabet-soup trims, which is counter to pretty much everyone else’s scheme that I can think of.
"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
09/29/2017 at 00:02, STARS: 0
Buick’s also the same company who used “Custom” on their very-much-not-customized vehicles (though admittedly not alone in this, I think they were the last to offer that false description as a part of the car’s name).
"fintail" (fintail)
09/29/2017 at 00:07, STARS: 1
It must sound good to focus groups.
As was mentioned below, there was an Olds Limited in the early days, and the Buick Limited was the senior model in the 30s. An air of exclusivity, only a limited amount will be made, and a limited amount of people can have one:
The name came back in the 50s. Then Ford got into effectively the same name in 65, and it was a success for a long time:
Nice cars too, but making a lot of “limited” things probably hurt the value of the name in modern eyes.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/29/2017 at 00:29, STARS: 0
Yes. The most BS trim level ever made. I won’t mourn for Old Buick.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/29/2017 at 00:33, STARS: 0
I thought they are so rare because they’ve all rusted out by now.
That’s not actually true. Many of them live on, like zombies.
"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
09/29/2017 at 09:00, STARS: 1
Oh yeah, Limited is one of the most inconsistent trim levels. Right up there with GT and S lol
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
09/29/2017 at 11:02, STARS: 0
And at one time SR-5 stood for Sport Rally 5-Speed
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
09/29/2017 at 13:02, STARS: 0
Themoreyouknow.gif