Have You Avoided Certain Factory Options When Shopping For A Used Car?

"BrownMiataDieselWagon" (opporamblings) 04/25/2015 at 23:58 • Filed to: None

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This question has lingered on my mind for quite a while. When shopping for my Jeep Wrangler, I had some options in mind that I wanted (and some I adamantly did not want). For example, I absolutely did not want an automatic Wrangler with the hard top option or power convenience package, which included power door locks, power windows, and air conditioning. For me, those options would have watered-down the Wrangler experience.

My friend recently purchased a manual-transmission E46 M3 with no sunroof, no Nav, and manual cloth seats. He told me he wanted those specific options (or lack thereof), because “simplify then add lightness”, and he actually paid more and was willing to pay more for this car than another similar, but more-optioned M3.

Has anyone else specifically avoided some (possibly originally expensive) factory options when shopping for a used car, excluding simply choosing between manual/auto? And if so, were you willing to pay slightly more for a car with less factory options?

Frank Grimes > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:05

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When I had my camaro I wanted one without a t top because they are stupid leak make noise and ruin stiffness.

Alex from Toronto > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:08

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Older cars with navigation/early touchscreens. These older units get expensive if they brake and the touchscreens are a bit slow. I would rather buy a gps unit from bestbuy.

TFen > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:20

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I think he got an M3 with the ZCP package. It’s highly sought after due not only to the simplicity you listed, but also because of the more track focused steering ratio, alcantara steering wheel, brakes, suspension and wheels.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:24

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Not unless I think they make the car less reliable/goofy looking. I am the opposite of what you just described. I would never actively seek out a lower-equipped or base model car “for a more pure experience”. The more things on my car, the better. It’s one of those things where I completely understand why people do it, but at the same time completely don’t.

Textured Soy Protein > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:25

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I try to avoid navigation systems since I don’t like them even on most new cars, and on old cars they’re crap.

When I bought my ‘05 Grand Cherokee I avoided navigation and also the rear-seat DVD player, because I don’t have any kids who would watch the thing and the hump for the screen even when folded up hangs down and gets in the way of the rearview mirror.

I don’t think I’d have been willing to pay more to avoid these options, but I did look around until I found one without those options.

Vicente Esteve > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:31

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When finding used cars, I ALWAYS want the most equipped version. Even if it has the most useless piece of equipment that I will never ever put to task I need to have it.

Someone already payed for it, and lost money on depreciation. I will enjoy the rest of it very much.

haier2 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:48

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I shopped for a long time for my most recent purchase: an ‘04 Yukon 2500.

For the majority of my initial shopping I looked for things like seat heaters, sunroofs, and memory/full power seats. Then I realized that on mom’s ‘03 Escalade and my ‘99 Tahoe that these features were the most unreliable part of the vehicle.

My Yukon has leather and Bose speakers, but is relatively “plain” otherwise and has virtually no interior issues.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 00:53

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One thing I will avoid is factory navigation pre-2008, even later for some companies. Other than that, give me the most loaded model I can find.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 01:10

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I will never get anything with automatic or automated manual... unless it’s a Tesla. I also avoid AWD and RWD cars... though I would make an exception for a manual Subaru or a Tesla.

I will also avoid cars with V engines mounted transversely mainly because I’ve read too often how you have to do shit like disconnecting an engine mount and tilting the engine forward just to get to the back spark plugs... as one example in some GM cars.

Transverse V-engines always seem to have tightly packed engine bays that seem like a pain in the ass to work on.

So I will avoid the optional V6 in cars like the Accord, Camry and others.

And I avoid sedan, coupe and convertible body styles. All my cars have been hatchbacks or wagons... and all had manuals with transverse inline engines.

TheOnelectronic > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 04/26/2015 at 01:15

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That is an extremely limited group of cars you’ll consider. Why the FWD rule, if I might ask?

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > TheOnelectronic 04/26/2015 at 01:32

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It snows where I live. FWD works better in practice than RWD.

And there are plenty of used cars available that meet my criteria:

-Ford Focus Hatch/Wagon, Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute

-Chrysler PT Cruiser

-Dodge Caliber

-Jeep Compass/Patriot (yes, you can get those with FWD and a manual).

-Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe

-Toyota Camry Wagon

-Chevy HHR

-Mazda 3 hatch, Mazda 6 hatch

-VW Golf, VW Jetta Wagon

-Honda Fit, Honda Accord Wagon, Honda Civic Wagon/Wagovan/4 door hatch (if they ever start importing them again or building them in North America)

-Nissan Versa hatchback

-Saab 9-3/9-5 wagon or hatch.

-Volvo 850 wagon, V60, V70

-Saturn Astra, Saturn Vue

-Subaru Impreza hatch or wagon. Subaru Legacy/Outback wagon. Subaru Forester. (Subarus get an exception on the no-AWD criteria)

-Tesla Model S... especially since AWD actually improves its efficiency. And where else can you get a 4 door hatchback that has optional 7 passenger seating?

Kevin Barrett > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 02:10

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Infotainment and nav screens.

What looks worse in a car than a touchscreen? That’s right. An old touchscreen.

Dunnik > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 03:02

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I’d probably say a motorized tilt-telescoping wheel is on my list of “this is just another motor that’s going to break for something that’s nice but hardly necessary”.

jfrid710 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 03:15

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Got my used 08 3 series without the IDrive because I didn’t want to have to click and spin a wheel just to change the radio or climate control while I’m trying to drive and shift. I use my phone for navi anyways so there was no loss there either

KatzManDu > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 03:34

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It depends what you want in the car. Self-leveling systems in Range Rovers and BMWs and Audis can be known trouble, so depending upon what you want, it may make sense to exclude them.

Captain of the Enterprise > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 06:43

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Sunroofs, I’m tall and I need that 2 inches the sunroof takes away

AM > haier2 04/26/2015 at 07:08

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I haven’t had an issue with any of these things on my ‘03 Yukon. Gotta have the Bose speakers though, the difference between them and the regular stocks is night and day.

AM > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 07:11

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When we were looking at Ford’s for my wife I tried to find one that had all the nice features but without MFT. Turns out you have to have MFT before you can even option the extras feautures in.

Frustrates the hell out of me every time I take her Focus somewhere.

Carwood > KatzManDu 04/26/2015 at 07:26

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Air suspension is a huge one. One of the big reasons im afraid to own my Grand Cherokee Overland once my extended warranty is donezo. Also those new headlights cant be cheap either im sure.

kanadanmajava1 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 07:26

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I’m with your friend in this. Lightness is good. I would pay a bit more to get a car without unnecessary equipment. I only buy old cars so having more options usually means more things that are going to break.

Our used car market in Finland is not so big that usually you can’t narrow down the choices very firmly or you cannot buy anything if the car you are looking for is one of the most sold models. If try to find something interesting you don’t have much to choose from.

I usually try to avoid automatic transmission as an option the most. But my daily driver happens to have one as I bought it in emergency and really cheaply. An air conditioning is also in my not desired equipment list.

BenLikesCars > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 07:35

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Really big aftermarket wheels really bug me.

I know they’re replaceable, but super-oversize wheels (especially with weighty chrome etc.) can put more load on suspension, steering, etc.

Michael Cohen > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 09:33

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I bought a ‘10 BMW and avoided iDrive, their non-touchscreen. I may put aftermarket CarPlay from Kenwood since I like a good nav system.

Definitely no rag tops or convertibles for me.

boxrocket > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 09:54

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I avoid base models. Yes, they have their purpose, but I only have one life and typically one car at a time (unless transitioning from one to another), so I want it to be as nice as possible. I've done lower-trim cars before (all had power windows and locks and such, no manual wonders for me), and those haven't been a failure point, or of they were, it was a tolerable flaw, if not a quirk. I care more about the car getting me reliably from point A to point B reliably (and handling how I might feel like driving it) than the heated seats (which are wonderful) not working, or a malfunctioning tertiary system which can be ignored until it's time to be fixed or removed. Case in point, my new-to-me 2003 Mazda6's radio and HVAC display at the top of the center stack only likes working between about 35-50 degrees Fahrenheit, or random times when it feels like it; it doesn't bother me that much since it doesn't interfere with the drive, all my radio presets are already programmed, I know which of the 6 CDs are which, and I can feel what the blower is doing, and the buttons and knobs have enough indication on them for me to figure out what's what without the display. I grant that I plan on fixing the display soon since it also holds the clock which I find important (I really miss the analog gauge clock in the Volvo, and the digital one on the JVC CD player I'd had in all my cars before this one, in this instance).

That said, I understand what you're getting at. I wouldn't get a number of cars that offer CVTs instead of conventional automatics or manuals because very few companies have yet figured out how to make CVTs not suck. I would be hard-presses to accept an early Porsche PDK in lieu of a manual, because the early PDKs are wretched. Even brand-new lower-tier cars with dual-clutch transmissions have their own issues - looking at you, VAG, and to a lesser extent, Ford. I, like other commenters, would avoid an intrusive navigation system, especially early ones (Lexus is s prime example), as I don't need the car to tell me where I am ALL THE TIME (but is probably useful for Lexus' new-car clientele), and it should be eeeeeeasy to swap between radio/entertainment, climate control, Bluetooth devices, and navigation: Rag on Sync with MyFordTouch and MyLincolnTouch, but they work damn well and allow for easy task switching. Nissan/Infiniti's aren't bad either. I mostly like both of those systems because they come with a relatively big, crisp screen for backup camera duty, which isn't a necessity but sure can be a help, especially when hooking up a trailer

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 11:41

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Yeah, my car has no sunroof, no iDrive, no radar adaptive brakes, no nav, and manual trans.

Milky > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 04/26/2015 at 12:37

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There is a lot of shit on that list. Plus snow tires and RWD is probably the best way to have fun during winter.

QCGoose > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/26/2015 at 13:17

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When we got our (well, my wife's) '14 Flex Limited last year, we wanted every option except AWD. Other than maybe needing it a couple times throughout the winter, the rest of the time would be hauling around the extra weight and getting shittier gas mileage. However, even with the big 20" wheels and lo-pro OEM tires, we never had a hint of trouble getting anywhere we went this past winter. It surprised the hell out of me, but also made me realize we made the right choice and truly did not need the AWD. I still might get another set of wheels to throw some winter tires on for it, but honestly the Flex behaved like it didn't even need those either. There must be some black magic in its traction control and stability control systems, but it was flawless all winter.

Unfortunately, that meant no EcoBoost for me (only available with AWD), but that's fine as it's her car and she won't have to worry about me always wanting to tinker with it. Still though, twin turbo Flex... *le sigh*

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Milky 04/26/2015 at 13:25

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I have a big mortgage (from buying my Ex out on the house) and child support payments (in spite of having the kids 50% of the time).

I can’t afford a fun RWD car at this point. And since I have my kids 50% of the time and use the car for things like road trips (and I only have one car), anything I get must be practical... thus 4 doors and either a wagon or hatch.

I try to spend ‘just enough’ money so I have a car that is decently reliable and decently enjoyable.

And on that list, while many technically meet the criteria discussed, that’s not all the criteria I use. It also has to be cheaply available used and with relatively cheap parts/service costs.

So that eliminates all the Euro options (except for the VW) and the Tesla. And for VW, when looking for cars last time, it was manual-TDI or nothing.

And some cars that are considered to be shit, like the PT Cruiser, are mainly shit in automatic form.

I had a manual PT Cruiser and it was fine. Felt quite peppy and torquey for a non-turbo 4 cyl. And I typically beat the EPA fuel economy ratings by at least 20% on average. It’s one of the most solid-feeling affordable and practical small cars you can get. The only issues are that when you get to the 6-8 year mark, you usually have to replace some of the plastic and rubber bits in the cooling system... and the suspension bushings are usually due for replacement by that time as well. And the clutch slave cylinder went on me as well which was a more expensive repair... almost VW-expensive.

And the thing I liked best about the PT... I could load that thing up to the rafters and have more stuff in a rooftop carrier, and it would actually feel like it was designed to carry that extra weight. Felt stable, the ride was actually better, still had more than enough power for highway driving. I attribute that to the torquey Chrysler 2.4, the firm springs and the solid rear axle in the back. The solid rear axle also meant that when unloaded and hitting a bump in a curve, the rear would skip out a bit just like in an old Fox-body Mustang. I found it to be kind of fun.

And I could load it up, drive it hard and have fun with it and not worry since used PT Cruisers are cheap, parts are mostly cheap and it didn’t cost much to buy.

When my PT got written off (lady in her SUV ran into the side of it), I got more that I paid for it 2 years prior. It’s the only car I’ve owned that technically appreciated in value when I got rid of it. Of course when I bought it, I got a very good deal on it... partly due to it having no-A/C and I bought it during a heatwave in August.

;-)

QCGoose > boxrocket 04/26/2015 at 13:37

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I really don't understand all the ragging on MyFordTouch by the press. My wife's '14 Flex has it, and honestly, we absolutely love it. Never had any issues with it and we found it easy to use and navigate through after our first day of use.

Milky > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 04/26/2015 at 13:54

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I …. just …

…. You have reasons for being practical. But I didn’t enjoy my time behind the wheel of a PT. Thats all I got.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Milky 04/26/2015 at 14:00

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Was it an automatic PT?

It also helps if you’re coming out of a beat-to-hell car when going into the PT. In my case, the PT replaced a Saab 9-3 turbo with 397,000km on it and would have needed about $3000 of work within 6 months.

haier2 > AM 04/26/2015 at 15:18

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The Bose really is a nice stock system. Mom’s seat heaters and memory seats go crazy all the time. We’ve had them checked out and fixed (we thought) but the fixes never stuck. The driver seat starts moving all the way forward every time the vehicle is turned off, its a TRAP

boxrocket > QCGoose 04/26/2015 at 17:11

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Precisely! I spent about a minute helping my next-door neighbor sync his new phone to his 2014 Super Duty, but it took almost five minutes (and a read in the manual - ugh!) to do the same for his 2014 Outback.

TheOnelectronic > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 04/26/2015 at 20:29

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Your response to Milky makes a lot of sense.

I assume, then, that you skip AWD in most cars because you don’t like the “FWD-until-it’s-not” AWD that most makes use?

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > TheOnelectronic 04/26/2015 at 20:57

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That’s part of it. The other part is it adds weight, makes the car feel slower, hurts fuel economy and results in potentially more things to fix. And quite simply I don’t need AWD. I get by just fine with a set of good quality all season tires, sensible driving and a shovel in the trunk.

SALfan > BrownMiataDieselWagon 04/27/2015 at 00:56

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I would avoid that touchscreen/infotainment/nav system crap like the plague. All the “infotainment” I want is a decent radio/CD player with Sirius. Have an automatic/thermostatic climate control system in one car, and hate loathe and despise it. Fords from the 90’s have power window hardware that would have to be 10 times better to come up to the level of crap.