Why do manufacturers do this now?

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 04/05/2016 at 10:46 • Filed to: None

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Limit the amount of options and toys you can get when you go for a manual over an automatic.

For context: The new Cruze configurator is up. This is a car I’m very much interested in as a first “adult” car purchase in a few years. So I start building one. Okay, the Premier isn’t available with a manual. Kinda expected that as the old Cruze never offered the LTZ with a stick. So I click LT Manual since it’s the only one you can get without plastic wheel covers (god, how I hate plastic wheel covers.) There is ONE option package.

It adds seat heaters, a power driver seat, and keyless entry and start. No sunroof, driver assists, nothing. The one thing they do seemingly add standard over auto cars is the RS package, which is interesting.

Meanwhile, you select the automatic and it unlocks a whole slew of options.

You get driver assistance packages and sunroofs and Bose systems and bigger touch screens. All the good stuff.

It just doesn’t make sense. It’s not like the manual makes it impossible to add a Bose stereo or a sunroof. Why not make it available to those who want three pedals too?

Honda does something somewhat similar with the Accord, but they lock you completely out certain paint options.

I just don’t understand why this is becoming a thing nowadays. Some things I can understand locking out like auto braking because that wouldn’t go over well in a manual. But let me have my sunroof dammit.

-end Tuesday morning rant session-

Azrek > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:53

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El Manuel prefers certain paints...this is a known fact.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:54

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One reason I bought the Dart. Loaded with a manual. Was looking at a manual Mazda6 but you could not get a sunroof, nav or even effing Sat radio with a manual. It’s 2016 for fucks sake.....

JustAnotherG6 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:54

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You can thank Toyota for that. By limiting the options available you limit the mistakes those on the plant floor can make. This reduces the amount of rework done by the company as a whole, increases the reliability of the brand, and produces a more consistent product.

I hate it too.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jvirgs drives a Subaru 04/05/2016 at 10:55

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No satellite radio? What the actual hell.

jariten1781 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:58

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Now? On non-enthusiast cars manuals have typically been limited to lower trims and options for decades.

Why? Thank Lean Six Sigma JIT stuffs.

spanfucker retire bitch > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:58

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Production costs. The number of people that get a manual and also want a lot of options in their cars are few and far between and auto manufacturers don’t find it worth it to devote resources for manufacturing those rarely used configurations.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Azrek 04/05/2016 at 10:58

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When El Manuel starts making my car payments he can get picky. Until then, let me have blue Honda :(

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:58

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Yeah, that pissed me off. I was like if I’m spending 20k+ on a car, it better have what I want

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 10:59

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I have no idea. When I got my Fiesta there were also a few paint options I couldn’t get, even though the ST is by far the most expensive trim.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > spanfucker retire bitch 04/05/2016 at 11:03

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I feel like you really wouldn’t have to devote anything extra to put a sunroof in a manual car or paint it a color you already offer on automatic cars. It’s not like either of those things are affected in any way my the manual.

shop-teacher > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:07

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I can understand the lack of drivers assists, I think would require tons of re-calibrations and whatnot to work with a manual. But the lack of available sunroof or good stereo, or even different colors is bizarre and short-sighted.

Mercedes Streeter > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:08

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TIL: The new Cruze looks like the new Volt with very minute differences.

Ash78, voting early and often > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:09

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“Now" is pretty much the entire modern era. My old '98 Passat was a 5MT with the V6 GLX package (leather, wood, CD changer, power folding mirrors, heated seats...luxury stuff for the 90s). Only 200 models came to North America like that and the dealers couldn't get rid of them. Manuals have been the territory of sports cars and econoboxes in the US for way too long.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > shop-teacher 04/05/2016 at 11:10

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Precisely.

DrScientist > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:11

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it’s about money.

1.) it’s easier (and probably quicker and therefore cheaper) to package options together rather than have each and every car with its own unique list. easier from the production line standpoint. if the assembly line needs to check and double check every single option as different on every single car, it will take much more time than just have 3 or 4 basic choices (each of which includes 3-10 individual options). time = money.

2) with more options to then they’ll have much more opportunity to screw up. more screw ups = more time = money

3) if youre spending your money, and youre a normal person, you may want navigation, but you think you can live without heated seats, you’ll choose as such. while knowing you are already spending thousands and thousands of dollars, you’ll probably err on the frugal side for those seat warmers and electric rear sunshades. if you need a package to get the nav... youre stuck with the package... and more options = money

Ash78, voting early and often > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:12

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The US market is much more about buying (at a discount) from existing inventory, compared with much of the world where people pay a ton more for a customized vehicle. A lot of factors at work, including dealer group political power, lots of space to hold inventory, easy financing of floorplans, and simply our culture of “wheeling and dealing” for our cars. That means you're likely to find just a handful of a few specific configurations in inventory, all based on what the dealer ordered.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:12

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I feel like you can easily get them if you special order your car. I would however be prepared to drop a little more money if you want to do that.

I also agree that it’s bullshit that manufacturers do that. Here’s one thing that really annoys me. In the 2013-2015 Accord Sport, you could only get gray or black if you select the manual. I know the current version allows you to select red, but I want more options!

Steve in Manhattan > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:12

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This has been going on a long time. Even in the 80s, often a middle level options package wouldn’t have a manual offered. 240D had a 4 speed, 300D never did in this country. Civics, Accords, Camrys - often a higher trim level won’t have a manual. I recall shopping for my ‘88 Camry wagon and, in a sea of wagons, all the LE versions were automatic only - finally found a gray one with a 5 speed and the base level of trim. Bought it.

JR1 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:19

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Simplify and add lightness. Duh

LongbowMkII > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:20

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From my limited manufacturing experience.

The lines run faster when you are building the same item again and again. Say 2670 auto/sunroof/whatever’s. But if you’re only building a few hundred manual/sunroof/whatever’s it's not worth the slowdown and retooling.

spanfucker retire bitch > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:21

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I’m telling you that’s how modern production facilities are run. They specialize around the most common options and configurations and drop what they deem to be unnecessary for the sake efficiency and reliability of manufacturing.

Shmevans > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:23

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But it’s about keeping the sticker price of their inventory low. Manual cars (in a car like the Cruze, which isn’t exactly a track beast) are typically bought by people looking to save the $1,400 on the transmission and therefore might be put off by a $900 sunroof, etc. If you go into the dealership and are willing to wait a few months they can probably spec you up a car with all the extras and a MT and have it built to order.

jjhats > shop-teacher 04/05/2016 at 11:34

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idk what drivers assist your talking about but auto braking blind spot monitoring and self parking are all features you can get with a stick on other cars

-this space for rent- > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:40

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When I worked for Honda, they would run batches of 30 or 60 cars that were basically identical. It makes for more efficient production.

When you’re cranking out a car every 60 seconds, taking time to figure out what options the next car on the line needs makes a big impact.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:56

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VW is the same way, dump all the individual options and replace them with several trim levels that have commonly selected options.

The gas golf is similar to the cruze in that you can only get the manual on the low trim level and somehow it prevents you from having a sunroof.

Montalvo > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 11:57

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Go to a dealer and you probably can get all the options you want. Online configurations are generally kind of crappy at actually representing the options you can really get.

shop-teacher > jjhats 04/05/2016 at 12:20

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I’m not saying they can’t be made to work, just that they don’t want to bother making a re-calibrated version of them for the stick.

ranwhenparked > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 20:22

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Manufacturers used to offer literally every option a la carte - a Chevy Impala order book from the ‘60s was pretty much phone booth thickness. But, the Japanese proved in the ‘70s and ‘80s that American consumers were willing to accept choice limiting option groups instead, and the advantages in manufacturing efficiency and reduced chances of defects were too much for the domestics to ignore. So, aside from a few luxury brands that still let you order exactly what you want, that’s what we’ve been reduced to nowadays. We’re stuck picking from a handful of options that corporate product planners have determined will satisfy 95+% of the customer base.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 04/05/2016 at 22:29

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Assembly lines. The line that does the manuals would need extra equipment to do that other stuff that would be used less often