Package Insanity

"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv) 08/06/2020 at 19:30 • Filed to: unnecessary car shopping without E90M3, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes, amg a35, A35 hatch

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Doing some mindless configuration on the Mercedes-Benz website after watching TheStraightPipe’s new !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Make a “zero cost” change from regular 18 " wheels to 19" aero wheels...

Holy smokes. In what world do slightly bigger rims require this much crap? Not that I’m actually in the market for one of these, but still...

WilliamsSW > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 19:40

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Those are pretty expensive for free wheels.

Just Jeepin' > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 19:40

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Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 19:42

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I’m convinced its because the average consumer “isn’t able to manage” a traditional or if you will old school order sheet for options. Now that we live in an era of packages we have dealerships who gamble on the common options and colors selected by their customers and buy those to populate their lot.

Many customers are apparently okay with a position of it isn’t the exact model and trim desired want but it will be “close” and you can get it “today” or “soon” if they have to swap with another dealership.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 20:00

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How is Nav not standard on a car that STARTS at $70k?

way2blu does a rev update > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 20:08

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Configurators these days are usually just 3 or 4 option packages disguised as 30 different choices. Most are bundled by the fine print.

Aside from cosmetic things like “what color leather do you want on your air conditioning vents?” most performance and tech features aren’t actually separate from each other like the configurator would have us believe.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 20:51

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I really wish things were like the old days where you just checked a box for a thing you wanted and BLOODY WELL JUST GOT THAT THING WITHOUT NEEDING TO PAY A ZILLION MORE DOLLARS AND BE REQUIRED TO GET A BUNCH OF CRAP YOU DIDN’T CARE ABOUT...

SmugAardvark > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/06/2020 at 21:06

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That’s the $70,000 question, right there.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/06/2020 at 21:33

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I mean, pricing for the 35 should start around $45k, but the point defi nitely stands.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Phyrxes once again has a wagon! 08/06/2020 at 21:34

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It’s because the customer will never see the options list. Te dealerships option them, take delivery, then sell them off the lot to customers.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/06/2020 at 21:40

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I replied to one comment, but I’m doing it here because it’s basically the same answer for every comment I’m seeing so far.

The reason is because the owner will never even see the options list. OK, maybe 1 or 2 people will special order this car, but the VAST amount of buyers will buy it off the lot, already spec’d. Th e dealership is the one doing the spec- ing and in some cases the manufacturers just tell them what they’re going to get.

So they spec a bunch of mid price cars, a few low option lease specials, and 1 or 2 fully loaded models for when a sucker walks through the door.

Sad, but true.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 08/06/2020 at 21:54

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Oops I typed AMG 53 instead of 35 when I was looking for the price

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/06/2020 at 21:55

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Yep, that’d do it!

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 08/06/2020 at 22:05

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Still a lot of money to not even get a feature found on a $25k car.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/07/2020 at 00:07

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I always point to Toyota in that regard. Literally every car they sell comes standard with the full suite of “safety” features.

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/07/2020 at 10:04

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Unfortunately, cars are just way more inter-connected than they ever have been. Your AC system and Navigation now communicate, and the everything that was once mechanical is now electronic (steering, throttle, brakes,etc). Parts have a lot of overlap so adding 1 thing can require chang ing many others.

But wheels, badges, trim stuff, all of that should be completely independent. That’ s just a $$$ grab. And factory navigation is garbage, carplay/Android Auto for life.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's 08/07/2020 at 11:08

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I did some more looking into this and, a trend I’ve seen is changing rim size also means going with performance tires (this is also not ‘necessary’ but I can understand that the manufacturer is going to spec very specific wheel + tire combinations that they spend a lot of time and money testing). At this point the manufacturer has an opportunity to upsell the customer on a bunch of sport/track packages, but there may in fact be liability issues they’re trying to avoid. For instance, someone might upgrade the stock 18" wheels with economy all-seasons to 19" Sport Cup 2s because they intend on doing track days. At the track, they crash. They argue that the manufacturer is at fault because they did not offer a track mode to go with the tires. Therefore, the manufacturer requires a bunch of technology add-ons that allow it to enable track mode to go along with your tires.

So while it’s definitely a cash grab, i t might also be a by product of the age we live in.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > way2blu does a rev update 08/07/2020 at 11:11

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I did some more looking into this and, a trend I’ve seen is changing rim size also means going with performance tires (this is also not ‘necessary’ but I can understand that the manufacturer is going to spec very specific wheel + tire combinations that they spend a lot of time and money testing). At this point the manufacturer has an opportunity to upsell the customer on a bunch of sport/track packages, but there may in fact be liability issues they’re trying to avoid. For instance, someone might upgrade the stock 18" wheels with economy all-seasons to 19" Sport Cup 2s because they intend on doing track days. At the track, they crash. They argue that the manufacturer is at fault because they did not offer a track mode to go with the tires. Therefore, the manufacturer requires a bunch of technology add-ons that allow it to enable track mode to go along with your tires.

So while it’s definitely a cash grab, it might also be a byproduct of the age we live in.

way2blu does a rev update > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 08/07/2020 at 11:21

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I agree. It’s also a cost savings since the manufacturer only has to test certain feature combinations and verify they work. Since wheels/tires and tech features might interact & perform differently with different specs, bundling them into more distinct trim levels means less testing & verification on the OEM side. 100% understandable business decision, though concealing it with fine-print option linkages is a bit irritating.

What’s wholly unacceptable is when cosmetic items are linked to mechanical parts. “Oh, you want your Mustang with the $150 offset vinyl racing stripe? You have to add these specific  19” rims (costing $1549) and we can’t sell you the stripe unless we remove the performance package.”