Want to choose discrete options, not packages

If one can buy any car in todays market for $500 it will have little change of being a vehicle in which one would want to take on a 5,000 mile trip. It were a 'good' car by definition it would be selling for more than $500 ;)

mike hunt

What's your point in posting this? You and I both know it can't be done that way. You can either buy the packages they offer, not not buy at all. The other option is to buy a stripper and then get after market parts to get what you want. It may end up costing you more and not end up being what you expected.

--------------- Alex

Just because they aren't required doesn't mean you can't have them. My DRLs don't bother me since I'm not looking AT the front of my vehicle. Not to mention that my car also helps to keep me from being forgetful (not lazy) when I have to have my wipers on, my state requires headlights when using wipers, my car turns the headlights on when the wipers have been on for 30 seconds and then off when the wipers have been off for 10. This isn't a DRL feature, but it's another whiz-bang, golly-gee electronic gizmo that wasn't on vehicles years ago yet is a nice safety feature.

I did several 600 mile trips in a car that cost me $1, does that count?

You beat me. I paid $15 for one of mine. (but it was a convertible). Took a couple of lengthy trips.

I took a few trips in a VW micro bus when I was a kid in the late 60's - does that count?

Did you make it home again? LOL

mike hunt

Speed-sensitive radio volume level control is another one. GM goes overboard with the useless gimmicky stuff. Since most (if not all) are not options, one can't order a vehicle without those annoyances.

Useless. A standard cooler is more practical since it's portable.

It is only useless to someone who refuses to use it. How can it be an "annoyance" if you have it turned off? Actually, it's one of those "gimmicks" that works very well.

Dave

Bullcrap. I want two options on a Buick Lucerne, but each comes in a package. Try to get just the remote starter. Or just heated, but not 8 way seats.

Edwin,

You've run into what I call "the tyranny of the wiring harness" :)) GM didn't want to make 2 more wiring harnesses for the seats - one of the 8-way adjuster w/o the heated seats and one with both. Since the

8-way seats is the more complex, they put the wires for the heated seats in that harness. Soooooo, you get stuck with both.

Saves GM money, even if it cost you. The manufacturers could eliminate a lot of that if they went to logic-level control (called "multiplex wiring") but I think they are afraid of the complexity servicing such a system involves (look at the wiring diagrams for a Cadillac Allante if you want an example). Multiplex wiring could eliminate half the wiring in the average car if it were done correctly (and probably 50~100 lbs of weight) but without the proper training and equipment it would be damn near impossible to troubleshoot problems.

Regards, Bill Bowen Sacramento, CA

Agreed. I like it in my car.

Every manufacture could build a base no frills car. if the wanted. The only reason they do not is because nobody would buy such a vehicle. Evan manual transmission cars sell poorly. The best selling model, in most every brand, is generally the one with the most standard equipment or the one just below it.

mike hunt

You might want to take a look at the Lincoln Zephyr. Heated seats are standard and remote starter is a dealer installed $400 option.

mike hunt

The harness makes sense, but what does it cost? Adding an extra $20 for the more complex harness, even if all is not all used, is better than paying for a $300 or $500 option that I don't want.

I may take a serious look at that and the Milan. You get the same major features in the Merc for about $4k less.

I just spent another $846 on the Buick yesterday and I'm even less enchanted with Buick right now. That makes $3700 in the past five months. Guess I should have dumped it 5 1/2 months ago.

But, using your hypothetical numbers, if less than 1 in 20 people pay money for that, let's say, $400 option, then you were subsidized by everyone else, and the bottom line of the company is damaged either by absorbing the cost difference *OR* raising their price and putting themselves at a price-competitive disadvantage to appease you, Mr. One-In-Less-Than-20.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

What did you have done to it Edwin?