Package facists | FerrariChat

Package facists

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by boxerman, Mar 24, 2014.

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  1. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    Can someone explain to me the manufacturer obsession with packages. Twice now I have looked at new cars and to get some of the features I want, one is forced to accept a lot of crap that is not only unwanted, but also undesireable. To me its a turn off.

    Do manufaturers really think everyone wants keyless go, that this is a feature, to me its detriment. Same with rain sensing wipres where you have no overide and they go beserk at their own tempo.

    I could go on about all those ridiculous and suprious saftey features like lane assist and blind spot(radiation) warning. Frankly any car foisting these things on me I wont buy.

    Then there is RR who requre you to take 100lbs of(panoramic) roof glass if you want a V8.
    To me its forcing worthless crap on the consumer, most of which costs little to produce. Do manufacturers really have usch a low opinion of the intelligence of their customers.

    The domestics seem to be the worst with weirs pakgaes like ltz etc you need to be a archiologist to figure it all out.

    The two companies offering reasonable al carte on an SUV are BMW and Porche, but then they take a limb for each option you do choose.
     
  2. TexasF355F1

    TexasF355F1 Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Cost effective.
     
  3. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    I think it has two purposes: first, it inflates the MSRP (more revenue, and/or more room for "discounting"), and second it makes the cars less "unique" to build...in other words it's easier to make sure a car is built to spec with package group A than selling a car with a dozen individual options- it streamlines manufacturing.
     
  4. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    Yes but who decides on thes packages, on what planet do they reside. There is this curse now of sunroofs, and weird tech if you want any luxury in your car.
     
  5. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    sales/marketing people with the planning org weighing in as well
    they reside on planet earth
     
  6. Nativetroy

    Nativetroy F1 Veteran
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    It's annoying for sure. But it does make them easier to build/ or find. Dealer trades go smoother. I watched options turn into packages during the decade I worked for a Ford dealer. Now there really isn't anyway to order a vehicle that's one of a kind. So most people just pick one off the lot.
     
  7. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    never heard the dealer trade part of the equation, makes sense.
     
  8. Nativetroy

    Nativetroy F1 Veteran
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    When I first started as a porter, I used to make dealer trade runs all over the place, both coasts and up to the swamp sometimes to find a vehicle. By the time I left, one was usually at one of the three closest dealers.
     
  9. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    picking one off the lot .....yes
    simplify the build combinations....yes
    most dealers discourage you ordering one.....they'ed rather find one at another dealer,or something off their lot since they're paying to have the cars on the lot
     
  10. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Wagon Queen Family Truckster is a truly special combo.
     
  11. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    Here is the issue, if you want a silverado with some luxury stuff youa re stuck with radar blind spot tech which I despise, or ordering a lower model and adding options which they dont want to do and comes out to more.

    If you wanta RR with the V8 you have to get the panoramic sunroof. If you want a mercedes with good stereo you are stuck with keyless go and a few other crappy things.

    Over at porche if you want a package that bundles things like suspemsion etc you are stuck with the loose power steering. At least though you can order alal carte as with BMW.

    As to dealers and trade ins, when I ordered my M3 sans sunroof the dealer was agahst, but these days such a car actualy fetches a premium, and frankly a sunroof is barely ever used on my cars or any other car that most people own at least in the Ne, yet you "have" to get it.

    To me the whole thing is way of inflating the price of the car, but then in the case of say GM where there is mostly not a production limitation what you do is price people out of the car thye want. For example maybe you want and are willing to pay for leather bucket seats, but dont want or need all the other crap. I would think thtaa s the cars are built in the USA offering the ability to order ala carte would be a sales benefit compared to say japanese stuff.

    Last gripe of the day, I have yet to see a manufacturer website that offers all the options avialable for a car, I mean I have not seen it on one ever, and sales people are pretty clueless, so its a game of hunt and seek to figure out what really is there..

    It still amazes me thta such a complex product, so expensive to devlop is so poorly marketed and sold. I guess the standard of competition in the sales arena is also so low why bother.
     
  12. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    but I distinctly ordered the antarctic blue sports wagon with CB and optional rally fun pack.
     
  13. dbw

    dbw Formula Junior

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    You can order a Morgan three wheeler to your own personal spec above and beyond " factory options"... I did. What's an " RR " anyway?
     
  14. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    RR is Range Rover
     
  15. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    #15 boxerman, Mar 25, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2014
    What I think is partly going on is manufacturers are adding spurious tech in the theory that this makes the car seem sophisticated, upscale or luxury. A lot of that tech is probably expensive to develop but cheap to produce. Most cars these days are pretty good so maybe there is an attempt to dfifferentiate or fool the customer with electronic tech, while still say leaving in a live axle or poor shifting transmission. See how much tech crap you have to get in a package on the new tahoe if you want somethign useful like Nav.


    Perhaps its just that cars are developed by engineers, and they love gadgets, so these things get added and marketing people think its a sales point, mostly its aggravating or soemthing you have to overlook. Or maybe screens are much cheaper to do than screens and knobs/buttons and they are dubiously presented as modern. Maybe keyless go is cheaper to produce than an key mechanism, and you can charge more for a so called benefit.

    The end result is the cue system, which more than on freind found to be a total deal breaker.

    The reality is we know there need to be knobs and buttons for some everyday functions, like volume, seek, fan speed, air direction, temp etc, while a lot of sub functions and setting are better done with a screen.

    I dont want to be radiated by blind spot warning or startled by vibrating wheels or seats, maybe the 7% of the populace who drives Pirus do, but most men I speak to and 50% of women dont'. Dealing with the radio on a cue system car is so aggravting in the end one just turns it off, that is if you can gte it to respond to your fingers on a cold day.. The rain sensing wipers on my wifes mercedes are so precriptive and agressive that we both just reptitively use flick wipe for drive in drizzle which is less convenient than a manualy set delay which the car does not have.

    That is not to say that tech features are no desired, just thta thye should a work unobtrively, b) be easily setable and c not overdone or prescriptive. Its like sunroofs, delaers love to order these things or force them on packages to inflate the value of the car, but how many consumers really want all of them bundled together, and or go to the koreans or another mnaufacturer that dont force this. Is this the 21st century version of paint sealant?

    Yeah its the tech version of the family truckster wagon. I guess fake woodsiding doesent sell.
     
  16. Craigy

    Craigy Formula 3

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    Honda/Acura has been doing this for years with success.

    Porsche is the antithesis of this, but like you said you pay dearly for each option. IMO this is a turn-off, options should not double the price of the car and the car should come standard well equipped. It's not as if the base prices of their cars is small.
     
  17. Devilsolsi

    Devilsolsi F1 Veteran
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    I do think a lot of it is tech just for the sake of tech. However I actually prefer the keyless go now that I have it. Every car I have driven with rain sensing wipers or auto headlights gives you the option of setting it on auto, or setting it to your liking.
     
  18. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    The fact is that a manufacturer will make a profit on a vehicle regardless of options or trim level. In my opinion the manufactures do not care about their consumers wants or needs and only focus on their profit margins. Give the people what they want and not what you tell them they want!! We also still deal with uninformed buyers who are not only gullible but just want to get out of the dealership ASAP thus they agree to a package that is in reality not suitable for their budget or their needs.
     
  19. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    Honda acura has managed to make a small sucess out of abig sucess, although overall proidct might be to blame here.

    Porche options dont double the price of the car if you are not into crests and deviated stiching.
     
  20. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    Not on mercedes, there is no manual delay, the rain sensing sets things according toa lawyer manadated tempo which is always too fast and changes tempo. The previous cura also had an infuriating system. BMW seems to work well.

    I guess we ar ein the ra where a car decides and tell you what to do, most aggravating, considdering a lot of this is expensive crap.

    On mercedes also once the auto liughts go on, say under abridge they are pretty impossible to turn off, even Chevy gets that part right, ie you can manuly turn them off.
     
  21. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I could not help but notice you keep leaving out the "s".
     
  22. Nativetroy

    Nativetroy F1 Veteran
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    This is true to an extent. But take an F150 for instance. Four door, four wheel drive, V8 engine. An XLT is about $35k, an FX4 $40k, Lariat is $45k, and then jump to the Platinum that's in the 50's. The trucks are the same other than interior and exterior trim and gadgets. Power steps are nice, but all the extras don't cost Ford $20k. So there is incentives to push the higher packages. More profit for the dealer and Ford.
     
  23. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    So I did not mention the incentives because I assumed that was a "given" and common knowledge thus I am batting at least .375.
     
  24. Sunracer

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    good rants boxerman, hated the same things on my last mbz, except keyless go, loved that, also loved the uber seats with heat ac massage and 1,000,000 adjustments
     
  25. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

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    The rain sensing wipers on the 2010 C300(daughter), 2011 GL350(wife) and 2013 GLK350(daughter) in my household can all be switched off and operated manually.
     

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