OK, I have had it with the auto makers bundling packages and wrote to Consumer Reports and cc'd Subaru, Toyota and Nissan. I whined about car makers bundling navigation and moon roofs (frivolous accessories) with their Safety package (EyeSight and etc.)

Here is the meat of my letter:

Safety packages (such as Subaru’s EyeSight): should include blind-spot detection, rear cross traffic detection, lane departure warnings, pre-collision braking and adaptive cruise control and should be available as a stand-alone option on all models AND at a very conservative price. I would include back-up cameras, but understand they are going to be mandatory in 2018.

I commend you on awarding bonus points to auto makers who incorporate the Safety packages as standard equipment. However makers with Safety packages that are bundled with needless/frivolous features, i.e. navigation, moon roofs, mud flaps, should lose points. Now, please talk to the insurance companies!

I believe it is time for the consumers to rebel.

Bill

 

Bill, it's called special order. Lexus also configures vehicles based on geographical preferences. In that case you need to blame your neighbors, the majority of whom may want a moon roof or navigation system in their vehicle.

This thread is being moved to Car Chat since it's not model specific.

 

It's like a lot of other things in vehicle marketing..........cost cutting. It's cheaper, and takes less labor, for automakers to program their assembly lines to either install or not install large packages with long lists of equipment than to custom build each vehicle with or without different specific single-options on each one. Honda, probably more than any other manufacturer, pioneered that system of manufacturing......building DX, EX, LX, etc.....models each with a specific group of equipment on each trim line (and sometimes different exterior paint-colors as well). If you wanted something else, you simply bought an EX instead of an LX or DX.....and just lived with the combination.

 

I see your argument, but I also see the automakers side of the argument. I personally do not think it is THAT big of a deal.

Most vehicles on the lower end of the MSRP ladder ($50K and less) sell on the lowest price possible, this is how its been for a long time. For example, the higher end Camry V6, Rav4, and Tacoma models do not sell anywhere near the volume of a lower end model. And the car companies have figured out ways to get a customer to buy more such as a leather wrapped steering wheel is not a standard feature on a $40K Tundra etc etc.

You may buy the one option, but I can see many people purchasing a Rav 4 base model and then checking the option box for blind spot detectors.