Something similar happened with the 2012 Ford Focus hatchback Titanium trim level. Only the DCT was to be available for the 2012 Focus hatchback Titanium trim level, but Ford caught wind that a rather important fleet customer was going to ditch Ford because they only bought manual transmissions. In response to that, Ford made the manual transmission available in the Focus hatchback Titanium about half thru the model year.
When did full factory customization go away?
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Actually it occurred right after platform laws were enacted that force manufacturers to run unnecessary crash tests if they make specific changes to a car (like a different transmission)
After platform laws went into effect only options that do not drive another $15m+ of testing will be offered , to a lesser extent emissions retest also plays a role but it’s easier to monetize across different platforms
Offering Boutique options like a manual transmission , different engine or drivetrain, minor body options used to be paid off with under 100 sales of said option a year, now that it’s 15 large the “option” has to fit in with other vehicles on the same platform to get enough volume to pay the testing .
Best recent example is the Prime solar roof, because of a 10lb object glued to the roof sheet metal it would drive a retest so Toyo pulled the option from the us market, the leafs solar option was legal because it was on a spoiler that is excempt from retest
Ignorant laws like platform and grey market law should be overturned and banned, then a manufacturer could cheaply offer low volume options, platform law is the #1 reason manual transmissions are gone,
the engineering and all other costs are sunk, just the $15 million testing that kills it
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Not entirely. Some equipment, yes, the manufacturer would have to conduct separate safety/crash testing. Doesn’t explain why you can’t get the optional high powered sound system in a base model car. Or why you can’t equip the base model car with chrome window surrounds that’s available on the top trim level. You could do that 15-20 years ago. A lot of these options were individual options. It comes down to cost, the financial institutions have probably the biggest influence.
https://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/threads/what-trim-level-do-you-want.107002/page-3
Check out reply #44, same message I was trying to get across. This how Honda has kept up their resale values through the years.
Check out reply #44, same message I was trying to get across. This how Honda has kept up their resale values through the years.
Definitely more customization on German brands. Part of the problem is that Japanese brands along with American brands have hone to packages. The odd part is that sometimes in Canada they can get different options that makes no sense to exclude from the usa market. For instance you can order a Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback with a manual transmission in Canada and only the hatchback in the States. You can get the Mazdaspeed bodykit and order the dark blue with a manual in Canada, not available in the usa.
As a second, about 10 years ago the Vice-President of Ford gave a presentation where I went to college. I and only two others stuck around to chat with him for 30 minutes. in Japan if Subaru crash tests an Impreza wrx it counts for all models under that. The most recent Subaru Sti-RA that the usa got only 500 or so copies cost Subaru at least an additional million dollars if not closer to 2 million, because 80 percent of the vehicle was upgraded over the base sti. It had to meet all of the USA crash and emissions testing then another million for carb certification to be allowed to be sold in California.
A coworker had an Acura TL (maybe 2008?) with a manual transmission. He got it used and said he had to look far and wide for it.
It has to do with “lost profit potential “ (also known as cash grab)
The manufacturer is in a loss leader/value add mindset where they overcharge for a 50cent upgrade
The fact you get any different trims or options at all is because the manufacturer knows what they can offer to maximize profit without retesting the car.
Exactly why you see real option choice leaving the market
A piece of chromed plastic, a screen, different colors, a Chinese radio option are all not really options just a way to extract as much $$$ as possible while not providing any real upgrade.
Different motors, transmissions, roofing types are real options and are getting very rare due to testing emissions and crash
We are going back to the you can have any car you want but with the exact same motor.
Every Dodge Fleet pickup I’ve encountered through 2009 wasWhat US fleet customer buys manual transmission anything in bulk?
White
Manual transmission
2wd
Only difference between them was the motor
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Same with RV. Calculated by the computer without any delay, you can watch on the screen how it changes with every option. Of course the dealer can reduce RV (not the other way of course), but if he does the monthly payment will rise and that will make it harder to make a deal. Generally RV raises with every additional option. It really isn't any issue. I've had literally thousands of signed contracts in my hands.
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I was thinking that Chrysler was really big on this. The car on the show Nash Bridges was supposedly one of 11 or 12 Hemi Barracuda convertibles ever made. I suppose everything had to be specified by the buyer to get that combination of the Hemi in a convertible, and there just weren't that many buyers interested in such a combination at the time.
You’d be surprised. A good chunk of manual transmission vehicles sold in the us are fleet ordered work vehicles. Very common for courier delivery companies to order manual transmissions due to lower repair costs and repair costs.What US fleet customer buys manual transmission anything in bulk?
Mind you these are private use fleet vehicles, no rental car fleets which I’m sure a lot of you assumed.
If you have the ability to look at the auction prices for said vehicles, you will quickly realize that a lot of them sell less than what was anticipated. A lot of that is market fluctuation. Last thing financial institutions want is for a higher optioned car to sell for the same amount of money as a car with no additional options. That happens frequently and hurts their profitability. Hence, financial institutions like cars with standardized equipment.
Funny you said that, a good friend of mine had a 2004 Acura TL base with a manual transmission. Around 2014 or so it was totaled in an accident and the insurance company of the driver at fault couldn’t get any comps on a base model manual transmission due to there apparently being so few built.
So the ins company took comps of a similarly equipped automatic model and then added an additional 15%-20% to the settlement. They had an internal rule that if they can’t get accurate comps, they add 15%-20% because they can’t accurately determine the value of the vehicle. Don’t know if this is common with other ins companies or not.
Wouldn't a few eventually end up in the used market?
I have yet to see one of these mythical beasts in the flesh!
I've only had a car declared totaled once in 2004. It was my 1995 Integra GS-R after it had been stolen and then recovered stripped. They pulled all the wheels/tires with good tread and abandoned it with just the compact spare and three steelies with bald tires. All the seats were taken out, including the driver seat with holes in it. They pulled the instrument cluster with about 137K miles on it. They took the (real) lighter plug that I'd tested but never used for smoking. They also pulled out the power steering pump and ripped through the AC lines to get it. But they left behind a crisp $5 bill in the glove box, which was rifled through.
In the end the insurance company went through several comps. There was maybe one GS-R model, but many were asking for high prices and I figured that over $7000 for a 9 year old car with that much mileage, was burning a bit of oil, and had a few cosmetic issues (the rear plastic never aligned well after being rear ended and repaired). But I loved that car even though I'd already bought my WRX.
Wouldn't a few eventually end up in the used market?
I have yet to see one of these mythical beasts in the flesh!
I see over 1000 here:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/lp/search-Ford-Focus-manual-sc2_d346
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I wish the original owner of my Accord had sprung for the oem rear spoiler. I think rear spoilers add a nice sporty look to any car (as long as it's an oem one).
As far as powertrain stuff, probably since the 1970s due to emissions.
As far as trim, at least the 1990s on pickups. I have seen 1/2 ton pickups with factory leather seats and manual transmissions until about '99 from all of the big 3 (obviously things are different with 3/4 ton and up, though manual is now rare there also). Someone here had like a '99 Silverado 1500 LT ext cab 4x4 with at least a 4.8 and manual. Certain fleets can probably buy whatever they want as long as it meets federal safety and emissions standards.
As far as trim, at least the 1990s on pickups. I have seen 1/2 ton pickups with factory leather seats and manual transmissions until about '99 from all of the big 3 (obviously things are different with 3/4 ton and up, though manual is now rare there also). Someone here had like a '99 Silverado 1500 LT ext cab 4x4 with at least a 4.8 and manual. Certain fleets can probably buy whatever they want as long as it meets federal safety and emissions standards.
Blaming the government or emissions laws feels good but it is just plain false as the real answer is that offering less trim and powertrain options makes more money due to economies of scale. A lot of powertrain options went away because it's very expensive to design, continuously update and manufacture a bunch of engines rather than just a couple or even one. Back in the 70's GM had Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac designed V8's that while in many cases were near identical but really were all separate and distinct and required a ton of resources just to stay up to date with changing technology. Engines get revised, updated all the time and GM decided it was a waste of money to maintain all these separate engine lines and just made the SBC the corporate small block V8 and dropped all the rest. Today all the OEM's operate like this, Honda for instance makes the J series V6 as the only engine they offer with more than 4 cylinders.
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