When is an option not an option?
Generally speaking, performance, safety, comfort and convenience equipment added at the time of assembly are options. Things installed at the dealership or by an aftermarket specialist are accessories.
Splitting hairs, you say? Not to the automakers.
General Motors’ definition of an option is one that is installed at the factory.
“These would include a sunroof, stereo upgrade and leather seats,” said Tony Truelove, marketing integration manager of GM Accessories, Grand Blanc, Mich.
Accessories include running boards, shipped with a pickup truck but bolted on at the dealership before delivery, he said.
“Tubular assist steps, bedliners and rear spoilers installed at the dealership are accessories,” he said.
One reason to have an item such as running boards attached by the dealer is that it’s safer to ship a vehicle untrimmed, said Hal Mathews, parts director at Henna Chevrolet in Austin, Texas. Besides, it simplifies transport, as the running boards are not likely to be damaged or damage another vehicle. Running boards also can be factoryinstalled or port-installed, depending on the manufacturer.
“Apart from adding accessories, it’s very expensive to make major changes to a vehicle once you take delivery,” Mathews said.
For example, putting anti-lock brakes on a vehicle after it is assembled would likely run a few thousand dollars, he said. But a bed liner for a pickup or an upgraded sound system are easier to deal with.
Especially when using accessories that are model specific, according to the vehicle identification number. Dealerships know which are approved accessories, Mathews said.
And that kind of information generally can be found in the car’s owner’s manual, added Jeff Walker, sales manager at Fletcher Jones Volkswagen in Chicago.
VW’s consumer Web site, www.vw.com, encourages visitors to build their own vehicles. In only a few minutes online, you can run up a large sticker on your fantasy deep-blue, four-door turbo-diesel Golf with five-speed manual transmission, which starts at $17,450.
Options include $280 for electronic stabilization and $499 for a six-disc CD changer.
Dealers can install a wide range of accessories on VW products, Walker said.
Toyota’s Scion brand comes ready to go as is or to be dressed up to suit the owner’s taste and pocketbook. David Salomon, general manager at Elgin Toyota, said the dealership generally orders Scions in base models so customers can accessorize there. Accessorizing at the port may make a vehicle harder to sell if they don’t match buyer preference.
Rear spoilers, wheel and tire packages and body skirts are the most popular accessories at Elgin Scion, Salomon said. In the xA and xB, front-seat-mounted side air bags and front- and rear-seat side curtain air bags are factory-installed options. Colorful shift knobs and sport pedals, special interior lights and cargo liners and cargo nets can be installed by the dealership.
“There are more than 40 items available individually,” said Gene Koster, a Toyota national manager, pointing out that a broad range of accessories attracts a new group of customers to Toyota.
Mike Reding, vice president for corporate accessories, said Toyota’s product planning department and a vehicle line chief engineer work together to develop a feasible list of options and accessories for each vehicle.
It’s complicated, to be sure. Reding said the Sienna minivan has three power doors and three grade levels or models. But all three power doors (two side and one rear) are not available on all three models.
As a vehicle settles into the market, options or accessories may be added to meet customer demand. Reding said a running board is likely to be available this year for the Sienna and it likely will be port-installed.
Troy Mullins, general manager of Mazda-Hyundai at Jacobs’ Twin Auto Plaza, Chicago, was emphatic about choosing and installing accessories properly.
“Be certain it won’t void your factory warranty,” Mullins said.
A self-installed spoiler or ground effects could eventually lead to rust, for example.
“And what about the warranty on the item itself and the workmanship?,” Mullins asked. “Will you be bringing it back to the aftermarket installer or to a franchise new-car dealer?”
Mullins said he generally sees growth in the sale in aftermarket products and installations this time of year. Owners may be treating themselves with Christmas money or investing early tax refunds in equipment for their cars.
Sound systems, pedal covers, shift knobs and remote starters are popular, he said, adding that people do aftermarket installations for any number of reasons. They may have taken delivery of a color and model they liked from the dealer’s inventory but then wanted a power moonroof or leather seating surfaces and interior trim.
And Mullins pointed out said that though some base models come without air conditioning, they generally are wired for it. So it can be added easily.
The advantage of having factory-approved items installed at the dealership is the warranty coverage.
“Our accessory warranty at GM covers dealer-installed accessories with the new-vehicle warranty [for most brands, three years/36,000 miles] if they are put on at the time of the sale,” said Truelove.
Approved items added later will be covered until the basic vehicle warranty ends, he said.
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What’s in–and out
Here are results of the 2004 Dohring Co. National Automotive Consumer Study: Importance of Vehicle Options. The market research company compared consumer preferences in 2004 with those in 2003:
– Computerized map and positioning system 31.4 percent from 24 percent.
– Cellular phone 22.9 percent from 23 percent.
– DVD player 17 percent from 10 percent.
Here’s what’s hot and what’s not in options and accessories for the 2004 and 2005 model years:
Hot
– Rear-seat entertainment systems on vans and SUVs
– Plus-size wheels and tires, chrome and oversize chrome or chrome-like wheels
– Big tires
– Satellite radio
– Cargo nets
– Side curtain air bags
– Navigation systems
Not
– Gold trim packages
– Curb ticklers or feelers
– Front-end protectors or “bras”
– Whitewall tires
— Jenny King
Sticker price
Here are examples of options and their prices for vehicles in different segments:
2006 Infiniti M45 sedan
Base price: $46,750
Sirius satellite radio: $350
Premium package with climate controlled front seats, Infiniti voice recognition and a power sliding/tilt glass sunroof: $10,500
Trunk mat: $80
2005 Chevrolet Colorado crew cab
Base price: $24,085
Special heated leather power-adjustable seating surfaces: $1,495
Hard tonneau cover for pickup bed: $665
2005 Cadillac SRX V-8
Base price: $50,135
All-wheel-drive: $1,900
Third row power seat: $1,000
Eight-speaker Bose audio system: $1,100
2005 Saturn Vue
Base price: $17,055
Comfort package with six-way power driver seat and driver and passenger heated seats: $595
Leather appointment package: $755
Power sunroof: $725
Red Line performance package with lowered sport suspension, 18-inch tires and alloy wheels, special front fascia, ground effects and chrome exhaust tip: $1,995.
2005 VW Touareg V-8
Base price: $44,260
Premium plus package has nav system/sound system, Bi-Xenon headlamps with washer system, convenience package, four-corner air suspension, leather seating, silver roof rack and CD changer: $7,600
— Jenny King
