[Maverick1977]

This may or may not come as a surprise to a few but there is a very critical option missing - My wife/mother/husband/father selected the variant. And I have two instances to showcase why this option should be there.
1. Eon back, mom was looking for a car to replace the ageing Maruti 800. We went to the Maruti showroom, dad and I liked the Zen LXi. But then mom vetoed that she wants the VXi as it came with a rear wiper. We didn't have a choice but to repent.
2. Fast forward to 2022 - I zeroed down on the Carens Prestige Plus petrol automatic. For the final nego round took wife and kids to the showroom. My SA turned out to be a real smart person and managed to convince my wife that we must settle for nothing less than the Luxury Plus variant.
History repeated itself and I had to push my loan amount further.

Does anyone have a similar experience to share? Please do so, unless your wife/mother are watching this thread.

Godspeed.

[GreasyCarb55]

With petrol and diesel engines slowly going extinct I'd personally splurge on a top end variant of a car if it means I get a better engine. If there is no difference in engine then I mostly prefer the mid variant models of most cars.

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

Does anyone have a similar experience to share? Please do so, unless your wife/mother are watching this thread.

Godspeed.

I share similar experiences, for all 3 of the cars we've ever had (A 2005 WagonR that is now sold and a 2011 Innova Diesel and 2017 Honda City we still own) we've always been upsold on variants.

For the WagonR we went from the base LX to the LXI, on the Innova we went from a lower mid range 7 seater model to a 8 seater top of the line V model and on the City we went from a V or VX Manual (not sure which one) to buying the top of the line ZX CVT. But this happened not due to my mother but rather due to my father.

[Karthik_sn]

Not voted, since can't vote yet.

Honestly, I feel there can't be a one solution fits all buying scenarios. Although, for me, VFM would be a top considered point, the purpose of the vehicle will also be an important deciding factor. Like, if am buying a vehicle that's going to be solely driven by me, it's got to have the safety features like ABS, EBD, 6 Airbags, which would be necessary for the highway runs and the relevant variant, even if mid variant, would be fine. However, if it's for the city beater use, a 2 airbag base variant would suffice too. All this considering all other aspects like fuel, engine, seating configurations, ASS efficacy, etc are all evaluated and a particular vehicle short listed.

[clementw]

Safety features being optional is a huge disservice to the buyers, I am not sure the manufacturers would do the same in developed nations. Consequently after my first car when budget determined that I go for entry level variant, the subsequent cars have all been the top end which come loaded with the highest safety features and some inconsequential extra add ons that also boost the price over the next variant.

[ashokabs]

In general the more powerful engines are coupled with good safety and kind of B++ in accessories and conveniences including sound system. That is done to ensure that it is not overpriced. This is true of cars upto about 20L. Beyond that it is better to go for the works. Buy the top end model as you can afford it.

[cdrajeevkumar]

Unable to vote.

I always prefer the top variant irrespective of the features (Of course, if within my budget). My cars have been:

a. Hyundai - XO (Petrol) - Top end in that category
b. Suzuki - Ertiga - Vxi (CNG) - Top end in that category
c. Honda - City - VX CVT (AT).

It always gives me the mental comfort that the top end has all the necessary features (including safety) and hence that mindset. yet to move out of that mindset for my next purchase

[PrasannaDhana]

Voted option 4, but it's actually both option 1 and 4

Buy the top end for more powerful engine as well as for all the bells and whistles.

2016 - Bought Kwid top end with 1.0 L

2018 - Bought Storme top end for the Varicor 400 engine

2021 - Bought Altroz top end with the diesel engine

2021 - Bought Celerio top end for the 15 inch alloy wheels and features

I always start off car purchase with a specific budget and lay out options that fall in the budget (+/-)1.5 lakh. I would rather pick a fully loaded top variant car of a lower segment than a mid level variant of a car that falls in the upper end of my budget.

I started off with a 10 lakh budget for my primary ride. Chose altroz diesel and nexon diesel. The variant of nexon diesel that fit into max limit of my budget (11.5 lakhs) didn't even get a front armrest or alloy wheels. Whereas I could pick the top end of altroz diesel for 11.2

Really loved the 1.5 diesel with 6 speed MT in the nexon. But the cost and looks favored the altroz diesel. 11 months and 30,000 km later, I am more than pleased by my choice.

[kovilkalai]

I couldn't pick one of the choices. The best answer I could come up with was "It depends". I consider myself someone who likes a good engine, top-of-the-line safety and some key features in a car. So, the specific context matters. For instance:

1. If my Hexa came with a more powerful engine, I would have gone for it, but if I were to consider the XUV700, I wouldn't go for an engine more powerful than the one it has (even if one were available)

2. Good body shell/crash performance, front/side/curtain airbags, ESP, ABS etc. I will pay for. ADAS, I won't.

3. Power windows, rear AC vents, power mirrors, ventilated seats wireless carplay, seats and steering with a lot of adjustment, a decent infotainment and good audio I will pay for. Sunroof, powered tailgate, powered seats, three zone climate control etc. I will not

[COMMUTER]

Voted Base with whistles. I have a Ford Figo Base 1.5D and have spent close to two lakhs in aftermarket parts.

I selected this variant because the sensors of pricier varients will drain the battery in under a week if left idle while the base variant stays resilient for over two months and starts at the first crank. It suited my driving frequency and had served me well for 1.4L kms till date.

The power saved from the OEM accessories is routed to horns and lights which are a huge safety factor on our highways.

[ImranHyd]

Can't vote.

I selected the top variant of Kia Carens Diesel because I wanted a feature which was not available in lower variants i.e. AT. I would have loved to get a lower variant with AT without the 'bells and whistles'. It would have saved me lot of money.

[ringoism]

Well, looks like I'm clearly in a minority position here, but as someone who only ever buys pre-owned cars (they tend to make better economic sense, and I guess I've had a couple dozen over the years with no real service/maintenance nightmares as yet), I'm pretty ok with any variant, including (especially?) the base models. In fact I generally prefer simplicity and basic functionality.

I've had some great cars that were top models with all the gizmos starting to fail after a decade. And they are not usually worth fixing, or fixing properly anyway.

People here in the forum seem to be fixated on safety, but as I keep saying here and there in the threads time and again, the BEST and most universally effective safety features have mainly to do with prevention - things like premium tyres (even top variants don't often get the best available as OE), crisp steering and braking, good all-round visibility, and of course as driving goes, maintaining appropriate speeds for conditions, ample following distances, high driver alertness, etc. Not to mention common sense. So preventive safety is absolutely #1, and there's only a bit of that (if any) that you can buy with a higher variant.

And when it comes to walking away from an accident that was unfortunately not avoided, then basic things like a good body structure, headrests adjusted to proper height, and seat belts properly worn (all these again common to even the lowest variants) are going to go a longer way towards saving life and limb than a lot of more advanced (and expensive) things on offer and considered "needed" these days.

I've been driving for going on 40 (yes forty) years on three continents, on both sides of the road, have had about three car accidents over that time - none were serious enough that anyone got injured or my vehicles were more than lightly damaged, easily drove away from all of those. One involved a drunken other party, two involved persons making sudden turns directly across my lane of travel - or specifically in one case running a red light.

Natural question is whether ABS would have saved me some trouble in any of those cases, and I can only answer a "maybe", in one of those cases...But so might have better (wider, stickier) tyres. In the other case it wouldn't have mattered, their cuts in front of me were too sudden to leave time/distance for any kind of evasive action. Instantaneous. ESP and all the rest would not have done me any good. And btw I was running Interstate highway (up to 140-150kmph) counteynroads, urban expressway, and rough (in more ways than one) inner-city streets for an hour and a half daily during some of that time. Never had an ABS-equipped vehicle till later.

Now this terribly drunk guy was also btw blinding me with his high-beams (as is too common a habit even among the sober here in India), so will say he got what he deserved - a nice scolding, his keys seized and delivered to the police station, and fair body damage to his little econo-box (Marshal emerged without a scratch - which brings us back to another safety point re: mass and basic solidity).

As for convenience options and the like, well, I'm not averse to comfort, 'specially as I age - but still don't mind hand-cranking my windows or dealing with a manually-adjustable seat vs. a powered one, either. Might recall that when asked about his workout regimen, John Abraham said he never went to the gym, he just drove a Gypsy with oversized tyres and no power steering! Personally would concur - I'd rather drive the Marshal on winding roads for a half-hour daily than push little buttons to raise my windows and steer with my little finger, and then spend hard-earned time and money pumping iron in a room full of smelly sweating bodies - but hey, maybe that's just me... :-)

But back to safety, since a majority of posts are associating it with high-variants:

Hmmm... a sunroof-equipped top variant is probably less safe in the event of a rollover (or falling rocks here in H.P.). A top-variant's massive infotainment screen is probably much more distracting than anything that could be found within uncle's old M800 (except maybe Aunty). The pumpin' sound system in that top-variant is likely to make deaf to the sound of that railway-crossing bell/ locomotive air horn... That lusty more powerful engine will have me driving/accelerating faster than I probably should sometimes... And of course the aura of overconfidence that these few lakhs worth of additional safety equipment has lately engendered in me may well end up being the very thing that finally kills me.

I guess I'll rest my case, shaky as it may be, here...

IMO if you're leasing a car or replacing every few years and have the funds then ok, do what you like. Off-warranty, all the gizmos tend to get nightmarish.

See you at the workshop / used car lot.

-Eric

[Sidjohri]

The top variant of any vehicle model usually comes with the most comprehensive safety & protective gear; most notably (the number of) airbags. IMO no aftermarket feat can replicate this crucial aspect in the lower model variants. Apart from the safety factor it is indeed the factory fitted bells & whistles in the topmost trim which I feel will (usually) give you better reliability, finish and perfect compatibility over aftermarket fittings and procedures. I will always stick to this philosophy as long as my financials permit me to do so.

[anshu1101]

My preference is always for the top variant of the segment that I can afford vs the base variant of the segment above it.

I'd also prefer to wait for a while to get my finances together to be able to afford the top variant rather than settle for the base/mid variant.

The preference for the top variant emanates from the added safety features that the car comes with, and the bells and whistles that usually all the top variants get.

[RedTerrano]

What makes you zero upon the variant choice for your new car?
One word: Wallet

I always have crystal clarity on what I need.
Besides this, I also know nice to have and can live without it things.
Any variant which fits these criteria and is within range of my wallet depth is fair game.

e.g.
When I bought my Terrano, my must have list included the color red, power steering and airbags.
I didn't care much for the diamond cut alloys so I swapped the 85PS to 110PS which was on my nice to have list.
Though back then Duster offered steering controls and Nissan didn't, I could live without it.
Fortunately the economics worked out as all this was well below the moolah I had stashed away for the next car and I still had some more left to indulge in the "special" number plate.

Didn't vote as this particular choice is not available.

[Vtach]

OEM's maneuvering and feature- stewardinship I would say decides what variants get picked, despite our belief that it's we that have made the choice of variant.

They package things in such ways that the costliest variants end up being the one with most useful features.
And then bundle in other features that the buyer may not necessarily want but the OEM wants to push.

I wanted an diesel AWD/4×4 spacious 5 seater that I can maintain in smaller towns too in a ~ 25 L budget with a monocoque chassis or ladder frame with at least Hexa like ride quality. I have no use for a glass roof, ADAS, white colored interiors, automatic gear box, auto headlamps, Alexa, 18 inch wheels, MRF/ Apollo tyres, fancy music system, giant screens or cameras all around, Auto stop/start, eletronic parking brake, air purifier and so on.

I'd rather have a solid metallic roof above my head, 16 incher Momo alloys with taller Continetal tyres, a manual gearstick , lockable differentials, ESP, all wheel disks, hill hold assist, hill descent control, soft touch quality well put together interiors, a sliding middle seat with excellent underthigh support, isofix points & a manual hand brake; seat ventilation would be nice to have.

Mahindra has bundled XUV700 features in such a way that I feel being maneuverd into paying for things that they want me to pay for, rather than paying for what I want.

If OEM's really want to know what buyers want , the option of configuring online is a simple way to do it. And no, not the superficial configure the plastic cladding/chrome inserts/ interior trim bits etc but real mechanical parts.

Charge a fair premium I say if you may, and let the buyer decide what he gets in his car.