Which car variant do you prefer - Base, Mid or Top?

In 2017, ~65% of BHPians voted that they would opt for the top variant.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

In 2017, Smartcat did an insane analysis on which is the most popular variant that people opt for in India. The study gave an idea of which was the most popular variant of a particular car model and gave an insight into the customer preferences. For example, the majority of the buyers opted for the mid variant (VDI) of the Maruti Ertiga while in the case of the Hyundai Elite i20, the sales of the top Asta variant were the highest. And to generalize things, ~65% of BHPians voted that they would opt for the top variant

With 2023 behind us, let’s see if customer mentality has changed or not. In the last 5-6 years, things have changed drastically concerning customer preferences and the way manufacturers are approaching the Indian market. Here are some of the major changes.

Seller’s market: We are in a period where the manufacturers are no longer fighting with each other to undercut each other while pricing their products. Car prices are higher than ever because there are people who are willing to pay the amount asked for. A very clear example of this is probably the Maruti Vitara Brezza. While the first-gen car was one of the cheapest in its segment, the second-gen car that was launched in 2022, is one of the most expensive in the same segment!

• Something for everyone: Manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia have this approach of offering everything to the customer in terms of powertrains and features. This approach has worked in their favour. We’ve seen their cars performing really well in their respective segments. Other manufacturers too aren’t shying away from equipping their cars to the brim with features. Most recently, the Tata Nexon facelift is being offered with over 34 variant options!

• Adequately-equipped base variants: There was a time when base variants of cars were very poorly equipped. Manufacturers used to resort to extreme cost-cutting when it came to base variants and that showed. As an example, the Honda WR-V base variant was so bare bones that it didn’t even get wheel-well cladding! (Related thread). In 2016-17, Hyundai used to offer a passenger airbag as an option in the Grand i10 and now Hyundai offers 6 airbags as standard in ALL its cars. Nowadays, a lot of the safety features at least are standard across all variants and the base variants aren't bare bones.

So, what is your preference? There are three options to choose from

• Base variant: A car with all the essential safety features and some other features.

• Mid variant / Value for money variant: Not everyone wants ADAS tech and a sunroof, so might as well save some money there.
• Top variant: The car's equipped with all the bells and whistles.

Looking forward to reading the explanation behind the vote.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

90% of our car purchases have been the top variant only. The rare time we didn't, we regretted it later. E.g Nissan Sunny is mid-variant because it would be the beater car.

Am lucky that, even when shopping pre-owned, we have ended up getting the top variants only (but never our colour choice).

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Top variant for me. I like to keep my cars for long, which means they should not start feeling obsolete in a few years. Maximum amount of standard equipment and plusher cabin feel help. Also, the kind of goodies you get in top variants of 15-20L rupee cars these days used to be the stuff of super luxury cars not too long back. I find them good value for money. It is pretty satisfying as well, knowing you have bought the best possible version of your car.

Also, I am a sucker for top-notch audio quality. The 9-speaker JBL system was a big reason behind me picking the top Empowered + variant of Nexon EV.

Here's what BHPian Mystic had to say on the matter:

It is always the top-end model and always a brand-new car. All my cars are always top-end with a showroom delivery. Live life king size always even if your bank balance doesn't say so. We are on this planet for a limited time and why compromise on anything? If we fix ourselves to this thought process, automatically our brain will work hard and nature will bless us to achieve the highest possible option ever possible in anything in life and not necessarily specific to automobiles.

Here's what BHPian SoumenD had to say on the matter:

Voted for Top Variant

The first car I picked up back in 2010 was a mid variant and within a few years I realised it was a mistake as some features couldn’t be retrofitted so easily (for example rear wash/wipe).

Second car onwards I decided to go for the top variant by default as I have realised the extra few grand can go a long way in making the ownership that much more satisfying & eventually you can hold on to the car that much longer leading to savings over the long term.

In my current car had I gone for the top-1 variant, would have missed out on some features which I regularly use(electrically adjustable/retractable mirrors, Apple carplay, keyless entry/go to name a few). So unless it’s just a sunroof and some cosmetic bits, it’s always a top variant for me 

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.