Originally Posted by MrFatbooty
Toyota does that with every single car they sell except for the Prius. They list a buttload of supposedly individual options but then at any point in time they come up with a few packages of options to build the car with. On the window sticker it appears as a list of individual options and then at the bottom there is a "value package discount" which gives you the final sticker price. Lexus is structured like that as well.
It's irritating. To be sure, Nissan does this as well even with their volume-seller Altima... you can find either totally base or totally-loaded V6 models on the lot, but in-between $20K and $30K, there might be a few $24K-$25K Altys.
Anyhow, I suppose I could 'understand' re the Celica or other limited production cars. But if ordering a properly-equipped Camry or Corolla is difficult, then screw it. I like the Altima and Mazda 6, but I don't want to buy a $30K car just to get ABS and/or a sunroof. Honda's DX/LX/EX and Acura everything-standard model works very well as far as I am concerned, and I think it's an advantage for them overall... surely I am not the only consumer who thinks it's smart.
The options list on the Camry LE is waaaaaaay too long. And let's not forget that here in Michigan, where the Altima and Camry sell fewer cars than elsewhere in the US because most people in the state are pimping in a Grand Am or Century or Stratus... who wants to have a difficult time searching for a properly-equipped model?
Base-model Altima 2.5 and Accord DX aren't easy to find, but cmon, who wants a stripper midsize sedan nowadays? Nissan says that a base-model Altima is available for special-order... but special-order a stripped model?? That just sounds really odd.
Maybe the whole situation could be helped IF Edmunds' options-pricing pages showed which options are really available versus which ones are realities only on paper. Yes, they try to show 'limited production' trim levels of volume models as well as 'popular' options packages, but still I have been on dealer lots wondering if I'm crazy looking for an options combo that doesn't really exist unless you run the factory and can supervise the building of your 'special order' model.