Which one is for you?

Top-of-the-line vs next base model

When it comes to buying cars, everyone has a different perception of what kind of value they’re getting from the money they spend. In fact, automotive manufacturers introduce multiple variants per model to cater specifically to every buyer’s value perception. Don’t think leather seats are worth the extra P30,000? Well here’s a variant without them. Can you live without a turbocharged engine? You can find the exact same model with a normallyaspirated engine for 1100,000 less.

Manufacturers have done such a great job of covering all the pricing bases, that their models sometimes overlap one another. In some cases, top-of-the-line lowertiered cars are even more expensive than the base-model variant of the next model up.

Take the top-of-theline Toyota Vios 1.5 Prime (11,095,000) versus the similarly-priced Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6 G A/T (11,053,000) for example. Given the price difference of 142,000, would you pay more for a smaller car? Looking at another example: The Mazda 2 1.5 Premium Series hatchback is priced at 11,085,000, while the next model up, Mazda 3 1.5 V sedan is priced at 11,090,000 — a difference of a mere 15,000. Even the Mazda 3 1.5 V hatchback isn’t that far off at 11,110,000 — a P25,000 difference. Which one would you choose? Here are some ways car buyers answer that question.

Car size

The most popular reasoning behind why people would opt for the next model up, even as a base model, is that the bigger car offers “more metal for the money.” While it’s true that the dimensions of a car the next model up are larger, the perceived advantages that go with it aren’t as pronounced as they used to be.

In terms of luggage space, the Toyota Vios actually holds slightly more at 478 liters, versus its bigger brother, the Corolla Altis, which has 470 liters of cargo space. Today’s cars are also quite generous with rear legroom, with even smaller cars and hatchbacks offering enough distance to keep your knees from hitting the front seats.