New premium sedans and their options – best value for money
New premium sedans and their options – best value for money
By Lawrence Minnie
Premium sedans still have a place in the market even though they are losing ground to SUVs. We take a look at three premium sedans and their options to see if there is any value in the extensive lists available to consumers.
The four-door sedan is no longer as popular as it used to be. SUVs have begun to take that title over time. There are still many drivers who prefer the sleek executive nature of these vehicles and they still enjoy a reasonable amount of success in the market.
These sedans offer 4 doors, comfortable seating for 4 adults (5 at a pinch), luxurious fitment and a single model range with the only real option being to change engine sizes. All three of our examples below only offer up the option to select an engine size and drivetrain but all stay on the same grade walk. They do all offer an option for a performance version but that then places them in a different category. What separates them is the extensive options lists offered by each manufacturer.
The BMW 3 Series is an icon of local motoring and has enjoyed this top spot for longer than I care to mention.
We’ll begin by selecting a base 320i with an automatic transmission at a cost of R 578 306.
We then add the Connected Drive and Sport Line packages bringing our total up to R 609 712.
Interior wise, we then add wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, A Harman/Kardon sound system, automatic wipers and lights, Park Assist and a panoramic sunroof and the price goes up to roughly R 653 852. On the outside, we only add adaptive LED headlights and an electric towbar, and our final spec price comes it at R 682 662.
The Audi A4 has a few engine options but we shall start with the most popular selection. The 1.4 TFSI S Tronic with a base price of R 533 784 is a good place to start. We add the gloss black styling exterior package at R 8 131 and move on to the other options.
We can opt for a pearl effect paint at R 2 783 and move on into the interior.
We'll specify sports seats in Milano leather for roughly R 20 000 and finish off touch surfaces in piano black for another R 7 100. Automatic air-con and ambient lighting is a must for another R 16 000. We also fit the front seats with lumbar support and electric functionality.
Our Audi has to be smart as well so the technology page gets a few clicks; there’s Audi Assist, adaptive comfort suspension system, steering assist, park assist, and the head-up display connected to the MMI digital dashboard, as well as the Bang and Olufsen sound system.
Just these few clicks have boosted the price to R 737 424. The options list well over R200k, taking the A4 into a whole new territory.
The C200 is the middle child in the C-Class line-up. We’ll begin with a base price of R613 500 and begin ticking boxes. We then select the AMG Line package interior and exterior fitment for R 46 000, the Driver's assistance package at R 36 000, the keyless system for R 14 500, parking assist package for only R 12 850 and the sound comfort package at R 13 500.
That is the grand total of only five boxes ticked out of the multitude available to customize our selected C-Class. We thought we’d quit while we were ahead and now find ourselves with a price of R 752 400. That is an increase of R140k for just a few of the options available.
Do the options make a difference?
All three of our examples are German. As such, they follow the very European model of building a car: You can have the bare bones model straight off the floor and add a few things to make it your own, unlike the Japanese and Korean manufacturers who try and include many options as standard.
Here in South Africa, it’s very difficult to find new cars without options, and to be honest, you probably wouldn’t want to drive any of our examples without some sort of additional options fitted. The key to success and not losing money to the options monster is to be smart about what you choose to fit from the factory. It’s important to remember that you will most likely never recoup what you spend on options when it comes time to sell on. So, avoid frivolous spec such as large wheels and expensive paint schemes, and rather focus on safety systems and cameras to maintain the value of the initial expense.