Tips For Selecting Trim Level and Options on a New Car
Shopping for a new car, SUV, or truck is an exciting hunt, but it can be overwhelming. Even if you know the brand and model you want, there are still plenty of things to consider. You’ll need to compare trim levels as well as a long list of options before you drive away in a vehicle that suits your needs and fits your budget.
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A vehicle model can have one, a few, or many trim levels. Each trim comes with a list of standard equipment, and typically, as you move up trim levels, the list of features, amenities, and technologies gets longer. The price also goes up.
“The trim level determines any new car’s standard features and base price (before options, incentives, and fees),” according to Autotrader writer Nick Palermo.
Since moving up a trim level will impact your budget, and moving down a trim level may impact your satisfaction with your car purchase, it’s best to determine what you value most in your new car — features, price – and what you’re willing to compromise on when buying a new car.
Palermo recommends listing out your non-negotiable features and then spelling out the features you’d like to have, but can live without if they don’t work with your budget.
If you zero in on the model and trim level you want, but it’s still lacking a feature that’s a deal-breaker, you should ask if you can add it on as an option. It might not be possible, but it never hurts to ask.
It’s important to not exceed your budget, though, in order to get one feature.
“If you do your homework before stepping on the dealer’s lot, you are much less likely to pay for stuff you don’t really care about,” adds Palermo.
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If your budget doesn’t allow you to get the trim that has everything or is close to everything you want on a new vehicle, you might have better luck finding what you want for a price you can handle in a used model.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.