[Ilikewaffles]

Every time that i've wanted to give american brands a chance, this is what stopped me.

The Germans and Japanese have figured it out, I rented a lowly optioned Golf, came with heated seats.
Owned two civics.. both with cloth seats, EX-T and Si, standard with heated seats.

Base STI? heated seats. Lowly optioned Ascent? Also heated seats! Even base German cars can be opted out with heated seats only (not a whole heated package).

American brands:
Oh you want heated seats?! You gotta get the Rubicon Texas Ranch XLT 1776 SuperDutyTurboPlus edition and then you can opt it out with the HeatedPackage for only $2,998.99!

 

[Chris_V]

My Bolt is a low trim LT with cloth seats and it has heated seats AND steering wheel. The heated seats and wheel were a standalone option so they could be had on any trim level of Bolt.

 

[Egz]

Yea, its annoying. My SE Hybrid, which is a mid-level trim with nav, doesn't have heated seats. A car, with a large electric battery, doesn't have heated seats...

 

[GTijoejoe]

wait.... what is a "base" STI?

 

[2.0T_Convert]

Buick has been an off offender for awhile. Regal (non-GS) & Encore both only offer heated seats on the upper trim level.

Ford was pretty good with the euro-inspired Fiesta/Focus. Heated seats were optional on even basic cloth trims but dealers didn't always stock this spec.

 

[Mr Roo]

they have it figured out quite well. Typically you pay for it as a stand alone option or its bundle in an option package.with 15 other things you may or may not want. They are just making you pay to get it.

 

[Ilikewaffles]

wait.... what is a "base" STI?

The base model? Not the Limited.

No sunroof, base stereo, no push button start or keyless, manual seat adjustments; still comes with heated seats.

 

[VWestlife]

It's all about upselling. Take a popular option and make it part of a higher trim level or expensive package.

I remember back in the '90s when if you wanted to get anti-lock brakes on the Nissan Sentra, you also had to get alloy wheels and a sunroof.

 

[2 doors]

Owned two civics.. both with cloth seats, EX-T and Si, standard with heated seats.

Base STI? heated seats.

Uhh, all of these are high level trims.

My Bolt is a low trim LT with cloth seats and it has heated seats AND steering wheel. The heated seats and wheel were a standalone option so they could be had on any trim level of Bolt.

That's because it's electric. There's no free waste heat from the ICE. It's more efficient to heat the driver rather than the whole cabin with electrics.

 

[Phil Pugliese]

They also havent figured that people buy manual transmissions because of performance and not price. They would be better offering them on higher end models verses base ones.

 

[Ilikewaffles]

Uhh, all of these are high level trims.





That's because it's electric. There's no free waste heat from the ICE. It's more efficient to heat the driver rather than the whole cabin with electrics.

They're mid level.

Civic go.. LX, EX, EX-T, EX-L, Si, Touring, Type-R

Both the EX-T and Si cost me $20,500 brand new.. they're mid level at best.

 

[Nealric]

They also havent figured that people buy manual transmissions because of performance and not price. They would be better offering them on higher end models verses base ones.

A lot of that is the transmission parts bin. If they don’t have a manual in the parts bin that can handle the higher output motor, they won’t spend the money to develop a new one. That said, a few manufacturers do it for no good reason.

 

[whitejeep1989]

Large areas of the US are hot year round, so that might have something to do with it.
California, Texas, and Florida are the largest states for new car sales in the US. All 3 are typically very hot.

 

[NeverEnoughCars]

Large areas of the US are hot year round, so that might have something to do with it.
California, Texas, and Florida are the largest states for new car sales in the US. All 3 are typically very hot.

Yeah. They should provide ventilated seats on all models and then heated options on higher trims. If only we could have actual cooled seats. I want to feel like I am sitting on a block of ice in the nude.

 

[Chris_V]

That's because it's electric. There's no free waste heat from the ICE. It's more efficient to heat the driver rather than the whole cabin with electrics.

The point is, it's American, it's a base trim level, and it has heated seats/steering wheel available as a base level option. No need to get the top trim level or other options to get it. It's a counterpoint to the OP's stance that they DON'T do that.

 

[GTijoejoe]

The base model? Not the Limited.

No sunroof, base stereo, no push button start or keyless, manual seat adjustments; still comes with heated seats.

OK, your point not that there is an imprezzzzzza or WRX, but a stripped out version of an STi still comes with heated seats. :thumbup: got it

 

[Karl_1340]

My Base trim ATS has automatic heated seats.

And before you poopoo over the fact that it is a Cadillac, it is the cheapest Cadillac you could buy, and was cheaper than some higher trim Civics.

 

[@McMike]

they have it figured out quite well. Typically you pay for it as a stand alone option or its bundle in an option package.with 15 other things you may or may not want. They are just making you pay to get it.

LOL, yeah. They 100% know you want it.

 

[KrisA]

Large areas of the US are hot year round, so that might have something to do with it.
California, Texas, and Florida are the largest states for new car sales in the US. All 3 are typically very hot.

If we lived in Los Angeles I'm sure my wife would still find plenty of opportunities to use her heated seats!

 

[Ducman69]

I think the real problem is just the entire business model.

If we got rid of the laws that protect dealership unions and allow them to lobby government, and allowed all manufacturers to just bypass them for direct sales, it would not only reduce costs but would enable a order specific build model, where just like at a Subway restaurant they could simply check a big LCD screen above your vehicle as its traveling down the line and know what options to install on it.

That way people like me that prefer peasant class don't have inflated prices because they are optioned super high, and people can order exactly what they think they do and don't need. :thumbup:

Then they could still have a few "Ford's Favorites" or whatever preoptioned ones to pick from that they keep in stock for people who can't wait a couple weeks for their car to be built.