New vehicles
 

I'm guessing that the Co's that have the on-star, radios, and smartphone in the cars pay the auto companies a bunch?
Wonder what the price difference would be, if you could fine one without all the bells and junk? Maybe more?

Not entirely sure what the question is, but both of our new cars have no bells and whistles and were cheaper than those with.

On-Star is a GM thing, offering different services by subscription. I think you'll find most GM radio options have the capability, and the few that don't have more than On-Star unavailable, things like no discs, or mp-3s. So to cut the price you have to give up more than just On-Star.

You might save money by deleting a radio that does a hands free hook up from your phone to your carrier. I don't think the manufacturer makes money on that after they sell you the car.
A friend bought a new Mustang and all the radio options do that... and it sucks. The next up sound system was part of a package with back-up camera and stuff, costing almost three grand more.

Our minivan in 2012 came with zero bells and whistles, and we didn't pay extra for their nonexistence. We did have a much more limited choice in general though, a hundred cars on the lot with all the crap versus maybe 5 without.

Just enough strippers in the inventory, so they always have one they can post a cheap price in their ads. Those are the ads with the vehicle stock number right under the price.

I always justified the bells and whistles I wanted, by saying well, when you figure the total cost with financing over the period of the loan, it's worth it.
If I still wasn't convinced (I can be difficult sometimes ;)) I'd add the cost of insurance and maintenance in too.

When I bought the recently departed Sonata I wanted a base model stripper but they were out so they gave me a trim level up with a few bells and whistles for the sticker price of the base stripper I wanted.


"Once you start using slippery slope arguments, the next thing you know you're employing straw men and red herrings. It's a slippery slope." Jim Helm