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Car companies walk a fine line as they balance standard and optional equipment.
They risk losing money if they offer too many standard features because customers will no longer have an incentive to spend more. Alternatively, they risk losing a sale to a competitor if they try charging extra for everything.
In the economy car segment, the balance normally tilts towards perceived value for the money. In the luxury car segment, the balance tends to tilt towards optional extras. To put it all into perspective, we’ve looked at the most and least expensive variants of 15 cars and ranked our list in ascending order. Note the price figures we provide correspond to 2018-model year vehicles on the American market.
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Volkswagen Jetta S ($18,545)
Volkswagen asks $18,545 (and an $895 destination charge) for an entry-level Jetta S. In exchange, buyers drive home in a sedan equipped with the basics and little else. The S trim level comes standard with air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port for the front passengers, a six-speed manual transmission and cloth upholstery.
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Volkswagen Jetta SEL Premium ($32,100)
Stepping all the way up to the Volkswagen Jetta’s SEL Premium trim brings 17in alloy wheels, leather upholstery and a digital instrument cluster that replaces the traditional analog gauges found in cheaper models. Volkswagen doesn’t offer any standalone options but buyers can select accessories like a roof rack and rubber floor mats. Buy it all and the Jetta comes out to $32,100. That’s a $13,555 difference from top to bottom.
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Toyota RAV4 LE ($24,660)
The RAV4 ended 2017 as Toyota’s best-selling model in the United States. It was the country’s fourth-best selling vehicle behind the perennially popular pickup truck trio built by Ford, Chevrolet and Ram.
Value accounts for a good chunk of its popularity. The entry-level LE model starts at $24,660 before Toyota adds a $1045 destination charge. It offers eight airbags, pedestrian detection, dynamic cruise control, a lane departure warning system, remote keyless entry, cloth upholstery, a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Only the 17in steel wheels betray its entry-level positioning but that’s a minor concession to make for the peace of mind that comes with modern safety features, a spacious cabin and Toyota reliability.
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Toyota RAV4 Platinum ($39,309)
Toyota unimaginatively calls the RAV4’s range-topping trim Platinum. While lower trim levels come standard with front-wheel drive, the Platinum model is exclusively offered with all-wheel drive. The only option is a $90 tonneau cover for the cargo compartment. Adding accessories (like wheel locks, all-weather floor mats and a remote engine starter) bumps the RAV4’s price to $39,309. Fully loaded, the RAV4 costs $14,649 more than a base model.
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Honda Civic LX sedan ($18,940)
Honda offers the Civic as a sedan, a coupe and a hatchback. The sedan is the cheapest of the three with a base price of $18,940 excluding an $895 destination charge. The coupe and the hatchback start at $19,350 and $20,150, respectively.
The base Civic LX comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that shifts through a six-speed manual transmission. It’s equipped with cloth upholstery and it rides on 16in steel wheels with plastic hubcaps. The LX can’t be configured with leather but alloy wheels cost $1400 more.
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Honda Civic Type R ($40,152)
The most expensive Honda Civic is the performance-oriented the Type R. It starts at $34,700 before buyers add options and pay the destination charge. The list of add-ons includes accessories like a $1200 spoiler made with carbon fiber, door visors, wheel locks and a wireless phone charger, bringing the total to $40,152 excluding the destination charge which, oddly, remains the same regardless of whether the car is built in the United States or England.
Honda’s most expensive Civic costs $21,212 more than the cheapest model. You could buy two for the price of one if you’re willing to settle for a slower, much more basic car.
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Kia Stinger ($31,900)
The Kia Stinger starts at $31,900. Concept car-inspired style comes standard, as does a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 255hp to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Buyers who get the base model enjoy tinted windows and a six-speaker stereo but they don’t benefit from electronic driving aids like forward collision warning or niceties such as a heated steering wheel.
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Kia Stinger GT2 ($53,965)
Accessing the Stinger’s 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine requires spending at least $38,350 on the GT trim. The range-topping GT2 model also adds leather upholstery and a head-up display. All-wheel drive costs $2200. Accessories sold by Kia like a remote engine starter brings the total to $53,965, or $22,065 more than the base model.
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Jeep Wrangler Sport ($27,495)
The fourth-generation Jeep Wrangler costs more than the outgoing model. It starts at $27,495, a sizable increase over its predecessor which carried a base price of $23,995. That’s for the two-door model; plan on spending $30,995 for a four-door Unlimited model.
The base Wrangler Sport comes with 17in steel wheels, a soft top, a V6 engine and four-wheel drive. It’s basic but many off-road enthusiasts see it as a blank canvas on which to build the rig of their dreams.
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Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon ($59,530)
The Rubicon is the top trim level in the Jeep Wrangler hierarchy. It’s also the off-road champ of the line-up. But while the Wrangler is a relatively Spartan vehicle without options, Jeep gives buyers with deep enough pockets the possibility of building one brimming with modern tech and convenience features like rear parking sensors, an 8.4in touch screen with navigation and a heated steering wheel. The company charges $2095 for a body-colored hard top, $895 for alloy wheels with a polished lip and $1495 for leather upholstery.
Add it all up and the bill comes to $59,530; to add context, that’s about $5000 less than an Audi TT RS and $32,035 more than the cheapest Wrangler available.
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Ford Mustang EcoBoost ($25,680)
The Ford Mustang starts at $25,680, a figure that makes it about $5000 more expensive than when it came out when we adjust its price in 1964 ($2368) for inflation. Base models receive a turbocharged, 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine and a six-speed manual transmission. Buyers who want a V8 need to spend at least $35,190 on an entry-level Mustang GT.
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Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R ($69,670)
The Shelby GT350R model currently sits at the top of the Mustang line-up. It’s no ordinary pony car. It boasts a long list of performance-oriented standard features including 5.2-liter V8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft, a model-specific six-speed manual transmission and 19in wheels made with carbon fiber. Most of the optional extras are aesthetic add-ons like a black roof ($695) and racing stripes ($475). Ford also offers a $3000 electronics system which bundles a nine-speaker sound system, an eight-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility plus navigation.
Our GT350R with every option costs $43,990 more than a base EcoBoost-powered model.
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Ford F-150 XL ($27,705)
The cheapest version of the 2018 F-150 starts at $27,705 before Ford adds a mandatory $1495 destination charge. That figure corresponds to a relatively basic work truck equipped with a 3.3-liter V6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. It’s a regular cab model with a 6.5ft bed and 17in steel wheels with plastic hubcaps.
Inside, the XL comes with a 4.2in screen for the infotainment system and three cloth-upholstered seats. It’s as basic as it gets, it doesn’t even come with a CD player, but it nonetheless offers A/C, cruise control and trailer sway control.
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Ford F-150 Platinum ($75,376)
It’s easy to build a Ford F-150 priced into Mercedes-Benz CLS territory. Select the four-door SuperCrew model, add a 6.5ft bed, four-wheel drive and the 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine and you’ve already configured a truck that costs $62,705 with destination included.
Ask Ford for white platinum paint, which costs $595, and add options like adaptive cruise control, a spray-in bedliner, a bed extender, a power moonroof, an in-vehicle safe and a rear-seat entertainment system to reach $75,376. That figure includes every single accessory Ford offers, even those made by aftermarket companies like a Thule roof rack.
It’s $47,671 more expensive than the base model. Instead, buyers willing to settle for a base F-150 can buy an XL model, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan and still have money left over to build a two-car garage.
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Dodge Charger SXT ($28,995)
Dodge offers a Charger to fit nearly every need and budget. The basic, V6-powered model starts at $28,995, though a surprisingly high $1345 destination charge bumps its base price to $30,340. The SXT trim level includes the firm’s ubiquitous Pentastar V6 engine, rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
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Dodge Charger Hellcat ($77,304)
The Charger line-up consists of 11 trim levels. The most expensive model, the vaunted Hellcat, is also the most powerful and least efficient one. Right away, buyers need to spend an additional $1700 to cover a gas guzzler tax that penalizes vehicles that return a non-adjusted combined fuel economy rating of under 22.5mpg. The Hellcat finds itself in elite company; its gas-guzzling peers include the Aston Martin Rapide S, the Rolls-Royce Wraith, the Bentley Mulsanne and the Lamborghini Aventador S.
The 707hp V8 comes standard so most of the Hellcat’s options change the way it looks. The relatively short list includes a black roof, 20in alloy wheels and red seat belts. Fully loaded, the Charger Hellcat costs $77,304. That’s $48,309 more than the V6-powered SXT model.
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Ford F-250 XL ($33,150)
Ford’s Super Duty trucks come in all shapes and sizes. The basic F-250 XL priced at $33,150 comes with vinyl upholstery, steel wheels, black bumpers and a regular cab. There is not a spec of chrome anywhere on the body. It’s clearly aimed at fleet buyers (like utility companies) or motorists who need a sturdy work truck without the bells and whistles.
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Ford F-450 Platinum ($95,160)
At $51,795 in XL trim, the F-450 is almost $20,000 more expensive than the F-250 before buyers begin piling on options. The Limited trim’s $86,285 base price makes it Ford’s most expensive pickup truck. Shoppers can spend $1495 on a fifth-wheel hitch, $185 on inflatable seat belts for the rear passengers and $330 on an in-car safe, among other extra-cost add-ons. Tick every box and the Ford dealer will send you an invoice for $95,167 before it throws in a $1495 destination charge. That’s $62,017 more than the base Super Duty.
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Tesla Model S 75D ($74,500)
Tesla sets the entry point into Model S ownership at $74,500 before it adds a $1,200 destination charge. That figure corresponds to a 75D model with a 75kwh battery pack and dual-motor all-wheel drive. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates it achieves up to 259 miles on a single charge.
Tesla includes heated front seats, navigation, a full air suspension, 400kwh of free Supercharger credits and an integrated HomeLink transceiver plus collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking.
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Tesla Model S P100D ($155,000)
The range-topping Tesla Model S P100D starts at $135,000. The company’s Autopilot suite of semi-autonomous driving aids costs $5000 if ordered at the same time as the car or $6000 if enabled after taking delivery. Splurging on every available option (including multi-coat paint, a sunroof and 21in alloys priced at $4500) adds $20,000 to the price, bringing the total cost of the car to $155,000. That’s $80,500 – about the price of a Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid – more than the Model S 75D.
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Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ($56,590)
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray starts at $56,590 as a coupe and $60,590 as a convertible. Chevrolet bills the base 1LT trim level as the lightest, most basic configuration offered to delight Corvette purists concerned about keeping track of every ounce. It’s not a stripped-out track special, though. The list of standard features includes keyless entry, an eight-speaker sound system and leather inserts in the seats.
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Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 ($154,490)
At the other end of the Chevrolet Corvette spectrum lies the ZR1, which costs $154,490 in its most expensive configuration. That figure includes a performance suspension, the orange design package, a carbon fiber roof, an eight-speed automatic transmission and the Corvette Engine Build Experience, which lets buyers build their car’s engine alongside one of the factory’s technicians.
Unrestrained option-ticking creates a Corvette that costs $97,900 more than the base model.
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Land Rover Range Rover ($87,350)
At $87,350 before a $995 destination charge, the Range Rover stands out as Land Rover’s most expensive model by a relatively wide margin. It wouldn’t be fair to call the base model a compromise, though. It ships with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that provides 340hp to all four wheels through an automatic transmission. That’s enough power for a 7.1sec sprint from zero to 60mph.
The list of standard features includes leather upholstery, a 380-watt sound system, a power-operated tailgate, heated and 16-way adjustable front seats, three-zone climate control and 19in alloy wheels.
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Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography ($248,345)
The easiest way to instantly add about $20,000 to the price of a Range Rover is to tick the long-wheelbase box. Next, for an additional $100,000, choose the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine. That brings us to $207,000 and the only way from here is up. Though Land Rover offers several alloy wheel designs at no extra cost, the list of options offered at this price point is surprisingly long.
Buyers can pay $23,460 – the price of a nicely-equipped Volkswagen Golf – for a two-tone paint job from SVO and another $4490 for a vintage tan interior with quilted leather. And, while you’re at it, why not pay $5815 for event seats integrated into the tailgate? Adding $40,000 in options create a Range Rover priced at $248,345. It’s $160,995 more expensive than a base model.
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Mercedes-Benz S450 ($89,900)
Spending $89,900 on an entry-level Mercedes-Benz S-Class puts you in a rear-wheel drive model with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine. Buyers can choose from a generous palette of 10 standard paint colors and three types of leather but the only wheels included in the price are the 18in alloys pictured above
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Mercedes-AMG S65 ($261,730)
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class gets very expensive, very fast.
The V8-powered S560 starts at nearly $100,000 while buyers lusting after the comfort of a Maybach-badged model need to spend $168,600 on the S560 or $198,700 on the S650. Even a fully-loaded S650 costs less than AMG’s S65, which carries a base price of $229,500. Throw in every option (including carbon ceramic brakes and a refrigerated storage compartment between the rear seats) to build a car that costs $261,730. Champagne to fill the cooler box is not included unless you're on friendly terms with your local dealer.
That’s $171,730 more than the standard model. Here’s another way to look at it: alternatively, you could buy an entry-level S-Class, a vintage Cessna 185 and still have money left over to take flying lessons.
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Porsche Panamera ($85,000)
The base Porsche Panamera priced at $85,000 before a $1,050 delivery charge comes with a turbocharged V6 engine that sends 330hp to the rear wheels through an automatic transmission. It rides on 19in alloy wheels and a steel suspension. Though it’s an entry-level model, Porsche includes a panoramic sunroof, partial leather upholstery, heated front seats and gloss black trim on the dashboard.
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Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Executive ($271,165)
The Panamera illustrates how simple it is to make a Porsche eye-wateringly expensive.
Start with the most expensive variant (the Turbo S E-Hybrid Executive, in this case) and tick every box within sight. Our $271,165 Panamera comes with special paint, tinted taillights, noise-insulated glass, black Porsche logos, a sport exhaust system, an upgraded rear center console, massaging seat, leather on every part of the cabin (including the door sills), a key pouch made with Alcantara, and every option package.
All in, it’s $186,165 more expensive than the standard Panamera. It's the first car and the first Porsche to appear in this feature that cracks the 3+ ratio - but not the last...
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Porsche 911 Carrera ($91,100)
Plan on spending at least $91,100 to put a 2018 Porsche 911 in your garage. That’s the cost of a base Carrera with rear-wheel drive, a twin-turbocharged flat-six rated at 370hp and a seven-speed manual transmission. This is a Porsche so don’t expect the base model to come with steel wheels and black bumpers. The aforementioned figure includes 19in alloy wheels wrapped by summer tires, rain-sensing wipers, internet-connected navigation and power-adjustable sport seats.
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Porsche 911 GT2 RS ($359,645)
The Porsche 911 quickly enters six-digit territory. Only the Carrera and the Carrera 4 cost less than $100,000. None cost more than the limited-edition 911 GT2 RS, a track-ready model that places 700hp under the driver’s right foot.
The list of extra-cost options is longer than Homer’s Iliad. It includes a diverse array of features including a front axle lift system, gloss black door handles, special paint colors, a bigger fuel tank, heated seats, a leather key pouch, yellow seat belts and the $18,000 Weissach package. Add in delivery at Porsche’s experience center in Los Angeles plus accessories like a car care kit and the most expensive 911 GT2 RS costs $359,645. It’s $268,545 more expensive than a standard Carrera, and it very nearly cracks the four-times ratio over base as well. But this is all a bit hypothetical: Porsche capped GT2 RS production at 1000 units and enthusiasts claimed the entire production run in record time.
Fully Loaded to Base Ratio: 3.95
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