Originally Posted by
IAHtraveler
1. Making (even 1 of a vehicle) without "basic" options, allows the manufacturer to advertise a lower price to draw you into the showroom. Then, it becomes a "oh, we don't have any of the $44,000 XTS, but we have this loaded one that would only be $25/month more." When we were looking for a Honda Pilot last year, we couldn't find a base level anywhere on the east coast (and no dealer wanted to order one for us), so all manufacturers do it.
Plus, for many fleet purchases, things like Navigation, Heated Seats, Sunroofs, etc really don't add value back to the ROI whether it is consumer facing or other purposes (i.e. a Cadillac used by a funeral home). The XTS in particular is highly fleet oriented, between standard car service (livery) to fleet builder styles used in Limousines, Hearse, etc.