Trim levels. What was Wrong with L,GL,GLS etc?

[Timewaster]

I think it all went wrong with the Citroen ZX, they were all Ambiance and Elegance and other such nonsense.

My company car is a Focus "Edge". What the hell is that? It's better than a "Studio" but not quite a "Zetec" and miles behind a "Titanium"

 

What does any of this mean?

 

This probably belongs in the grump thread but with Popular L GL GLS Ghia etc.you knew where you were.

[mat_the_cat]

Exactly, and the poor guy with an L or Popular had to drive around broadcasting the fact that he couldn't afford anything more...

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

What's all this L, GL, GLX nonsense? What was wrong with normal and de-luxe?

[Hendry]

Yep it's nonsense eh? All this fannying about with stupid names to make cars sound posher, my Clios a Dynamique which is better than Authentique, Expression, I-Music, Extreme, Bizu, Pzaz, etc but lower than GT Line, Initiale and Privilege, still at least most French cars don't wear a trim badge anymore as well as most VAG stuff whereas Vauxhall, most newer Fords, amongst others still do.

 

The Vauxhall Adam must have the most stupid trim names though, Jam, Glam and Slam are the 3.

 

And it's not just trims, its colours too, we have a beige Qashqai at work, its "proper" colour name is "cafe latte" there's a silvery blue Insignia which is called "flip chip" a black Insignia which is "carbon flash" a light blue Fiesta which is "vision blue" and I think my own car is "extreme blue" fuck knows what's extreme about it

[Sloth in a bowl]

D, DL, GL, GLS, GLT - Volvo 240

[Negative Creep]

And what is wrong with an estate? They all have to be called station wagon, sports wagon, sports tourer or some other shite

[HH-R]

I think sometimes the manufacturers are being deliberately ironic. Take for example my car is a "Dynamic", with a 1.2 8v engine, a thin high sided body and tyres no wider than a spacesaver, it's the opposite of dynamic.

[derek9213]

I think sometimes the manufacturers are being deliberately ironic. Take for example my car is a "Dynamic", with a 1.2 8v engine, a thin high sided body and tyres no wider than a spacesaver, it's the opposite of dynamic.

mines is a mk3 golf gti,

gti is obviously a trim spec, because its the slowest gti ive ever sat my arse in ????

[Pillock]

The Mk3s get faster with age, when metal starts dissolving.

 

I think they're all at it now, can't remember the last time I saw a GLS or something. But then, massive options lists make it all bollocks anyway - does a Golf SE have climate? Heated seats? Rear leccy windows and satnav? Who knows, depends how stingy the first buyer was.

 

Do Audi's even have trim levels? They just all say the model on the boot.

[Jim Bergerac]

I think sometimes the manufacturers are being deliberately ironic. Take for example my car is a "Dynamic", with a 1.2 8v engine, a thin high sided body and tyres no wider than a spacesaver, it's the opposite of dynamic.

 

 

Aye. Today I was parked behind a Citroen C3 'Desire' (it even had an italicised badge advertising this name). Who the feck would desire one of those things?

[Negative Creep]

Don't evne get me started on "sport" trim, which on cheaper cars means poverty spec with alloys and front fogs, and on luxury brand the normal model with the suspension removed

[Lord Sterling]

And what is wrong with an estate? They all have to be called station wagon, sports wagon, sports tourer or some other shite

Yep, I've noticed the 'Americanisation' of car types has crept in, I.e:

 

People Carrier - SUV

Estate - Station Wagon

etc....

 

This spec-naming malarky has been around for years. Ma_Sterling's 1998 Micra for example is an "Ally" others found in this line are:

Equation (lowest spec 1998+),

Ally (this spec lasted only a year)

Inspiration

Si Sporty model

GX Top spec

 

There are others, I just can't be bothered to find them out. Interesting to see the Sporty and Top spec model Micras not given a name but a spec designation code.

 

The last of the blob-shaped K11 Micras came in S and SE spec strangely enough.

 

The 800 range had an interesting line up:

 

820

820e

820i

820Se

820Si

820SLi

825D

825SD

827Si

827SLi

Vitesse

Sterling

[TagoraSX]

I think Audi only have two, SE and S Line. The SE's are not badged, the S Line has a front grille badge.

[vulgalour]

L HL HLS Vanden Plas

 

Why make it difficult?

[trigger]

Only the coolest dudes drive a HLS

[Ghosty]

VW are awful - only engine size, GTI, Bluemotion and R badges since the late '90s, save for a minority of Golf Matches and Polo Twists. Yet there are trim levels - IIRC the basic ones are E, S and SE.

The New Beetle has never even had a name badge!

 

Then there's BMW where the engine size isn't what the badge leads you to believe - the 316i Compact is a 1.8 or 1.9 model dependent, 523s are 2.5s, etc...

[gordonbennet]

Just as bad in lorry world, you just haven't made it, and by association your penis is too small (mine is), unless you drive an XXXXXLSuperToplineExtraSpaceCenturionWithABitMoreOnTop cab festooned with at least 22 spot lights each with its own side light bulb plus a minimum of 40 fairy lights of which at least 10 must be blue, like a queen, you as the paid driver on crap money will probably have bought all that crap yourself for a vehicle that someone else owns...and i aint joking there.

 

Outback has gold coloured model badging on the R send, there's posh for you.

[Ghosty]

You're forgetting the mandatory airbrushed painting of a wolf as well...

[oman5]

Just as bad in lorry world, you just haven't made it, and by association your penis is too small (mine is), unless you drive an XXXXXLSuperToplineExtraSpaceCenturionWithABitMoreOnTop cab festooned with at least 22 spot lights each with its own side light bulb plus a minimum of 40 fairy lights of which at least 10 must be blue, like a queen, you as the paid driver on crap money will probably have bought all that crap yourself for a vehicle that someone else owns...and i aint joking there.

 

Outback has gold coloured model badging on the R send, there's posh for you.

I find this hilarious.a local haulier (who pays shit money, natch)has a driver like that, paid for all the add ons from his own pocket...when he has time off he foregoes his holiday pay so the company will park "his" truck up and not let anyone else drive it. 

I also suffer from the perceived shortcomings associated with driving a fleet spec Volvo FM12. If I'm feeling generous I'll run it through the truck wash at the end of the shift but that's their lot.

[mercrocker]

Ahhh....Fleet.    That reminds me of a simpler time - Wolseley 1500 Fleet.   Or the Family model with leather seat facings (only facings, mind, you  can't have a whole cow) instead of leathercloth (whatever that was).   Saved you £28.10s that did.   I don't remember many fleets or families buying too many of either, mostly giffers IIRC.   I  suppose nowadays the Fleet would  have silly little chrome coat hangers and a charge socket and the Family would be eight feet longer with umpteen seats and no boot...

[PhilA]

Well, it all gets a bit pointless really when you can start opting for things.

 

Our last car was officially (didn't have a trim badge) a Chevrolet Impala LT (Luxury Touring)

 

You get the base model (doesn't even get an identifier), the LS, LT, 2LT, SS I think. Something along those lines. Ours had a better spec sheet than a standard 2LT, it was nearly an SS, just without the sports suspension and bigger engine.

 

So what's the point? Why not just go back to how they did it a couple decades ago? "Custom" or the "We ticked these boxes for you and called it this" levels

 

Pfeh. GLTTDDDIii(sport), though Volvo got it wrong putting a D anywhere in the trim level. It's not a Diesel. D only, ever EVEREVER means it's a DERV.

 

--Phil

[Richard]

DL was a fairly common trim level, short for De Luxe- which was generally applied to the bottom or second bottom model. GL means Grand Luxe.

[laser wheels]

Exactly, and the poor guy with an L or Popular had to drive around broadcasting the fact that he couldn't afford anything more...

 

I think you hit the nail on the head their - manufacturers want everyone to feel special now. Mercedes have been doing it for years with the Elegance trim i.e. cloth seats and wheel trims. Sadly honest, basic, transport just isn't aspirational enough anymore for today's buyer and imho it's the manufacturers themselves who have engineered this (at least to an extent).

[dollywobbler]

Er, I think Citroen may have started this, earlier than you think. During the 1970s, you could buy your 2CV as a Special (base model) or Club (actually, you could buy an Ami 6 Club in the 1960s!). Then the 2CV range broadened with the Dolly and Charleston - as regular trim levels rather than special editions.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Er, I think Citroen may have started this, earlier than you think. During the 1970s, you could buy your 2CV as a Special (base model) or Club (actually, you could buy an Ami 6 Club in the 1960s!). Then the 2CV range broadened with the Dolly and Charleston - as regular trim levels rather than special editions.

And 10+ years before that, Rootes sold a Misery Minx called the Special.

 

Ford were the masters of range hierarchy though with base, L, XL etc.

[Junkman]

2000, 2200, 3500.

 

Questions?

[dollywobbler]

Ah, of course. There was the infamous Hillman Minx Gay Look too!

[HMC]

Lets not forget peugeot in the 80s who offered XADs XRs and even an XRAD confusing all but those armed with a brochure to decipher i'd imagine.

 

The late Russell Bulgin I remember penning an article on this.

 

From memory

XR - trim level- above povo spec

A - Commercial

D- Diesel

 

Hence a 205 XRAD is an above povo spec diesel van, or at least I think it is!

[The Moog]

X was the signifier of 3 doors i thought on 205. Hence XS had 3 doors, S was the 5 door bad boy

[Asimo]

What is wrong with letting customers decide what goes into their cars?

I would buy a new car tomorrow if I could choose what I got for my money. I know I would have to wait for my spec. to be put together, delivered etc, I would probably be paying list price but if I got what I wanted I would be happy.

With all that manufacturers now have in the way of automated ordering, stock control, just-in-time assembly and so on it ought to be possible for every car ordered to be uniquely configured.

I want the biggest engine and best suspension in a basic two door, modern crash safe, rigid body. I don't want a sunroof, aircon, audio nonsense, cow peel, or any electonic toys. And I want it painted yellow.

Spec. should be the customers choice / responsibility, not some comittee of marketing drones.

It would give the salesman something to do as well. The last line on the order form could be "what boot badge to you want?"