Buying Guide: What's a Base Model?

 

If you have any experience with new-car shopping, you may have run across the term “base model.” If you’re not sure what that is, allow us to explain.

What Is a Base Model?

A base model refers to the most no-frills version of the car you are buying. While other versions, or trim levels, of the car might have more “goodies,” the base model is typically cheaper because it doesn’t have some of those amenities.

Think of it the same way you’d think of buying a pizza. The cheapest pie probably has cheese as its only topping. Want pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and more? Then you’re moving up from the “base” model pizza to higher trim levels, with of course, a higher price tag.

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Automakers usually designate the different trim levels of their vehicles with suffixes on their names. For example, the Kia Forte, a compact sedan, has five trim levels: FE, LXS, GT-Live, GT, and EX. The FE is the base model of the Forte. Each of the other models has varying levels of advanced equipment and amenities.

Sometimes automakers use no suffix on the names of their base models, or, as is the case with the Mazda3, they offer a straightforward breakdown of the trim levels. The Mazda3 comes as a Base, Select, Preferred, or Premium model.  

Amenities on today’s vehicles include such wide-ranging features as larger, more powerful engines, heated and/or cooled seats, backup camera, and self-parking technology, among many others.

Base models can sometimes differ slightly in appearance from higher trim levels, with fewer design cues on the exterior or interior. Think regular headlights or taillights, as opposed to those with a fancy design. Or regular steel wheels, rather than higher-end alloys.

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Base Model: To Buy or Not to Buy?

The biggest argument in favor of buying a base model, obviously, is the amount of money you save. If you don’t care about getting some of the amenities mentioned above, you’ll do fine with the base model.

However, the resale value of base model vehicles is lower than that of models higher up the trim level rankings. So if you think you’ll sell the vehicle or trade it in somewhere down the line, that might be something to think about.