| Equipment |
VALUE impact |
APPEAL impact |
| Air conditioning (manual) |
Enhances small family cars; mid-spec superminis |
Medium family cars upwards. |
| Climate control/automatic air conditioning |
Medium family cars; high-spec small family cars and superminis |
Executive, prestige and luxury have to have it to sell easily. |
| Alarm |
A welcome addition to mini and supermini specs |
Becoming a standard expectation on medium cars upwards |
| Alloy wheels |
Reduces value if absent on executive, prestige, luxury and sports models |
Mid- to high-spec medium and small family cars |
| ABS (anti-lock braking system) |
Increasingly taken for granted except at bottom end market. |
Anything bigger than a small family car suffers without ABS. |
| Airbag - front passenger |
Expected on all but the cheapest mini/supermini |
|
| Airbags - side |
Add value on smaller cars |
Help sell family cars; expected on executive upwards |
| Airbags - rear/curtain |
Adds value to executive; increasingly expected on luxury and prestige |
Rare on small and medium cars but many soon be expected on makes with reputations for occupant safety, e.g. Volvo. |
| CD player (single disc) |
|
Few buyers are content with a radio/cassette player now |
| CD player (multi-disc) |
Adds value on superminis, and small/medium family cars. |
Now the norm on executive, prestige and luxury cars |
| Central locking (key) |
Values suffer if not fitted, except on smallest/cheapest cars |
Minimum standard expected, apart from on cheapest mini/supermini |
| Central locking (remote) |
|
Taken for granted from mid-spec supermini and small family cars upwards. |
| Electric windows (front) |
Values suffer on low-spec superminis without elec windows |
Expected from mid-spec supermini upwards |
| Electric windows (front + rear) |
|
Expected on mid-spec family cars upwards |
| Electric seats (front) |
Adds value on family cars; expected on executive, luxury and prestige |
Rare on supermini and small family cars; no evidence that buyers requite it. |
| Electric seats with memory |
Adds some value on high-spec family and executive cars |
Prestige and luxury cars need it. |
| Leather upholstery |
Adds value on bigger 4x4s. Supermini and family car buyers reluctant to pay extra. |
Must-have on high-spec executive, luxury and prestige cars. |
| Metallic or pearlescent paint |
Almost essential on executive, luxury and prestige cars. Adds value on all others. |
Increases saleability of almost any car at any age. |
| Parking sensor aids |
Jury is still out, but likely to be adopted first on larger models that are harder to park. |
Unusual selling point, still fairly rare |
| Power steering |
Adds value on superminis. |
The norm from small family cars upwards. Unnecessary on minis. |
| Satellite navigation system |
Adds value only if the buyer is a 'sat nav' convert. Many people still can't see the point. |
Gradually becoming accepted on luxury and prestige cars |
| Sunroof (manual) |
Adds some value on cheap cars without air conditioning. |
Not as popular as formerly, due to widespread adoption of air con. |
| Sunroof (electric) |
Steel elec sunroof usually adds value even when air con is standard... |
... but plenty of buyers are happy with a good climate control system |
| Vehicle tracking device |
Expected on top-spec prestige, luxury, sports and 4x4 models. Adds value to executive cars, most sports models and 4x4s. |
High-spec 4x4s and MPVs |
| Xenon headlights |
Too new to tell. |
Likely to be adopted rapidly on executive, luxury and prestige cars. |
