Getting a good deal on anything is a great feeling, but getting a great deal on something as expensive as a car is extra satisfying. Virtually everybody wants to get a great deal, but nobody really wants to project that they got a good deal on something, but that's often what ends up happening on low-spec cars. In the good old days, entry-level trims of most cars projected their stripper spec through unpainted bumpers, wing mirrors and other trim pieces, but nowadays car companies have learned to charge extra for all that black plastic since it's now perceived as rugged when affixed to hatchbacks and crossovers. For today's question, I want to know what car makes it most obvious that you bought a base model? Share your answer in the comments below.
My mom's 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan was the cheap SE trim, so it had a middle bench seat and black plastic door handles and mirrors. Being the little car nerd I was, I admired the Grand Caravan Sport trim with its alloy wheels and body color trim, but I chose to focus on the fact that we had dual sliding doors when that was a flex. Beggars can't be choosers, though, so the Grand Caravan isn't my answer.
I think the BMW X2 makes it most obvious that you bought a base model
I've noticed a steep uptick in the number of base-trim BMW X2 rental cars slowing down LA traffic over the past few months, and the first thing I think when I see one is, "wow the non-M-Sport cars look cheap as hell."
I don't think the current BMW X2 is the most gracefully styled vehicle in the world, but in base form, or Sport in BMW speak, the X2 looks downright peculiar. Not only does the grille go from an aggressive chiseled hourglass shape in proper M Sport trim to a goofy looking grin in plain old Sport trim, but the most egregious sign of the base model is the unpainted black plastic wheel arch trim and side skirts. My mom's 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan did the same trick 30 years ago. (I'm dating myself here, but it's for a good cause.)
And to top it all off, the majority of the base-spec rental X2s I see clogging up LA streets are finished in white, which offers the perfect contrast for that nasty looking black plastic ring around the perimeter of the car as well as its wacky Waluigi-esque mustachioed grin. But that's enough from me, we're here for you! Share what car you think makes it the most obvious that you bought a base model in the comments.