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Henry Ford famously said Model T buyers could choose any color as long as it was black.
Looking at the average online configurator in 2018 would torment him for weeks. Most automakers offer a dizzying array of options that make cars faster, more eye-catching, safer, more comfortable or more desirable. That’s the general intent; not every available car feature is worth adding, however, and a few are worth paying extra to get rid of.
In other words: Some configurations work better than others. We’re taking a look at how to spec – and, how not to spec – 10 cars sold on the American market.
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Cadillac Escalade (bad)
For buyers in the market for a Cadillac Escalade, the best way to look like a livery driver in Manhattan is to order the SUV in black with chromed wheels and black leather upholstery inside. In this configuration, the Escalade blends into New York City traffic better than any other vehicle with the exception of a yellow cab. The driver may have a hard time recognizing his or her SUV in the LaGuardia parking lot, though.
Pictured: 2019 Cadillac Escalade 2WD; $76,490
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Cadillac Escalade (good)
There are many more interesting ways to configure a Cadillac Escalade. We think the optional Bronze Dune Metallic color suits the angular design fairly well and it almost matches the Shale leather upholstery with jet black accents offered at no extra cost.
Cadillac doesn’t do low-key when it comes to wheels for the Escalade so we’d order the optional six-spoke alloys. In this configuration, the Escalade is more expensive than the livery-spec model shown previously but it's also more distinctive.
Pictured: 2019 Cadillac Escalade 2WD; $80,110
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Chevrolet Corvette (bad)
With deep enough pockets, it’s easy to make an entry-level Chevrolet Corvette Stingray look like a much more expensive model. The list of extra-cost options includes eye-catching paint colors like Sebring Orange, full-length racing stripes, directional chromed alloy wheels, red brake calipers with carbon fiber-look center caps and sport seats – all of which we’ve selected above. They raise the Corvette’s price without adding the slightest meaningful performance upgrades.
Pictured: 2019 Corvette Stingray 1LT; $66,530
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Chevrolet Corvette (good)
Instead of spending money on visual fanfare, we’d spend nearly the same sum on a Corvette Grand Sport without any options. As a mid-range model, it blends the base Stingray’s 460hp V8 engine with handling-enhancing features like Chevrolet’s excellent magnetorheological suspension, better tires and improved brakes. It wouldn't turn as many heads on the Las Vegas strip, for better or worse, but it would be much more rewarding to drive.
Pictured: 2019 Corvette Grand Sport 1LT; $66,590
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Dodge Challenger (bad)
The Dodge Challenger stands out as one of the most design-led coupes in America. It lends itself particularly well to decal packages that channel its heritage and interesting paint colors. In that light, the worst way to configure a Challenger is to make it dull and boring.
Pictured: 2019 Challenger SXT; $28,690
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Dodge Challenger (good)
Dodge offers several bright, loud paint colors on the base Challenger and a handful of heritage-laced hues. It doesn’t need to shine like a four-wheeled firefly in order to stand out. The available dark green (called F8 Green in Dodge-speak) gives the Challenger a menacing look when complemented with the right alloy wheels and a set of black racing stripes.
Pictured: 2019 Challenger SXT; $29,985
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Ford Mustang (bad)
The entry-level, EcoBoost-powered Ford Mustang starts at $26,120 but configuring one priced in the vicinity of $35,000 takes just a few seconds on the firm’s online configurator. Enthusiasts can pay extra for premium paint colors, an active exhaust system and the EcoBoost Performance Package that bundles 19-inch alloy wheels, heavy-duty front springs, a bigger radiator and aluminum-look trim in the cabin, among other features. We’d argue there is a better way to go though.
Pictured: 2019 Mustang EcoBoost; $34,145
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Ford Mustang (good)
Ford no longer offers the Mustang with a V6 engine so buyers who don’t want the 310hp turbo four need to step up to the V8-powered GT. Even the base model is decently equipped and it’s difficult to argue against a 460hp V8 bolted to a six-speed manual transmission. Splurging on a decked-out EcoBoost yields a higher-spec, high-tech car but the GT’s V8 perfectly captures the Mustang ethos for a similar amount of money.
Pictured: 2019 Mustang GT; $36,350
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Honda Civic Coupe (bad)
The Honda Civic Coupe Sport hardly lives up to its name. It receives the same 158hp, naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine as the base model and it certainly doesn’t look the part. In this configuration, it looks more like a rental car than a coupe designed to lure younger buyers into showrooms.
Pictured: 2019 Honda Civic Coupe Sport; $21,450
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Honda Civic Coupe (good)
Buyers seeking a sporty Honda Civic Coupe should select the Si. It’s more expensive than the Sport but it looks sportier thanks in part to a trim-specific body kit and, importantly, it drives better because it receives a 205hp, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s bolted to a six-speed manual transmission. Additional standard equipment (including a 10-speaker sound system) makes it a better value, too.
Pictured: 2019 Honda Civic Si Coupe; $24,300
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Jeep Wrangler (bad)
The upmarket Jeep Wrangler Sahara starts at about $40,000, a figure that places it in the same price bracket as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Buyers pay for an array of features they can live without in an off-roader such as a bright grille, 18-inch alloy wheels, bright interior accents, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and what Jeep calls “Grillz” instrument panel bezels. It's like buying a pair of garden boots from Louboutin.
Pictured: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara; $39,790
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Jeep Wrangler (good)
The entry-level Jeep Wrangler Sport is an unabashedly bare-bones off-roader; it doesn’t even come with power windows. It ticks all of the essential boxes, though, and we’d happily spend the $6000 we saved by not getting the Sahara model on turning the Sport into the perfect into-the-wild rig using parts from the dozens of aftermarket vendors.
Pictured: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport; $33,0390
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Land Rover Range Rover Velar (bad)
The Land Rover Range Rover Velar looks stunning in carefully-curated press shots. The entry-level version of the SUV looks a lot less striking as it sits on relatively small, 18-inch wheels. The undersized alloys make it a look like a Matchbox car whose proportions are slightly off and the white paint veils the Velar’s most intricate design details.
Pictured: 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar; $49,600
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Land Rover Range Rover Velar (good)
Selecting wheels that better fill the Land Rover Range Rover Velar’s wheel arches requires stepping up the trim ladder. The Velar S gets 19-inch alloys while the Velar R-Dynamic receives 20-inch units. Opt for the optional 22-inch wheels and pay extra for a paint color that’s not the standard white or black to achieve a look close to what Land Rover displayed on the auto show circuit after introducing the Velar. The catch is that these features bump the Velar’s price beyond the $60,000 threshold.
Pictured: 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE; $62,400
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Mini Hardtop Cooper S (bad)
Customization is the name of the game for Mini. The BMW-owned firm offers buyers hundreds of ways to personalize the Hardtop, its most emblematic model. Mini can build a car with carbon black leather upholstery, backlit piano black trim on the dashboard, LED door sills and dozens of other buyer-picked details.
It’s tempting to play car designer and go all out, but keep in mind that selling a heavily-personalized car will undoubtedly be more difficult than finding a buyer for a fairly standard one.
Pictured: 2019 Mini Cooper S Hardtop Iconic; $35,600
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Mini Hardtop Cooper S (good)
Unless you’re planning on keeping your Mini for decades, we’d suggest sticking to the basics when it comes to interior and exterior design. That’s not to say “make it boring” but avoid the costlier options that don’t add real substance to the car and steer clear of the more opinion-splitting color combinations that make the Hardtop look like a chili casserole.
Pictured: 2019 Mini Cooper S Hardtop Signature; $30,850
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Ram 1500 (bad)
In this configuration, the entry-level Ram 1500 Tradesman is having an identity crisis. The red pearl-coat paint adds an upscale touch to the overall design that’s immediately canceled out by the black plastic bumpers and work site-spec the 18-inch steel wheels.
Pictured: 2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman; $34,285
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Ram 1500 (good)
Ordering the Ram 1500 Tradesman in white makes it look like it’s waiting for U-Haul stickers on both doors. The Flame Red paint makes the truck more visually interesting and it’s well suited to the black bumpers and steel wheels that come on the most bare-bones version of the truck. As a bonus, it’s a little bit cheaper than the previous configuration.
Pictured: 2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman; $33,390
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Subaru Forester (bad)
We find the Subaru Forester’s Sport trim puzzling.
First, there is not much that’s sporty about it because it keeps the same 182hp, naturally-aspirated flat-four engine as every other trim level. The list of upgrades tied to the Sport trim include shift paddles for the continuously variable transmission (go ahead; try to figure that one out) and red accents on various parts of the body. Second, it doesn’t need to try to be something it’s not. Buyers who want a sporty Subaru can order a WRX for less money.
Pictured: 2019 Forester Sport; $28,795
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Subaru Forester (good)
We’d stop at the Premium trim while navigating the Subaru Forester’s trim level hierarchy. It’s nearly $2000 cheaper than the Sport, it boasts nearly the same level of standard equipment and it doesn’t look like a pair of Nike sneakers from the 1990s so it’s more likely to hold its value. We’d put some of the money we saved by not getting the Sport towards useful options such as a power-operated hatch and keyless entry, which are bundled with other features in a package priced at $1845.
Pictured: 2019 Forester Premium with options; $26,695 base/$28,540 as shown
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