Platform Shopping in the '90s  

   
At the New United Motor Manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif., Toyota Corollas and Geo Prizms are built--one after another--on the very same assembly line. Both cars are, in fact, built on the same platform: that is, both are built to the same tolerances with virtually the same mechanical components. They share engines, transmissions and brakes, for instance. And while their branding, sheet metal, instrument panels and option packages differ, these cars are virtually the same.

The benefit of shared platform shopping
Historically, auto manufacturers have shared platforms between different model lines as a means of controlling manufacturing costs and leveraging investments in costly tooling and assembly processes. And, historically, savvy car shoppers have taken the time to compare shared platform vehicles--in search of the best value.

The pay-off could be financial, depending upon price differences or differences in effective rebates. Or the pay-off could be psychological, as you learn some of the secrets of the auto business and gain the latitude to be more selective about which dealer to give your business to. Instead of bracing yourself to do business with a dealer you completely mistrust, you may discover a virtually identical car--with a different nameplate--down the street at a dealer you consider very reputable. Of course, there may be trade-offs to consider, such as differences in option packages and color schemes, but in the long run an informed shopper does better than an uninformed shopper.

The spectrum of platform sharing
At one end of the spectrum there is a form of platform sharing known as "rebadging." Rebadged vehicles are highly similar, with only slight cosmetic differences--even though rebadged vehicles may be advertised and marketed quite differently--targeting different types of buyers. One example of this would be the Honda Passport sport utility and the Isuzu Rodeo. At the other end of the spectrum there is a type of platform sharing that is more or less undetectable to the average consumer eye where vehicles with considerably different body styles are built on the same frame. The Pontiac Grand Am and Buick Skylark--both of which share GM's "N" platform--provide a good example here.

CarPoint's shared platform shopping guide
If you're in the market for a new car or truck, and considering any of the vehicles listed in the table below, be sure to check out the shared-platform competition.

Passenger Cars
If you're considering this... Take a look at this... Or this
Chrysler Cirrus
$17,560
Dodge Stratus
$14,485 - $16,110
Plymouth Breeze
$14,310
Chrysler Concorde
$19,745
Eagle Vision
$19,545 - $23,835
Dodge Intrepid
$18,745 - $22,260
Mercury Grand Marquis
$22,070 - $23,480
Ford Crown Victoria
$21,050 - $22,770
 
Mercury Tracer
$11,755 - $13,625
Ford Escort
$10,065 - $13,205
 
Mercury Mystique
$14,330 - $15,705
Ford Contour
$13,785 - $16,170
 
Mercury Sable
$18,360 - $21,295
Ford Taurus
$17,995 - $25,930
 
Sports Cars
If you're considering this... Take a look at this
Mitsubishi 3000GT
$30,690 - $64,449
Dodge Stealth
$24,461 - $34,820
Mitsubishi Eclipse
$14,970 - $24,990
Eagle Talon
$14,059 - $20,271
Minivans
If you're considering this... Take a look at this... Or this
GMC Safari
$18,662 - $21,446
Chevrolet Astro
$18,592 - $21,376
 
Chrysler Town & Country
$24,400 - $30,280
Dodge Caravan
$16,575 - $24,110
Plymouth Voyager
$16,575 - $20,010
Honda Odyssey
$23,560 - $25,550
Isuzu Oasis
$23,495 - $25,990
 
Nissan Quest
$20,899 - $25,699
Mercury Villager
$19,385 - $26,390
 
Oldsmobile Silhouette
$21,355 - $22,655
Pontiac Trans Sport
$19,394
Chevrolet Lumina Minivan
$17,870 - $19,890
Sport Utilities
If you're considering this... Take a look at this... Or this
GMC Suburban
$24,097 - $27,549
Chevrolet Suburban
$24,027 - $27,478
 
GMC Yukon
$22,956 - $30,534
Chevrolet Tahoe
$22,886 - $30,464
 
Honda Passport
$17,990 - $27,880
Isuzu Rodeo
$17,340 - $27,110
 
Acura SLX
$33,900
Isuzu Trooper
$25,360 - $37,990
 
Oldsmobile Bravada
$29,505
GMC Jimmy
$19,573 - $23,504
Chevrolet Blazer
$19,444 - $23,252
Geo Tracker
$12,970 - $15,710
Suzuki Sidekick
$12,899 - $18,999
 
Lexus LX 450
$47,500
Toyota Land Cruiser
$40,258
 
Pickup Trucks
If you're considering this... Take a look at this
GMC Sierra C/K 1500
$14,086 - $20,290
Chevrolet C/K 1500
$14,016 - $20,636
GMC Sierra C/K 2500
$16,953 - $22,632
Chevrolet C/K 2500
$16,883 - $22,861
GMC Sierra C/K 3500
$18,157 - $24,354
Chevrolet C/K 3500
$18,086 - $24,283
GMC Sonoma
$11,290 - $18,882
Chevrolet S-Series
$11,270 - $18,615

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