Comment Re:The basically already do this now. (Score 1) 437
Service and used car sales is where DEALERS make their money. Modern option bundling reduces buildable combinations of the vehicle, directly reducing manufacturing cost due to economy of scale. It also drives up average selling price, as people take the entire "technology package" (or move to a higher trim line) just to get the one feature in that package that they actually cared about. The modularization and electrification of modern automobiles makes physical installation of high value optional features trivial in many cases. This opens the possibility that a savvy buyer could skip the high value option packages, secure in the knowledge that the desired features can be added after-the-fact at minimal cost.
Example: I bought a Ford Focus ZX3 hatchback the first year they came out. At the time, the "variable intermittent" wiper function was reserved for the the wagon. The hatchback had one fixed delay intermittent setting. Aside from the fact that it was a couple grand more expense for comparable equipment, I was a 22 year old male, so rest assured I was not about to be caught dead in a station wagon. I did, however, promptly purchase the wagon's wiper switch from the parts counter, for $42. I installed it into my car myself, in about 10 minutes. Viola. The car now had variable wipers. I pulled a similar trick to add a second cigarette lighter socket to my wife's Caravan.