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Platform Shopping in the '90s
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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 |
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If you're considering this... |
Take a look at this... |
Or this |
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Chrysler Cirrus
$17,560 |
Dodge Stratus
$14,235 - $16,110 |
Plymouth Breeze
$14,060 |
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Chrysler Concorde
$19,445 |
Eagle Vision
$19,245 - $23,835 |
Dodge Intrepid
$18,445 - $22,260 |
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Mercury Grand Marquis
$21,975 - $23,385 | Ford Crown Victoria
$20,955 - $22,675 |
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Mercury Tracer
$11,755 - $13,625 | Ford Escort
$10,065 - $13,205 |
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Mercury Mystique $14,330 - $15,705
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Ford Contour
$13,785 - $16,170 |
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Mercury Sable
$18,995 - $21,295 |
Ford Taurus
$18,600 - $20,980 |
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Sports Cars |
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If you're considering this... |
Take a look at this |
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Mitsubishi 3000GT
$30,690 - $65,000 | Dodge Stealth
$24,461 - $34,820 |
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Mitsubishi Eclipse
$14,970 - $23,910 | Eagle Talon $14,830 - $20,271
| TR>
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Minivans |
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If you're considering this... |
Take a look at this... |
Or this |
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GMC Safari
$18,662 - $21,446 | Chevrolet Astro
$18,592 - $21,376 | TR>
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Chrysler Town & Country
$24,400 - $30,045 | Dodge Caravan
$16,575 - $24,110 | Plymouth Voyager
$16,575 - $20,010 | TR>
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Honda Odyssey
$23,560 - $25,550 | Isuzu Oasis
$23,495 - $25,990 | |
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Nissan Quest
$20,899 - $25,699 | Mercury Villager
$19,385 - $26,390 |
| TR>
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Oldsmobile Silhouette
$21,355 - $22,655 | Pontiac Trans Sport
$19,394 - $21,050 | Chevrolet Lumina Minivan
$17,870 - $19,890 | TR>
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Sport Utilities |
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If you're considering this... |
Take a look at this... |
Or this |
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GMC Suburban
$24,027 - $27,479 | Chevrolet Suburban
$24,027 - $27,478 |
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GMC Yukon $22,886 - $30,464 | Chevrolet Tahoe $22,886 - $30,464 |
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Honda Passport $17,990 - $27,880 | Isuzu Rodeo $16,990 - $26,310 |
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Acura SLX $33,900 | Isuzu Trooper $25,360 - $37,990 |
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Oldsmobile Bravada $29,505 | GMC Jimmy $19,573 - $23,504 | Chevrolet Blazer $19,444 - $23,252 |
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Geo Tracker $12,970 - $15,710 | Suzuki Sidekick $12,899 - $18,999 |
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Lexus LX 450 $47,500 | Toyota Land Cruiser $40,258 |
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Pickup Trucks |
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If you're considering this... |
Take a look at this |
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GMC Sierra C/K 1500 $14,086 - $20,290 | Chevrolet C/K 1500 $14,016 - $20,636 |
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GMC Sierra C/K 2500 $16,953 - $22,632 | Chevrolet C/K 2500 $16,883 - $22,861 |
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GMC Sierra C/K 3500 $18,157 - $24,354 | Chevrolet C/K 3500 $18,086 - $24,283 |
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GMC Sonoma $11,290 - $18,.882 | Chevrolet S-Series $11,270 - $18,615 |
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General Motors shared platforms
The GMC Suburban and Yukon share a platform with the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, respectively. The vehicles, except for grille and name, are identical. However, there are buyers who will only buy GMC, and would not think of purchasing a Chevrolet. Here's a guide to the shared platforms of General Motors.
Buick | Chevrolet | GMC | Oldsmobile | Pontiac |
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Century, Century Wagon | | | Cutlass Cierra, Cutlass Cruiser | |
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Roadmaster, Estate Wagon | Caprice Classic, Impala SS, Caprice Wagon | | | |
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Park Avenue | | | Ninety Eight | |
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| Camaro | | | Firebird |
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Riviera | | | Aurora | |
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LeSabre | | | Eighty Eight, LSS | Bonneville |
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| Cavalier | | | Sunfire |
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| Corsica, Beretta | | | |
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Skylark | | | Achieva | Grand Am |
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Regal | Lumina, Monte Carlo | | Cutlass Supreme | Grand Prix |
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| Lumina Minivan | | Silhouette | Trans Sport |
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| Tahoe | Yukon | | |
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| Suburban | Suburban | | |
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| Blazer | Jimmy | Bravada | |
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| Astro | Safari | | |
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| S-10 Pickup | Sonoma | | |
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Chrysler Corporation shared platforms
Chrysler markets the Chrysler Concorde as a premium family sedan, the Eagle Vision as a sophisticated sports sedan, and the Dodge Intrepid as a standard family sedan. All are built on the same LH platform with only minor sheet metal and decor differences targeting three major market segments.
Chrysler | Plymouth | Dodge | Eagle |
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| Neon | Neon | |
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Cirrus | Breeze | Stratus | |
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Sebring | | Avenger | |
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Concorde, New Yorker, LHS | | Intrepid | Vision |
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Town & Country | Voyager | Caravan | |
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Ford Motor Company shared platforms
Ford needed a way to reach more upscale buyers of sport-utility vehicles. This spring Ford will introduce the Mercury Mountaineer to be built on the same platform as the popular Ford Explorer.
Ford | Mercury |
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Escort | Tracer |
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Taurus | Sable |
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Thunderbird | Cougar |
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Crown Victoria | Grand Marquis |
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Contour | Mystique |
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Explorer | Mountaineer |
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Japanese automakers shared platforms
The Big Three are not the only ones with shared platforms.
Toyota | Lexus |
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Camry | ES300 |
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Landcruiser | LX450 |
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Nissan | Infiniti |
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Maxima | I30 |
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Shared platforms between different manufacturers
The phenomenon of different manufacturers selling shared platform vehicles may be the most surprising. Research and development is very costly, therefore it is often more cost effective to form an alliance with another manufacturer and either sell an existing model or cooperate to develop a new model together.
For instance, rather than developing their own sport-utility vehicle, Honda now sells the Passport, built by Isuzu on the Isuzu Rodeo platform. Conversely, Isuzu now sells the Oasis minivan, built by Honda on the same platform as the Honda Odyssey minivan.
Chevrolet-Geo | GMC | Suzuki | Toyota | Isuzu | Honda | Acura |
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S-10 Pickup | Sonoma | | | Hombre | | |
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Prizm | | | Corolla | | | |
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Tracker | | Sidekick | | | | |
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Metro | | Swift | | | | |
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| | | | Oasis | Odyssey | |
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| | | | Rodeo | Passport | |
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| | | | Trooper | | SLX |
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Manufacturer alliance shared platforms
Sometimes a new manufacturer is the result of an alliance. The Geo Prizm and Toyota Corolla share a platform produced by New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) which is a General Motors/Toyota joint venture in California. In fact, Chevrolet doesn't officially build any of the Geos itself. The Prizm is produced by NUMMI, and the Tracker and Metro are produced by Suzuki.
Here are some more unexpected shared platforms:
Chrysler | Dodge | Eagle | Mitsubishi |
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| Stealth | | 3000 GT |
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| | Talon | Eclipse |
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Sebring | Avenger | | Galant |
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Ford | Mercury | Mazda | Nissan |
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Ranger | | B-Series | |
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Probe | | MX-6, 626 | |
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| Villager | | Quest |
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Globally shared platforms
Platform sharing is not just an American phenomenon--shared platforms are common in Europe and Japan as well. Indeed, these days shared platform vehicles are becoming global platform vehicles as manufacturers seek to build "world cars"--cars that meet the needs of consumers in more than one country. Ford is currently selling vehicles globally off the same platform, designated CDW27. This platform is called the Mondeo in Europe, Taiwan and the Middle East, while it's known as the Contour and Mercury Mystique in North America. Shortly there will be other global cars, such as the new 1997 Cadillac Catera which will be available this fall and will share a platform with the German Opel Omega MV6.
Ford | Mercury | Global |
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Contour | Mystique | Mondeo |
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Cadillac | Opel |
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Catera | Omega MV6 |
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The bottom line is economics. By building several vehicles off one platform, as well as forming multi-national alliances, the cost of producing vehicles drops considerably. And since the automotive business is so competitive these days, some of these savings are passed on to the consumer in the form of lower prices.
At the same time, many more markets can be reached simultaneously, giving consumers more choices. When shopping for a new car, it is important to take advantage of these choices. Look at the charts--if the car you are looking at shares a platform with another, look at the other vehicles from that platform as well--you may have more choices than originally expected.
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