What You Need To Know About Special Ordering A New Car
submitted: 2008-04-08 14:27:58 |
by: JasonLancaster
Total views: 49 |
Word Count: 538 |
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"Have it your way." "Made to order." These are phrases our culture has come to embrace. When it comes to buying a new car, I'm often asked about special ordering. People want a certain color, feature, or option that will make their car unique or better for them. Unfortunately, when it comes to cars, it's just not that simple. Here's why.
Most automakers don't accept orders on new vehicles between two and three months before the end of the production year. Generally speaking (depending upon model and manufacturer) you can't order anything between the months of April and August because production years tend to end in the last few months of summer.
Many auto manufacturers produce their vehicles overseas. Since the vehicles must be shipped across the ocean after production, the standard two-month shipping time must be added to the two months it takes to special order (4 months total). Overseas auto manufactures prefer not to accept special orders on cars due to the length of time it takes to reach the consumer. In fact, these manufacturers may not accept special orders at all. If they do accept them, they're often strongly discouraged.
When you're thinking about special ordering a new car, keep in mind that some automakers force you to buy some options as part of a package. Toyota and Honda, for instance, are famous for making customers buy certain options in groups - a lot of times they won't sell you a car with a sunroof unless you buy the "sunroof package." The "sunroof package" might include leather seats and an upgraded stereo, in addition to the sunroof itself. Don't want the leather or the stereo? Then you might not be able to get a sunroof because these features are "packaged."
It doesn't always make financial sense to special order a vehicle either. You should special order if there is a certain feature that you just have to have, but if you order something out of the ordinary it may negatively affect your resale value. When you want to resell your car, it may be difficult to find a buyer if your car is too unique. Most people buy vehicles similar all the other cars out there, so it might be difficult to find a buyer who wants one that is very different.
Finally, before you special order a new car, consider buying a car off the lot. Although you may have to compromise on things like features or color, you will probably get a better deal. Most of the time, buying a car from the lot is the best deal. Dealers pay interest on all the cars on their lot, so they want to sell those cars quickly as possible. If they don't, their inventory costs them quite a bit of money in finance charges. So dealers will discount what they have now before they discount something two months out.
It used to be that you could special order whatever kind of car you wanted, but those days are fading fast. Dealers want you to buy what they have, auto manufacturers often don't want to honor special requests, and shipping times and production cycles have conspired to make ordering cars very difficult. Special ordering just isn't what it used to be.
About the Author
Author Jason Lancaster, an auto industry veteran, created AccurateAutoAdvice.com. You'll find accurate advice on how much a new car should cost and ordering a new car.
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