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I'd love to do like in the past and check off the features I want or don't want on a car. When did dealers stop doing this and which company was the last to offer this service? Is it still possible today to special order a new car today?
I'd love to do like in the past and check off the features I want or don't want on a car. When did dealers stop doing this and which company was the last to offer this service? Is it still possible today to special order a new car today?
While it took to find until the 3rd dealer willing to do it, I special ordered my 2012 Chevy Cruze.
When they discovered they could make a lot more money making cars "one way" and charging outrageous amounts of money for "packages" with options many people would choose.
I asked different dealers about things like a sunroof or in dash navigation. I EVERY case the "package" I inquired about was close to $3000.00.
If you're so inclined to ask about an actual upgrade in the same model like a "Civic SI" .....well that's a jump of about $6000.00 or more.
So...manufacturer's are slick...they save big by building everything "one way" and make you pay dearly to deviate.
Is it still possible today to special order a new car today?
Of course it is possible, and that is the only way that I purchase my cars. Yes, the waiting time can be a few months, but if you maintain your car properly and are not in an emergency situation, then there shouldn't really be an issue with waiting a few months in order to get your car built exactly as you want it to be built.
That being said, the old days of being able to cherry-pick certain options is essentially gone, and many/most options now exist only in "packages" that may require you to pay for some features that you don't really want. The manufacturers do this for two reasons--to maximize efficiency on the assembly line and to sell more high-priced options and make more profit.
A perfect example is the sunroof/moon roof. I don't like that feature, and rarely--if ever--use it, but in order to get some of the other features that I want on my cars, I usually have to accept (and pay for) the sunroof/moon roof.
Many dealerships will try to push whatever aging iron they have sitting on their lots, but you should be able to find a dealership that is willing to take an order to have the car built to your specs. I wouldn't patronize a dealership that refuses to allow you to order a car built to your specs, just as I won't patronize a dealership that installs cheap/useless "dealer pack" items on all of their cars, such as...paint protectant, fabric protectant, and poor-quality extra trim pieces.
Many dealerships will try to push whatever aging iron they have sitting on their lots, but you should be able to find a dealership that is willing to take an order to have the car built to your specs. I wouldn't patronize a dealership that refuses to allow you to order a car built to your specs, just as I won't patronize a dealership that installs cheap/useless "dealer pack" items on all of their cars, such as...paint protectant, fabric protectant, and poor-quality extra trim pieces.
This is what it comes down to. In most cases, yes, you can special order a new vehicle, as long as the factory is still scheduling new production runs of that vehicle, and as long as the particular configuration you want is an "official" listed configuration. As stated above, you can expect many dealers to try hard to get you into something they already have on the lot, or at least get you into something already in the pipeline.
Another potential advantage to special ordering, is that you can get one without all of the packs/add-ons/accessories that some dealers like to add to all their inventory. This can add thousands to the sticker price, most of the stuff is way overpriced, and frankly, I wouldn't want some of those things, even if they threw them in for free. I've found the overwhelming majority of the dealers in my area apply these add-ons immediately upon receiving the vehicles from the factory, so it is a take-it-or-leave-it situation with the add-ons.
I've always purchased in-stock vehicles, but base on what I've been seeing in recent years, I anticipate special-ordering my next vehicle.
The last vehicle I custom ordered was back in 2002 and even then it was all about the packages with a few items like a sunroof still being a single option.
I was jsut thinking the other night while watching an older movie, remember when you could order several different interior colours in soft velour not just the tan or grey of today.
Options means money and the less a manufacurer gives you the more money they save.
When I sold cars in the 10 years ago trucks could still be special ordered or at least the engines could be.
You can use the build it feature on the websites and then search for the closest car, otherwise you will have to find a wlling dealer. Keep in mind that the dealer used a check box to order his stock, unless he swapped with another dealer. I've never done it myself but mt dad always did in the 70's.
I would imagine back in the day the options were more limited than what we have today. All the electronic gizmos in itself would be more than in the past.
You can't expect a mfg to have all these items and more ala carte. It would raise the price of the build tremendously. They have to use the package system now to reduce cost of build
This is controlled by the manufacturers more than the dealers. Orders slow down the manufacturer.
Honda, and many imports, has always offered fewer choices with different bundles of options sold together.
My wish list for the next new vehicle I buy is to have a "fewest nanny features" option. I don't want lane change detection, automatic cruise, etc. I also do not want GPS. No touch screens!
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