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Special ordering a new car is supposed to mean that you get exactly what you want, usually within a couple of months. If you look back at the history of car manufacturing, you can read about several instances of people ordering very specific cars directly from the factory. Today it’s not that simple. Here’s what you should know.

You should know that you probably won’t be able to order a new vehicle during the last two or three months of the production year (those months usually fall between April and August). Although it does depend on the model and manufacturer of the vehicle, most production years usually end in the last few months of summer. Don’t plan to special order a new car during this time.

With some manufacturers there’s no point in doing a special order. A lot of companies make cars overseas, and because these cars have to travel across the ocean, there’s more than just the standard two-month to complete the special order - there’s also the two-month shipping time. Because of the amount of time it takes, overseas manufactures don’t really like to do special orders. If it’s even possible to order a car, it’s often strongly discouraged.

Special ordering might not be the best choice if you are going to get one or two options that are part of a package. Some auto manufacturers will only let you buy certain features as part of an option group. For instance, Toyota and Honda are well-known for selling specific options only if the entire option group is purchased e.g. you can buy a sunroof only if you purchase the entire “sunroof package.”

Special ordering a car doesn’t always make the most financial sense. If there’s a special feature or package that you absolutely have to have, than by all means do a special order. But when you order a specific feature or package, try not to order something too out of the ordinary because it will effect your resale value. If your car is too unique, you may not be able to find a buyer when you’re ready to sell. People tend to buy vehicles that are similar to the other automobiles on the road, so don’t order a car that’s so different no one will want it.

The last thing to think about before you order a new vehicle is that you might be able to get a better deal buying off the lot. You may have to compromise on the color, or features, or both, but if you buy off the lot you’re always going to get a good deal. In fact, buying off the lot is almost always the best deal. The reason? New car dealers have to pay interest on every car that’s on their lot - every day that a new car sits on a lot, it costs money. Therefore, dealers try to sell the cars they have quickly so they don’t end up paying a lot of finance charges for inventory.

In other words, new car dealers are more interested in selling the inventory they have on the lot right now than the inventory they’re going to get in two months. Auto maufacturers don’t want to honor any special requests - they’re too hard to produce and they take too much time. So, if you’re thinking about a special order, remember that ordering a car isn’t what it used to be.

Tags: Buying a Car

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