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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.

Usually automakers will not accept new vehicle orders during the last two or three months of the production year. Production years usually end in the last few months of summer, depending on the model and manufacturer. This means that they won’t take orders between April and August, the last few months of the production year. Prime car selling season, the time of year when the deals are best, happens to coincide with most order blackout periods. So, you often can’t special order when the deals are best.

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.

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.”

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.

Basically, car dealers are much more concerned with selling inventory they currently have on the lot before inventory they will get two months down the road. The days of ordering a car direct from the factory, in exactly the way you would like it, are slowly fading away.

Tags: Buying a Car

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