Best way to find exact car

[Katsmeow]

We are planning to buy a new car (2011 Chrysler Town & Country). The last several cars that we bought we compromised on things we really wanted due to availability. This car we expect to have for at least 10 years. We want to get the features that we want and the color that we want. In the past, color was always the first feature to go. This time, I don't want to do that.

I've searched inventory as best I can within a few hundred miles of here and there is no vehicle that meets the specific features we want.

The last time I bought a car I priced it at Edmunds then they sent that information to some dealers who contacted us and we ended up buying one that was available wasn't exactly what we wanted. They could get vehicles from other dealers but apparently only within a specific area.

If you know that you want a specific set of features (including color) and you know that it isn't that common (the 2011 T&C just came out in January so there aren't tons of them out there) what is the best way to find the exact car and buy it for a reasonable price?

 

[travelover]

I used to work for a car company. I would just order the car and have it built to my exact spec. I didn't have to dicker on the price, but I don't see why that should keep you from ordering it, after you agree on a price.

 

[aaronc879]

I used to work for a car company. I would just order the car and have it built to my exact spec. I didn't have to dicker on the price, but I don't see why that should keep you from ordering it, after you agree on a price.

+1

A co-worker of mine ordered a new Audi straight from the company(thru the dealer) with the exact features(including color) that he wanted.

 

[Katsmeow]

I've never done that. How long does it take to get the car? Do you have to pay MSRP to do that or can you still negotiate a price with the dealer?

 

[braumeister]

I've done that twice. Coming back to the USA after overseas assignments, I ordered the exact car I wanted from the factory, and took delivery at a local dealer when I got back to the states.

I particularly liked the option to specify the final drive axle ratio, so I could get the one that gave me the best gas mileage.

 

[aaronc879]

I've never done that. How long does it take to get the car? Do you have to pay MSRP to do that or can you still negotiate a price with the dealer?

Sorry, don't know the details. I just know it can be done.

 

[braumeister]

IIRC, it all depends on the auto maker, but it was a few months each time for me.

 

[ERD50]

You could also just email several dealers with your specs, agree on a price and tell them to let you know when they get one that matches your specs and price.

When I looked at the the TrueCar pricing that showed what people were paying for caes, there wasn't a huge delta between the 'average price' and a 'great price' (maybe $400 on a $25,000 vehicle?). So I don't think you will need to pay any large premium for them to do a little work to match a car to you so you get what you want. It might take time though.

I also question those TrueCar prices - are the people who got a 'great price' also the ones who agreed to a bunch of puffed-up dealer add-ons (paint protection, rust proofing, etc), so the dealer gives them a 'great price' on the car, but makes it up on the after-market stuff? That is not reported in those prices.

-ERD50

 

[MasterBlaster]

For Japanese cars that may work. But for American cars with long lists of options, the exact car just may not exist.

Just for fun lets say there are 40 different options on a car including color and various packages. The number of permutations of the options is an astronomically large number. therefore finding the exact car may be a challenge. Especially if you move away from popular option choices.

 

[LOL!]

Yep, order the car, but do not act as if they are doing a special favor or you will pay too much. As in,

"Well, I'd buy that car, but you gotta lower the price a few thousand and convince me to get a color I don't want."

"OK, you lowered the price, but I still hate the color. Maybe if you lowered the price some more, I would start to love the color."

"Thanks for lowering the price, but that color makes me puke. Can I just order the car in my color with ABS, side-impact airbags, etc and pay the same price? I can? Thanks, it's a deal."

Then when the minivan comes, "I didn't order pin-striping nor the rear spoiler. Who ever heard of a rear spoiler on a minivan? I'm not paying for those options. In fact, you will never sell this minivan with those options to anyone, but if you lower the price another few thousand, I'd be happy to take it off your hands."

You might send a pm to cardude since I think he owned a chrysler dealership at one time.

 

[bssc]

We ordered our Dodge Grand Caravan through the dealer. It is the Dodge version of Town and Country with a higher roof. We went to Edmunds and picked the options we wanted including the color. We also recorded the model numbers. We paid $500 over invoice (this was in 2005, I bet you could a better deal). They tried to sell us what was on the lot first but we didn't want leather seats or a rear seat DVD player or Satellite radio. These days, I would email each dealer (from a special account) with the information and then see who has the best price. We waited six weeks and then went to the dealer and picked it up.

Also, we got all the cash back and the like. We took out a $5000 loan to get $1000 back.

 

[Independent]

I did this a long time ago on a Chevy Malibu. No problem, 4-6 week wait. Notice that it's easier to compare prices between dealers since you are buying exactly the same car regardless of which dealer you work with. Also, note that the dealer doesn't have to pay financing on cars that are sold the day they're delivered. If you're ordering an unusual combination of options, the dealer may be a little concerned you won't pick it up and will leave him hanging with an unusual car.

I hope CarDude shows up and gives us the dealer's perspective.

 

[Nodak]

I've ordered cars from the local dealer several times with no problem at all. Tell them exactly what you want then come to an agreement on the price. The longest I've waited for the car to be delivered is about 7 weeks.

 

[rescueme]

The last car I purchased was not available in the colors/options that I wanted (Mustang GT convertible).

At the time, there was a manufacturer’s promotion with a $2k discount from the factory.

I ordered the car (from the factory) with the understanding that if the promotion was not on by the time I received the car, the discount would not apply. The dealer could not guarantee the discount, since they were not the ones who sponsored it.

Since I ordered the car in March (after the new models had come out and the initial "fills" were done), they had some open production slots and my car was moved into one of those. Where I was looking at a 6-8 week delivery, it really came out to four weeks.

I got the car, the color, the options, and the manufacture discount.

Just my story...

 

[Nords]

This car we expect to have for at least 10 years. We want to get the features that we want and the color that we want. In the past, color was always the first feature to go. This time, I don't want to do that.

If I was emotionally invested in a car then I'd feel really bad if something happened to it-- especially if it was due to my driver error.

Looking down the road, how would you feel if you got the car of your exact specs and then it got dinged or scratched on the way home? Would it still have been worth the extra time & effort to get precisely what you wanted?

 

[Purron]

A lot of credit unions offer car buying services. I've never tried it, but think it's worth looking into. Here's the link for Pentagon Federal's car buying service:

PenFed | Car Buying Home Page

 

[Katsmeow]

In the past I've been the car negotiator in our family and usually end up doing really well. I've always been willing to give up color and stuff like that. So I usually end up with a really good price but never get the exact car that I want.

For the specific model we are looking at there are actually not that many options. I've found some that are close to what I want but usually one will lack one of the options that I want. If I was willing to give up color I could find the features I wanted in the more common colors...which I detest. The last 2 cars we bought I ended up with colors that weren't my first or even second choice. For once in my life I want to actually get what I want.

 

[Katsmeow]

Looking down the road, how would you feel if you got the car of your exact specs and then it got dinged or scratched on the way home? Would it still have been worth the extra time & effort to get precisely what you wanted?

Sure.

I always hate the first ding or scratch on a car...even the ones that weren't exactly what I wanted. But realistically it will happen with any car.

 

[Gotadimple]

I've never done that. How long does it take to get the car? Do you have to pay MSRP to do that or can you still negotiate a price with the dealer?

You can do this without compromising the total price you want to pay. Only the dealer can tell you how long it will take for delivery of the car. For the dealer, they have a confirmed sale, and you get what you want at the price you want.

I'd suggest contacting at least 2 different Chrysler dealers to discuss what they can do for you.

-- Rita

 

[Moemg]

My Toyota Solara I ordered from the dealer with the exact things I wanted on it after I had negotiated the price . They found the exact car but it had an upgraded stereo system which they included at the agreed upon price . My Honda CRV the options were easy as Honda does not have a lot of choices but the color was harder . I finally found one about 40 miles away . Color is something I do not compromise on . If I dislike the color I will dislike the car . One dealer offered to find the car and have it shipped to the dealership but by then I had already found the one I bought .

 

[akck]

My son ordered a pickup. What the dealer did was to check the production schedule at the factory and was able to trade vehicles with another dealer, adding his options to it. He got the truck in 6 weeks versus 2+ months if the dealer had to place it at the end of the queue.

 

[Nodak]

There is another option if you don't mind a very low number of miles on the car; I did this on my current car. A lot of dealers will go to manufacturers auctions where cars used by company employees are sold. When I bought I gave the dealer a list of what options I had to have and the color I wanted then waited for a matching car to come up at auction. I waited about a month but got the options and color I wanted in a car with 5500 miles on it at about $6000 under list price.

 

[Nords]

Sure.
I always hate the first ding or scratch on a car...even the ones that weren't exactly what I wanted. But realistically it will happen with any car.

I guess the next question would be how much it'd cost to get a car repainted. That way you could go find a bargain in any ol' color (harvest gold? avocado? eggplant?) and have it painted exactly the way you want it.

It'd save a lot of retail hassle at the dealership and open up a lot of Craigslist/Autotrader choices.

The more common your car color is, the easier it is to find replacement body parts at the junkyard in 9-10 years...

 

[SarahW]

Most car makers have "build your car" features on their websites. You can construct the car just like you want it, and see the pricing. Keep in mind that many options are built into "options packages" nowadays. For instance, you want intermittent wipers, but they are only available in the "Convenience Package." Naturally the "Convenience Package" has other stuff that you couldn't care less about. It's maddening.

 

[FinanceDude]

I've never done that. How long does it take to get the car? Do you have to pay MSRP to do that or can you still negotiate a price with the dealer?

You can negotiate the same way as you do on any car. Actually, you might be able to do better on an "order-out" since the dealership doesn't pay "juice" (floorplan interest) like they do on a lot of their inventory.......