Custom/Special Ordering a new car

Have any of you ever special ordered a new car? I am specifically wondering about doing it with Subaru. Are there any questions I should ask?

 

if you're ordering through a dealership, i think it's pretty straight forward. it takes about 6-8 weeks, deposit required. i talked it over with a dealer a short time ago.

 

Ha! That would be cool, but no.

Yes Monk, I would be ordering through a dealership. I have just never done it before and was interesting in other people's experiences.

 

My first WRX (2002) was special ordered through the dealership. I was able to test drive a WRX at the dealership, but it already had about 500 miles on it, and I knew that those 500 miles were driven hard.

I told the salesman that I wanted a Blue WRX, and he tried to push the test drive car on me. I told him I would not buy the car with more than 50 miles on the Odometer.

They tried working with other local dealers first to see if they could trade their car for one that fit my requirements, but after about a week or so of searching couldn't come up with anything that would fit.

At that point, they asked me to fill out paperwork, and provide a small deposit for them to order the car. I think I put like a $1500 deposit down.

They ordered the car, and about 6 weeks later, called me to tell me my car had arrived. When I pulled out of the lot after signing all the paperwork and making it mine, it had 6 miles on the Odometer.

 

I special ordered my B6 Audi A4. Took 3 months but I got it exactly how I wanted it with the options I wanted. I guess it is common to special order an Audi. My sales person even asked me if I wanted it in a special order color. Apparently, you can special order any audi in any color within the VAG group. Kind of interesting. It didnt really cost that much more from what I can remember. I put $5k down and like 420, it had under 5 miles on the odometer when it left the dealership. They called me the night it came in and I watched them take it out of the enclosed trailor and straight into a bay for the pre-delivery inspection.

 

Haha! Not quite in the cards(335i) and I don't really care for a coupe anymore. If I was going to go for a coupe, then the 135i or the Mustang GT would be on top of that list.

Thanks for the info guys. I am waiting for some more information form the dealer. I should have that tomorrow then I am going to take a few days to think about it.

 

SUBARU does not have a true "special order" on a vehicle.

They will either dealer trade for the vehicle you want, or wait for it to show up on "the list" of vehicles that SUBARU manufactures.

There is a new feature called "SUBARU Production Flexibility" that opens once a quarter or so that will let dealers "change options" on vehicles that they have requested. This only applies to SIA vehicles and NOT FUJI Heavy Industries JAPAN LTD vehicles.

Otherwise, there is no way to "custom" order one. You just have to pick from a list of what they do make and hope its available to the dealer and not already spoken for.

 

Thanks Will.

I am waiting to hear back form them right now. I asked a few questions and they are getting answers for me.

 

If it were me I'd find what I wanted that was in stock ready to buy and go to that dealer and get it rather than hassle with a dealer on ordering/trading to get what you want.

*shrug*

 

I already looked at every dealer within about a 2 hour drive of where I am and have found nothing but blue, black and red STI's. No white or silver anywhere near here.

I just did some searching of just about every dealer within about 150 miles including SoJax. SoJax has one that is pretty darn close. Are you not at SoJax?

 

I am at SOJAX but I try to avoid the sales floor.

I can do some checking if you are serious as well and get you in touch with the best sales guys. There are two guys here I would trust handing someone over to.

 

Don't worry about it Will. I only started looking into it on a whim and I am more than willing to sit around and wait.

 

Oh yeah, speaking of: