Zeusallmighty Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Hi, all-- Newb here. Would anyone be willing to share their experience in case where an IS was purchased by "special order". I've been a fan of the IS 350 for some time, and will likely be buying/leasing one in the near future. My local dealer has none on the lot at this time and the one due to come is not equipped with the package(s) I'm interested in... Should I expect the cold shoulder from the dealership when I go in with my "tick-list"? I'm a serious customer, but seems many shy away from such "special orders" and insist on MSRP in these cases. Not sure why this is the case. Can anyone educate me as to why an "a la carte" order represents a dealer hardship that justifies a non-negotiable MSRP request? There is only one Lexus dealer within 100 miles of where I live here in Central Illinois. I'm willing to travel up to Chicago if the purchase experience sucks locally. Any pearls or strategies that have worked for others having gone down this road already? Thanks alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knightshade Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 It -really- just depends on the dealer. Some seem to hate special orders, will virtually refuse to do them, and won't take anything off MSRP when they do them. Others are smart enough to realize they're getting a built-in profit for just doing a little paperwork and are more than happy to take your money for filling out a couple of forms. There seems no rhyme or reason to which dealers are which kind though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig F Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 McGrath Lexus seems to be willing to make special orders. I plan to make an order in early 2008. My salesperson's attitude was "if people are willing to wait for what they want, we'll order it the way they want it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeusallmighty Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 McGrath Lexus seems to be willing to make special orders. I plan to make an order in early 2008. My salesperson's attitude was "if people are willing to wait for what they want, we'll order it the way they want it". Sounds encouraging, Craig-- Did the discussion get around to price? Is the situation, "sure we'll order it how you want it but not for a penny less than MSRP"? Early 2008 is around when I'm looking as well. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig F Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I got two quotes in writing for cars that would at one point be on the lot (they seem to rarely have any IS350's on the lot), and she said she'd have to track down pricing on versions that aren't normally carried in the midwest (i.e. luxury package, sport package, etc...) At any rate, they seem very willing to negotiate and place orders, with the caveat that it does take 3-4 months to get, depending on the time of month you order and the timing of the factory cycle. and oh - it was not MSRP - it was roughly $3k under MSRP. Actually - I was planning on ordering one in early 2008 as well. Maybe we should go in at the same time and have her lower the price even more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeusallmighty Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 I got two quotes in writing for cars that would at one point be on the lot (they seem to rarely have any IS350's on the lot), and she said she'd have to track down pricing on versions that aren't normally carried in the midwest (i.e. luxury package, sport package, etc...) At any rate, they seem very willing to negotiate and place orders, with the caveat that it does take 3-4 months to get, depending on the time of month you order and the timing of the factory cycle.and oh - it was not MSRP - it was roughly $3k under MSRP. Actually - I was planning on ordering one in early 2008 as well. Maybe we should go in at the same time and have her lower the price even more! If the local folks give me the runaround, I'd definitely take part in a "buying group" . Throw it out to your salesperson if the negotiations stall. Funny that Luxury Package is not readily availble in the Midwest (only X-package and Sport on my dealer's web page ). What, Midwesterners don't like to be coddled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig F Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 It's as though Lexus makes it as difficult as possible to truly get what you want. Want the X-package? Oh, it's only available in 3 colors. Want the sport package? Not in the midwest. Want to have the luxury package? Not in the midwest. Want power seats with memory settings like your average $22K Hyundai? Oh, that's only available if you get a $9k navigation package. It's very frustrating. At least they don't charge extra for metallic paint like BMW does. I will probably end up getting the Sport package, even though it doesn't have the wood trim, which I'd prefer. I'd also love those wheels from the X-package, but you can't get them separately either.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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