What You Need To Know About Special Ordering A New Car

With most products, special ordering means that you are going to get exactly what you want. However, special ordering a new car isn't always that simple. Once upon a time, car manufacturers would be happy to build you what you wanted. Today? Not so much. Here are a few things to consider before you special order a new car, truck, or SUV.

Most automakers don't accept orders on new vehicles between two and three months before the end of the production year. Generally speaking (depending upon model and manufacturer) you can't order anything between the months of April and August because production years tend to end in the last few months of summer.

The auto manufacturers that produce their vehicles overseas usually prefer not to accept special orders. The two months it takes to special order a car becomes four months because it usually takes two months to ship the car overseas. Although overseas auto manufacturers may accept special orders, it is usually 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."

If you just have to have a specific feature, then you should special order a car. You must realize, however, that doing so may decrease your vehicle's resale value. When you order a vehicle that's truly special and unique, it could be difficult to find someone who wants to buy your car later. People want cars that look like all the other cars out there. Consider this before you order features that make you car really different.

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.