daned

Hi all am a newbie, Just wanted to know what special order is, have placed an order for an IS250 AWD with Lexury and Navigation Black with Cashmere, is that pretty standard ordering or special. The dealor said that it will be 3 - 4 weeks. There next allocation is 10th Feb and they will get to know.

How does that work? any help is appreciated, as if there is a long wait times on these we are flexible as to color so your feedback will help.

Also anyway to see the allocation list? and what is that?

thanks,
Dane.

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Dane,

First of all, welcome to Club Lexus!

Secondly, that is a regular order, meaning it's a common package/color build. Special orders take 3-4 months.

Your dealer can show the allocation list, just ask them.

You are fine.

daned

thanks for the quick reply, so if thats not a special order, is it usually easier to get it on the allocation list? how does this list function . Does the dealor place an order and than gets that car? or more like a lucky pic?

what is special than? thanks for the quick feedback.

tjp

daned,
The way I understand it is the dealers already have cars coming in at regular periods. These cars are at various color and option combinations that the dealer chooses. If your order matches comething they have coming in, then your wait time will be much shorter. But if it doesn't match anything, they have to order it, hence the long wait time. It seems that the Sport package, as an example will make you wait the 3-4 months as they seem to be in short supply.

I visited 2 dealers and they each had their set of "favorite options". One dealer had all the IS models come in with the trunk spoiler. I didn't like the spoiler so I went to the other dealer who wasn't ordering them that way.

By the way, that's a good color combo (black/cashmere). That's what I got.

daned

thanks,

so what is a long wait on an order like this, as is an IS250 awd Black with Cashmere, Nav and Luxury.
Did you end up waiting for your order? is the allocation part of the order of the dealor?

thanks.

TimboIS

Simply put, go to Lexus.com, then the Build You Own page, enter your zip. If you can build what you're looking for, then you probably don't need to special order.

daned

sounds great, looks like a normal build, hope hits the allocation as would be nice to have it sooner. was almost ready to give in hte color option even though just been a day, so will hold to it.

thanks, so much.

integlikew

Special order vechiles are vechiles with pre-colision system and parking assist. Other then that you shouldnt have to special order a vechile unless the dealer suckers you into it. A allocation list is mostly what the manufactor has already built and decides to send so many of each to different dealers. The dealer can request a certin vechile but its a slim chance. They might get 5 of the vechiles they asked for and 30 of the vehciles the manufactor had and needed to get rid of. If they just keep requesting the same vehcile usally the 2nd or 3rd time they will get it if they didnt the 1st time. The allocation list comes out 2 times a month. This list comes out as soon as the vechile are loaded on the boat and being shiped over. Then the lists are made and sent to the dealers. The dealer then knows is comming but usally not until around 2-3 weeks after the list comes out that they actually hit the dealer. Depending on how far the the port is forn the dealer.
You can call all the dealers around you to check all thier lists and see if the car you want is on any other dealers list. Usally in your area someones going to get one if you dealer didnt. Just looking at one list to find you car limits you chances of finding it. If you call all the dealers and tell them the day before the list comes out that you want this vechile and youll buy it if they have, then as soon as the list drops they look threw it and call you. Youll then have 5-10 different list to choose from and they will all call you the day they get the list. Dealers can get the list 1-3 days apart from each other but all around the same time. Just ask them when that is.

daned

thanks that makes sense.

integlikew

I say you can find that car. The only thing i can think of is the M/L without the navi. I would think that would be harder to find then the ML with navi and the other things you wanted. But that wait is crazy. I wouldnt do it. Your car is very mildy optioned.

phish2112

I ordered a is250awd blk/blk with nothing but NAV on Jan 2nd and after 9 weeks I am still waiting. Dealer says it won't be until April, total of over 3 months until i get my car, and I didn't ask for anything special.

btw, they initially told me 4-6 weeks, then after that another 4-6 weeks. Now after they know I'm mad they won't give me a difinate timeframe, just a "i don't know when it will come in".

I'm pissed. DON"T BELIEVE THE TIMEFRAME YOU"RE DEALER TELLS YOU!!

you may get lucky, good luck

mkivbadger

The ML w/o Nav is considered special order at least here in the continental US; as I understand it, its easier to get in Hawaii as they don't have the Nav maps for that area so Nav is really no good to them. Any of the packages you would see on the Lexus website are available to anyone despite your zip code however, for a dealer to get a car configured for another region, my understanding is that they would have to preference the order. A Special Order is one in which the "pieces/parts" are available but you want a configuration that is not part of their "normal production". Special orders appear to be running 3-4 month wait time while preferencing can take as little as 2 weeks if the dealer can find the car elsewhere or you place the preferenced order in time for the next allocation and your configuration happens to be on their list. It can all be quite confusing and the wait seems ridiculous but now that my Special Ordered IS350 is due to arrive next week (ordered November 18th, 2005), I really feel it was worth the wait to get exactly what I wanted!

charlesmsn

of course, the more flexible you are about your options and color, the sooner you will get an early hit on the allocation.

you can ask for the special order AND continue to ask your dealer to check monthly allocations to see if you can have a similar build earlier.

but if you are completely set on certain features, be ready to wait...and wait...

I originally ordered a SGM/blk, PT, NAV but I ended up taking an earlier allocation of BLK/blk, PT, NAV instead.

Good luck!

integlikew

I would check with more dealers to find the car without the wait.

daned

the problem is that there are not a lot of dealors in the area, only 2 closest to the 200 mile radius.
Would be nice to see this allocation list just to get an idea how things work.