Thanks to some good advice and tips I learned here, I was able to settle on what I wanted and put in my special order (in December, but my dealer stalled and it didn't go in until 1/20).

The car came in exactly 3 months later and I picked it up 1 week after that.

My dealer was Park Place Lexus in Dallas, who have been awesome since I actually bought the car but were only so-so during the special order period (but I have to say, better than all the other dealers I had worked with - one wanted my deposit before committing to a date when I could get the car!).

I'm actually happier with the car than I thought I would be and some of the options I didn't really want but was forced to take as part of packages are now a source of great pleasure (illuminated scuff plates, power rear sunshade, backup camera).

I now own
IS 250 RWD
Navigation / Mark Levinson package
Luxury package w/ 17" wheels
clear bra
windows tinted
Tungsten / Sterling

Waiting on Sirius satellite radio.

Current car-related projects are to find a car cover that might protect against minor hail (I don't have covered parking!), brake dust mitigation strategies, and defensive cosmetic procedures (i.e., how to take care of the seats). As I have time I search the forum and look for those things - I recall all of them being discussed just dont remember the outcomes.


And my other project is to see if there are any ways to keep the car cooler besides the tint I already have and the rear sunshade. I'm looking at the canvasworks sunshield but wondering if there's anything else practical to do (i.e., side window sunshades, "auto vent" whatever).

I'm in Austin, Texas and I now see IS's all the time - as soon as I got mine!

 

Congrats on the Special Order!

How was the Special Order experience? Share some of your insight for some of our other members that would like to do the same in the future...

 

Congrats! The worst part is that darn wait . . . im hopin mine gets here in june.

 

Overall I have to say the special order experience was a good thing. Not because the process itself was a good one but because picking up a car made as you have ordered (well aside from being forced into set packages) with 14 miles on it - that's really a special experience.

My salesperson, who has been truly awesome upon delivery of the car to me, was not so helpful before that. I don't know if he didn't take me seriously, didn't want a special order, or what, but it always felt like I was pulling teeth to get my questions answered. I learned on CL about the 20th of the month cutoff for orders, told him of it, he said he didn't know anything about that and that they thought they could get one on allocation fairly quickly, and then ended up conceding they coudn't - but the delay meant my order didn't go in until January 20th. I had to tell him what the codes were on the packages (I wanted LL - 17" wheels -- instead of the LT --18" wheels -- all the dealers have down here). He told me Lexus thought it would be mid-April but could be as late as mid-May. He told me he would call me once a week while I waited - but I only got one call. And I was told that there was a $1000 deposit; I gave them a credit card # but they never charged it.

I would periodically send emails with questions, usually based on something I had read here (i.e., the possibility of a port install on satellite radio). Many times he just didn't respond. He did call me and let me know the day the factory completed my car and then I heard nothing again. My old car broke down and I called him and asked for an ETA update. The car didn't make it for that date then I was given another date. I heard nothing so I called the dealer's main # and a receptionist was able to find out for me that my car was in but no dealer installed options had been applied. Finally he contacted me and gave me another date it would be ready by; I was driving in from another city and luckily did not plan on that date because it wasn't ready then, either.

So the special order process felt:
-frustrating because of the lack of info
-risky because of the lack of documentation
-much different than what I expected from Lexus.

In my case, my father had purchased several cars at this dealer and happens to live 5 minutes from them and knew my salesperson's supervisor because he had bought most of those cars from him. So I had some reason to believe -- but it felt like a leap of faith.

With all this buildup and tremendously high expectations, I planned on feeling let down by the car. But I can *almost* say that it was worth it and I seem to like the car more and more the longer I have it.

 

Congrats on the car!

Can you tell how much time it took for you to get the car after the factory finished putting it together?

Is the 20th the cut off date for the entire US? Or just your region? Thanks!

 

I thought it was the U.S., because the people who had mentioned on here were not in the same region as I. But when the order did get in January my salesman did confirm the 20th deadline.

 

Thanks! I just ordered mine on Monday, I called the sales person today asking him about the deadline being on the 20th, he said he didn't know anything about it, and said the order was accepted on Monday, I hope he's not lying to me.

Waiting for 3 months is going to suck! I waited 2 months for my 04 Subaru Impreza STi, and that was no fun.

 

Too bad, you missed the 20th cutoff, now you you're looking closer to 4 months. Ordering on May 22nd would basically have the same delivery date as ordering June 20th.

 

Oh that sucks, but I'm gonna believe the sales guy for now just to make my self feel better.

 

[QUOTE=jack278]Congrats on the car!



Can you tell how much time it took for you to get the car after the factory finished putting it together?

Sorry I missed the second question about how long it took to receive after the factory completed it - I think it was 3 or 4 weeks. It came in through LA and had to get to Dallas.

 

well once its ordered the salesmen doesnt really have any information until its either on the boat or in the port, theres a big window of who knows in between the order and when it actually ships/lands

 

Well, this is making me think I've been too patient and need to call my dealer. I worked up the deal for my special order on 2/12. Before I left one of the salesmen hustled off and furiously acted like he was banging it into the computer. During a previous visit this guy actually pulled up allocations for me to look at on screen, so I doubt he was snowing me. Even if the order wasn't accepted until 2/20, it's been 3 months. Hmmmm, any day now?

The dealer originally said they'd get the car in a month and called to say hi, still no car. I knew all along they were on crack, b/c premium packages and 18" alloys weren't part of the allocations for manual-tranny IS in the Southern region at the time.

Hope my order didn't get lost. As I've heard nothing after that first month. By now, they may not even give me what they agreed to on my trade.

 

My dealer called me again today to say hi, I asked him the same question again and he said even his boss doesn't know about the 20th being the cut off date, whatever, I didn't feel like chasing that rabit.

His boss said the car should be here btw late July to mid August also, we'll see.