Buying on a lot vs. ordering from factory

[OhHeyThereBen]

My wife and I have decided on buying a new Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. For the past ten years I've been driving the same old rust bucket 2000 Xterra and it's been paid for for a loooong time and it's been a great rig. It's now at over 250k miles and will be passed down to a brother-in-law. Since neither of us have ever purchased a new car I have a few questions that I'm hoping you guys that aren't on a car forum would be able to answer about buying something on a lot vs. having a dealership order one from a factory.

My reasoning for wanting to order one in is because if I'm going to be spending $50k+ on a truck, I want it to have every bell and whistle that I say it has and nothing extra that I don't need/want. I also don't want to have some beginning miles driven by some random assholes test driving the vehicle.

Do you guys know if dealerships typically offer any sort of discount on vehicles that get ordered? I know that it would be much easier to negotiate a price on something that they have on the lot already, but then a dealership wouldn't have to go through financing and ordering a truck by themselves, so I would imagine that they could probably offer a bit of a discount for that. Has anyone had this experience before?

I know that many dealerships will be different, but I'm just looking for experience and advice. I also realize that Jeeps are expensive and a bit less "utility" orientated than many people would prefer on here. We were heading towards a Tacoma TRD Off Road or Titan Pro-4x, but when Jeep launched the Gladiator I was pretty much sold instantly by the specs they're offering. Plus, it'll be able to scratch my "cool factor" itch when I take the doors and tops off. I'm not really worried about my decision on utility/reliability but if anyone wants to share their opinion I'll listen.

 

[furness]

You're not likely to get much discount on any Gladiator. They're selling them as fast as they get them on the lots. The Rubicon is a specific option package, I don' think there's much left to put on it. You may as well get one off a lot, you'll get it faster.

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

You're not likely to get much discount on any Gladiator. They're selling them as fast as they get them on the lots. The Rubicon is a specific option package, I don' think there's much left to put on it. You may as well get one off a lot, you'll get it faster.

The Rubicon is a relatively specific option package (just adds off-road capability) but has about $15-20k worth of extras that can be added to interior/exterior that are relatively substantial or unnecessary to me.

 

[Straight Arrow]

My wife and I have decided on buying a new Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. For the past ten years I've been driving the same old rust bucket 2000 Xterra and it's been paid for for a loooong time and it's been a great rig. It's now at over 250k miles and will be passed down to a brother-in-law. Since neither of us have ever purchased a new car I have a few questions that I'm hoping you guys that aren't on a car forum would be able to answer about buying something on a lot vs. having a dealership order one from a factory.

My reasoning for wanting to order one in is because if I'm going to be spending $50k+ on a truck, I want it to have every bell and whistle that I say it has and nothing extra that I don't need/want. I also don't want to have some beginning miles driven by some random assholes test driving the vehicle.

Do you guys know if dealerships typically offer any sort of discount on vehicles that get ordered? I know that it would be much easier to negotiate a price on something that they have on the lot already, but then a dealership wouldn't have to go through financing and ordering a truck by themselves, so I would imagine that they could probably offer a bit of a discount for that. Has anyone had this experience before?

I know that many dealerships will be different, but I'm just looking for experience and advice. I also realize that Jeeps are expensive and a bit less "utility" orientated than many people would prefer on here. We were heading towards a Tacoma TRD Off Road or Titan Pro-4x, but when Jeep launched the Gladiator I was pretty much sold instantly by the specs they're offering. Plus, it'll be able to scratch my "cool factor" itch when I take the doors and tops off. I'm not really worried about my decision on utility/reliability but if anyone wants to share their opinion I'll listen.

If you have an account with USAA Auto Insurance, COSTCO, or some other big company like that, they have vehicle purchasing venues which allow you to choose and order what you desire and usually with discount pricing.

 

[mtmuley]

Dave Smith in Kellogg, Idaho has a bunch of them. If you want a truck, get a truck. mtmuley

 

[Pucky Freak]

If you’re concerned about shaving off a couple thousand on a special order from a dealership, I wonder whether you’re really in the market for a 50k vehicle. No offense, but tossing that amount of $ at a disposable consumer product is best done by folks in the top 5% of earners who have zero debt and can pay cash for their purchase. 3 years from now your hot ride is worth maybe 30k. Some people can afford to drop 20k on that kind of experience, but the vast majority can’t and are overextending themselves.

Wanting a “100%” new new vehicle that avoids the 1000 or so test miles at the dealership is kind of in the superstition realm. Like not wanting to eat at a restaurant because someone else used your fork before it got washed. No ones damaging the mechanical function of the car. You can always detail the interior to get rid of their cooties if it’s that important. No matter what you buy it’s still going to be driven, at a minimum, by the manufacturer, transporter, and dealer. Maybe those three persons are hygienic, and maybe one or more of them isn’t.

Carquest sells “new car” air fresheners for maybe $5...an idea.

 

[DouglasR]

^^^Tighter than bark on a tree.^^^

Because I’m young and irresponsible I purchased a gladiator back in October.
If you get an aggressive tire I’d make sure to get some kind of running board or mudflap to keep rocks from getting thrown up and chipping the paint on the door hinges.
Make sure to have some comps and don’t be afraid to act obnoxious.
Don’t forget #yolo and #$overhealth.
You never know, there might be a global pandemic or something.
Aren’t they offering 0%apr for 84 months?

 

[JLS]

I also don't want to have some beginning miles driven by some random assholes test driving the vehicle.

I’m struggling to wrap my head around this train of thought.

I don’t see why a dealer would be more inclined to give you a discount a special order versus what they have on the lot.

In the end it’s your money, make sure you’re spending it based on your priorities.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I haven't dealt with Jeep, but back in 2015 when I bought my Honda Pilot, I talked to people on at least 6 dealerships because I was looking for a specific color/trim package. No one had it and I asked each of them about placing a factory order and they all told me that is not a thing they do. If I put a deposit down they would find the car for me, but it would be coming from some dealership somewhere and I would end up paying to transport it on top of the base cost of the car.

I was specifically looking for one with a towing package and the dealers all told me that they don't make those at the factory, they add the necessary equipment to the vehicle at the dealership. So any of the bells and whistles I wanted were upcharges over the base model cost. In the end I got what I wanted, but there were no savings to be had.

Jeep might be different but I got the distinct feeling from Honda that if I wasn't interested in buying a car on the lot, they weren't really interested in selling me a car. There must not be much upside to the dealership to sell vehicles they don't currently have on site.

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

I have only ordered one vehicle from the factory. I did that because it as the only way I could find one with the options I wanted and still get manual front hubs. The order took way longer than I was told and the truck still arrived with a few things missing. The dealer and I worked it out but it did not go as smooth as I had wanted it to. The last 2 new trucks I have purchased I only dealt with dealers willing to do a dealer trade so I could get what I wanted. Surprisingly a lot of dealers do not like to trade with other dealers to get what you want. The other problem is some packages are only offered with items you may not want. It seems almost impossible to get everything you want without getting items you don't want. I have not purchased a Jeep since 2001 so not really sure how their options are handled now but I doubt they will be any different from the others.
I never worried too much about buying a new vehicle with a few miles on it. Most dealers will not let you abuse a vehicle on a test drive. My 2017 Ford had less than 150 miles on it and 100 of those were a result of the drive from the other dealer to my local dealer.

 

[NEWHunter]

I’ve never ordered a vehicle so I can’t help much there. However, I have bought a few new vehicles and I hear you about not wanting a new vehicle with hundreds of miles on it. I usually talk to a few dealers and get an idea of what I’m looking for will cost. Then they’ll start checking in with you pretty consistently and tell you what they have coming in off the trucks. When they have what you want, buy it. In three tries I’ve never found one with less than four miles on it. I bought the F-150 last year. Good luck. Curious to hear how it goes.

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

I appreciate your responses everyone! Of course this isn't a decision to be made lightly and I'm used to driving cars that have over 150k driven by other people before they end up in my hands, so I was mostly being ironic about "those assholes" driving it. I get the responses about that being a lot of money as well. My wife and I have been working our butts off and are finally out of debt with better jobs than we had currently. We live in an apartment with no plans on buying a house soon. But it's definitely worth considering waiting a year or two to get what I want in a vehicle as well. We get that this would be a frivolous purchase instead of buying another beater, but it's something that we have decided that we'd like to try.

Again, thanks for the wisdom!

 

[IAhawks84]

Do not let people make you feel guilty for spending money on something. If you have worked hard enough to afford something you want, get it. If you want it to have no miles, that is not being uppity, that's just what you prefer. Saving money even when spending a large sum is also just good business sense, and probably part of the reason you are able to afford your expenditure.
With that said, I've purchased one brand new vehicle. Bought it from a dealer, and was in stock. I've personally never heard of someone ordering from the factory. If I had to guess, I'm going to say special order would give you less leverage on negotiations. I'm curious to see how this turns out though. Good luck and congratulations!

 

[BackofBeyond]

Dave Smith in Kellogg, Idaho has a bunch of them. If you want a truck, get a truck. mtmuley

I grew up in Kellogg, and just the passing thought of purchasing a vehicle from them makes me vomit into the back of my throat.

 

[mtmuley]

I grew up in Kellogg, and just the passing thought of purchasing a vehicle from them makes me vomit into the back of my throat.

Never bought from DS. I gotta ask, why the bad feelings? mtmuley

 

[BackofBeyond]

Never bought from DS. I gotta ask, why the bad feelings? mtmuley

I’m not a fan of how they’ve basically turned the town into their sales lot, and other than employing a lot of people, they do very little for the actual community. Plus the two brothers (at least used to) that own the dealership are arrogant a-holes. Just my opinion.

 

[BucksnDucks]

I've had some experience in auto sales, it is not as tricky as people think for new vehicles, used car sales are where the most shenanigans occur. Every dealer pays the same for identically equipped trucks and has the same MSRP sticker. Want a high supply truck like f-150 or Siverado, expect to negotiate close to dealer cost. If the truck is in short supply and the "hot truck" of the season don't expect a deal. A dealer has little incentive to deeply discount a vehicle if a replacement truck is not on the way. I don't think ordering from the factory will get you any deal. You can use the internet to search out the perfect existing package and color etc...With all the information on the internet there are few secrets on new vehicles. A high supply truck will go for as little as $100 over dealer invoice plus any factory incentives. Very popular low supply vehicles are rarely discounted below MSRP. From my experience the difference between invoice and MSRP was 8 to 12%

 

[mtmuley]

I’m not a fan of how they’ve basically turned the town into their sales lot, and other than employing a lot of people, they do very little for the actual community. Plus the two brothers (at least used to) that own the dealership are arrogant a-holes. Just my opinion.

It's amazing the amount of vehicles crammed into Kellogg by them. Ever nook and cranny. Plus with tire stores, accessories and a body shop it does seem like the whole town is DS Motors. mtmuley

 

[diamond hitch]

I bought two from DS and had no problems except I found the local dealers reluctant to do warranty work and repairs. The last One I bought local. I haven't seen much differance.

 

[JLS]

I bought two from DS and had no problems except I found the local dealers reluctant to do warranty work and repairs. The last One I bought local. I haven't seen much differance.

Dealers are reimbursed the same rate for warranty work, regardless of where the truck was purchased.