steverhode

I'm getting very close to being ready to place my order for a fully loaded (inlcuding radar cruise contral -- only thing I don't want is run-flat tires), red 2008 GS350.

What is the best way to do this? Email? Call? Go in person? to 3 or so local dealers? Which method?

If email, how do I find the right addresses?

Or use the internet? If so, which sites and how?

My first priority is to get the exact car I want. My second priority is to get a good price. My third priority is to get the car within a reasonable timeframe (a few weeks to a few months say).

Advice please! Thanks.

lexuslover

if it is not a config that is currently being produced and allocated to dealers, then for sure you are looking at a true special order, which takes approximately 2-3 months on average.

normally what i would do is contact various dealers close to you, as many as you can, and tell them you would like to place an order for one at a pre-specified price. you can go to lexus.com and get a list of all the dealers near your zip code and email them all if you wish.

you should try to get an idea of what people are paying for them now (i.e., what amount over invoice) and go from there. i was in the market for a special ordered IS250 w/ manual trans and Nav/ML and i emailed about 8 dealers in so cal to get the best price, which at the time was $1200 over invoice. they didn't have pricing for 08's yet (which you won't either if you are doing an order now), so we stuck to over-invoice to "fix" the price at something acceptable to me. that way there were no surprises when the 08's came in, even if there was a small price increase.

good luck!

p.s. you can get invoice pricing on new cars w/ all your options on edmunds.com

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

Your first priority is easily fulfilled. You can special order anything, period.

And all special order would have the same time-frame, about 3, 4 months.

Therefore the only thing you have to do is to get a good price.

I'd say call the big volume dealerships and tell them what you want, tell them to call you back with a quote and let them know that you're doing this with several other dealerships.

Some dealerships also have a stand-alone internet/phone sales department. Good luck.

steverhode

Lets assume for a minute that I'm not willing to wait to get the radar cruise control, that would make my requirements very standard. I've seen several fully loaded red 2007 GS350 w/o the radar cruise control. If I got that how would that change how to approach the buying for a 2008 GS350?

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

Well since they're on the lot and ready to go, it gives you more room for negotiation. Keep it simple, get multiple quotes from dealerships close to you and the big volume discounters and compare. You can even take in the quote and have the dealership of your choice match it (if they're willing to deal). Good luck!

steverhode

But the 2008s are not on the lot yet. Should I wait or negotiate now, under the assumption that I'm willing to take a very standard configuration and a red color?

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

Why not just take the 07?

If you're concerned with the best deal you can possibly get, 2007 is a no-brainer.

steverhode

The best deal is NOT my biggest concern. Sure, I'd like a good deal, but I want a 2008 since it does have some minor tweaks plus it's less likely to have rattle issues down the road.

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

What you could do is to do the same as lexuslover. Negotiate the over invoice price with the options you want.

You should do it ASAP if you want your car soon.

As far as negotiation, it goes back to the original comment on getting multiple quotes, etc.

Why don't you PM lexuslover and ask her for the contact information to the internet salesperson she dealt with?

noobs

steve,

I did the same thing you are thinking of. I was going to order the laser cruise until I realized I haven't used cruise in years and I only drive a few thousand miles a year. So I ditched the laser cruise and ordered everything else. It was close to the loaded models that our region gets.

We agreed to a price based on the new invoice. I only contacted two dealers. One wanted to give me a nominal discount of MRSP. The other one was more accommodating. Basically I told them a few things:

- I don't buy this MSRP stuff on a mid gen car with dropping YoYsales. You may try to get close to list but it will drop fast

- I don't need the first one and will wait to Oct, Nov or even Dec if necessary

- If you want an incremental sale then OK, no way I will buy otherwise

They knew I was serious and took an incremental sale for volume.

noobs

It is not a no brainer. It really depends on each person's situation. 2007s are already discounted in the NADA guides. There will a year's depreciation on them already. If you keep cars a long time and or drive lots of miles, it may be a wash depending on the discount on the 07. If you lease then the residuals on the 07s will be lower and cap cost has to be lower. Pick the lowest payment.

If you are like me and drive 4,000 miles a year, the depreciation hit on a 07 is killer.

Here's an article discussing it: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...Itbm90LW1haW4-

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

4k miles a year?!

I've had mine since late June and I've already done the 5k service 2 days ago.

steverhode

I can email the dealers via lexus.com, but here is where I'm still confused on the logistics and hope you and/or someone else can help me out. Let's say 75% of the dealers respond and eventually I decide sign up for dealer x's offer since it's the lowest.

What if dealer x just keeps selling the car configured as I wanted to others if he can find buyers who will pay more? Sure he'll eventually honor the offer, but he can easily drag his feet for months while dealers who I did not choose end up getting the car in.

Another way to ask this is:

1) how committed are the dealers to fulfilling their agreement promptly and

2) how obligated am I if I find the car I want at another dealer in the meantime? Can I just say, give me my deposit back since I getting my car from another dealer?

P.S. I'm thinking now of just asking for a fully loaded red GS350 and if it doesn't have an obscure option like radar cruise control, then I'll take it anyway.

lexuslover

1) IMO they are pretty committed. you are dealing w/ a particular salesperson, and they will collect a deposit from you $500-$1000 usually. they treat it like a guaranteed sale, so it's easy for them. if it is a regularly built production model, usually they will contact you once it's been allocated to them or built and provide you with a better ETA. another salesperson may have an incentive to sell it once it arrives, but they won't be able to you b/c your salesperson has already tagged it for you.

2) normally the deposit is Refundable, but make sure whatever you sign says that. you aren't legally obligated to buy it, and if it's a regularly built model then usually it's no skin off their back. i mean i am sure it is annoying to them, but it's not a custom car so they will be able to sell it anyway.


i think the strategy for finding a loaded one that is already being made is a little different. i've done both - "ordered" an allocated one that i was looking for, and a true "special order". with the allocations the dealers will have a lot more info in front of them once they get the sheets from lexus. at that pt you can just ask them if they have one coming in with those specs, and it will be 3-4 weeks away by boat. they will give you a VIN/Stock # and that car is essentially tagged w/ your name on it. it's not a real special order since it was already going to be made that way, but it is an order in that you've claimed it well before it landed at the dealer. this has happened to me twice and worked out well.

if you are ok w/ the allocation method, you might want to wait a week after the sales event is over and then start your search (from what i understand the dealers will have more info on 08's after the sale). OR, if you want to get it over with, you can just do the over-invoice method now, but i would stick with a high volume dealer (if you are in So Cal, that means Longo or Glendale) because the chances they are allocated the color combo you want are much much greater.

so it's up to you. it's hard to say which method is better, because theoretically you can negotiate the same price either way. if you have a rare color, i think you defin should order an allocated car, but if it's not that uncommon you may get lucky and find one between now and whenever and get a good deal on it if it happens to be sitting on the lot.