This is great as long as the dealer network is onboard. Ordering a car nowadays seems like pulling teeth. I had to talk to 8 different Toyota dealers before one would agree to custom order my RAV4 Hybrid.
This "build to order" concept by Ford will result in much higher transaction prices-which is what the CEO of Ford wants. This has been widely quoted. You are not going to build a $50,000 truck and have the opportunity to buy it at $40,000.00. The concept of massive rebates and excess inventory is exactly what they want to get away from.What about the MSRP is $55K but you can have it for $43K without trying? My business partner bought his F150 ib 2016 and at least back then you could get $12-15K off of MSRP just walking through the door. While this is true of many vehicles, the difference between MSRP and actual sale price in some trucks seems extreme.
I like it, although it will make it take longer to get the vehicle that you want. If you are in a pinch, you may not have the time to wait for a BTO.
They mention that the market has changed and customers want to spec trucks the way THEY want them.
is it just me or has the buyer market not changed, rather sales managers/distributors don’t know how to spec a vehicle people want?
go to any new car lot, even pre COVID, and outside of the bread n butter cars( Civic LX, Corolla LE, Grand Cherokee Laredo, C300 etc.) how many are actually spec’d close to how you want it? Not even talking colors or wheels, but option packages.
for example I looked at Jeep wranglers pre covid. None of the wranglers locally were any less than 42k. I get the dealers want stock that sells...except those units typically sit longer than the base stuff.
Toyota is the worst with their Tacomas. I’ve had a few attempts on buying one over the years and the dealers only stocks high spec units. 40k plus trucks. Then like once every 3 years I’ll come across a SR like the one I own.
and it’s not like all of these dealers are willing to order a car for you either.
Why does everyone think BTO means no rebates? I realize they most often rebate the old leftovers, but that mentality can change right along with everything else that's changing. Flash sales, discounts on certain options, loyalty discounts, etc. can all come into play in the new world of car ordering. A total lack of rebates would send people running to GM, Chrysler, or the imports. Ford can't afford that.
It's 4-5 weeks for a US built (Greer SC) BMW X5 which IMO isn't that bad. IMO the majority of new car buyers have known for awhile that they needed a car and have instead opted to wait for as long as possible. For example we have a C300 coming off lease in Nov '21 and I'm hoping my better half starts looking for a replacement rather than a redux of picking one off the lot which has 20" rims and RFTIt's a rare, unicorn-dancing-under-a-full-moon occasion that I find the exact car I want on a dealer lot. I've flown all over the country to get what I want, and blame it on the Dallas market's lack of vision or imagination. Silver, white or black, automatic. Those are your choices here.
I'd like to just jump on a computer and order a car the way I want it, but the wait would put me off. Maybe they'll eventually reach a point of 2-3 weeks. Ha, that's hilarious. Never mind.....never happen because COVID.
Why does everyone think BTO means no rebates? I realize they most often rebate the old leftovers, but that mentality can change right along with everything else that's changing. Flash sales, discounts on certain options, loyalty discounts, etc. can all come into play in the new world of car ordering. A total lack of rebates would send people running to GM, Chrysler, or the imports. Ford can't afford that.
Ford will flame out on this horrible idea. People now will be willing to buy a vehicle sitting on the lot when their old one blows. Rather than order & wait. Nobody wants to wait these days, for ANYTHING.
Your right. So many car sales are unplanned, emotional and or manipulated events. Somebody shows up to a lot on a whim and gets sold. This makes up for a lot of the business.This!!! They must be pretty stupid to think that a significant percentage of consumers can plan ahead or wait.
This is worth noting while Ford wants to go back to the 60’s with custom builds (that likely will have very few actual options)This is great as long as the dealer network is onboard. Ordering a car nowadays seems like pulling teeth. I had to talk to 8 different Toyota dealers before one would agree to custom order my RAV4 Hybrid.
This!!! They must be pretty stupid to think that a significant percentage of consumers can plan ahead or wait. Their "lean dealer inventory" idea only works if all the automakers do it, which won't happen. Also, automakers are historically terrible at managing inventory, so I am expecting the usual oversupply at some point (just not anytime soon).
You may known somebody-but I have never known anybody whose vehicle blew up and needed a vehicle ASAP. I sure it happens-but it's not frequent. The dealers will ever lock in your trade amount-assuming it is in the same condition as when you ordered your new vehicle-and the projected miles are what they should be.This!!! They must be pretty stupid to think that a significant percentage of consumers can plan ahead or wait. Their "lean dealer inventory" idea only works if all the automakers do it, which won't happen. Also, automakers are historically terrible at managing inventory, so I am expecting the usual oversupply at some point (just not anytime soon).
I'll bet you know someone who had a vehicle totalled.You may known somebody-but I have never known anybody whose vehicle blew up and needed a vehicle ASAP. I sure it happens-but it's not frequent. The dealers will ever lock in your trade amount-assuming it is in the same condition as when you ordered your new vehicle-and the projected miles are what they should be.