[Italian Stallion]

Remember the classic scene from the original "Vacation" movie where he orders a specific blue sports sedan, and when the dealer tells him that his car "is in", it's something entirely different (a putrid green station wagon)? And you realize with mirth that the dealer is ignoring his specific order in order to unload what he has in inventory.

It's not like I'm being unreasonable in my specs (I even backed off the 16" wheel requirement knowing how hard that would be to fill.) The ONLY firm remaining requirement was a non-black interior .... and with either gold, green, sliver, blue or even the grey exterior being accepable. Everything else is negotiable (i.e., NAV or no-NAV, full leather or leather/escaine combo, etc.)

Sure enough - what does a large dealer from the largest market in the SE where I put down a deposit several months ago, offer me from their initial allocation? A choice of two SportCrosses, both with black interior. You'd think that Lexus would try and accomodate a customer in the initial allocation who put down a deposit several months ago.

This is probably the last time I put an advance desposit down on a car. I'm convinced you're better off simply waiting 'till you see what shows up on a lot.

sigh .....

[ August 21, 2001: Message edited by: Italian Stallion ]

 

[is300soon]

when i go to get a car i buy from the lot unless i can get what i want, i bought my is300 so late that i couldn't get my order~

 

[L3]

I had to special order my 2001 last year because my dealership didn't have one with LSD. I'm always hesitant about putting down a deposite without first knowing exactly what I'm getting. That's how they screw you.

 

[vlad_a]

Originally posted by L3:
I had to special order my 2001 last year because my dealership didn't have one with LSD. I'm always hesitant about putting down a deposite without first knowing exactly what I'm getting. That's how they screw you.

I also had to special order mine back in June 2000. I needed the LSD, which they did not have, so my dealership had to switch allocations with another one. It was worth the wait.

 

[JW]

[ August 21, 2001: Message edited by: JW ]

 

[Italian Stallion]

I've decided not to cave in like Chevy Chase.

I'm gonna wait for Lexus to deliver me a cibola gold SportCross with ivory interior, in accordance with their advertising.

Portion of my correspondence to the dealership that I have a deposit down with ...

"I called your General Manager this morning to express my disappointment about the Lexus general policy of the way they apparently use a dartboard to determine what to ship to their dealers.

I told him that while I understand that beggars can't be choosy on the initial allocation, it boggles my mind that Lexus doesn't at least take a look at the preferences from customers who already have deposits down - particularly for a model that is not all presold (as is the new Lexus convertible.) It also mystifies me that Lexus can't even seemingly (so far) give you guys concrete information on when/what is shipping in the next allocation.

While I appreciate everything that you've done for me, I currently see little value in my having put down a deposit. While a deposit may have been a guaranteed placeholder for me at your dealership, that does little good, when it seems that the other dealerships, and not yours, got what we were potentially interested in. I could better understand if this were the Lexus convertible which has a waiting list a mile long. But, it's not. It's the SportCross, the initial allocation of which appears to still be sitting unsold on most dealer lots."

The dealer general manager called me yesterday after a discussion he had with some Lexus guru way up the distributorship chain. I have their assurance that we get the first cibola gold with ivory interior to come through Jacksonsville. As to when that happens - who knows?

Lexus clearly knows how to build cars - too bad that they apparently don't know how to distribute them as well as they build them. I may never get my SportCross ..... but at least I'm not caving in Chevy Chase.

[ August 22, 2001: Message edited by: Italian Stallion ]

 

[newis300]

"I even backed off the 16" wheel requirement knowing how hard that would be to fill.)"

Did I miss something? I had a dealer tell me that dealerships just swap off the 17" for 16" to fit buyer preference. Considering the state of Chicago roads, this is key for me.

 

[Italian Stallion]

Huh? That's the first I've heard that. Virtually every dealer Ive talked to in the SE said nothing about that, and that it's almost impossible to get the 16" wheels.

I'd be leery of that dealer. Either that, or he knows something that nobody else seems to know.

Originally posted by newis300:
"I even backed off the 16" wheel requirement knowing how hard that would be to fill.)"

Did I miss something? I had a dealer tell me that dealerships just swap off the 17" for 16" to fit buyer preference. Considering the state of Chicago roads, this is key for me.