Canadian Stock Allocations

[RaceAddict]

Originally Posted by Squisher

That is crazy. And depressing. I don't know that I have that kind of patience.

Don't have much of a choice. Are there any decent alternatives? Not really.

[Sport-Tech]

Originally Posted by RaceAddict

Don't have much of a choice. Are there any decent alternatives? Not really.

Just considering the fun-to-drive factor, the alternatives that might be on your list (CTR, GR Corolla, Miata RF, possibly Golf R) are equally unobtainable right now and also more expensive....

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

Just considering the fun-to-drive factor, the alternatives that might be on your list (CTR, GR Corolla, Miata RF, possibly Golf R) are equally unobtainable right now and also more expensive....

There is currently an expected 8 to 10 month wait for a base Corolla hatch.
Up to two years wait for some of the hybrids.
Waiting on new cars is the new normal and will be for another year or so at least.
The days of walking onto a lot and saying "I'll take that one" are over.
Yes it sucks!
People will need to get used to it.

[RaceAddict]

Originally Posted by Sport-Tech

Just considering the fun-to-drive factor, the alternatives that might be on your list (CTR, GR Corolla, Miata RF, possibly Golf R) are equally unobtainable right now and also more expensive....

CTR - 40% more expensive. Personally I think the Type R is egregiously overpriced. (I could buy a 2.0 Supra for just $8000 more than a tarted-up econobox. Heck, I could pick up a lightly used Cayman S for less than a CTR!!) But no, I've done the FWD thing already, never really enjoyed it.

GR-C - 30% more expensive. Strongly considered it... but the wait would be as bad, or worse. Plus I've done AWD for years already (WRX) and now that I've got a truck for the worst weather days I don't need another AWD for my daily.

MX-5 RF - 20% more expensive. A non-starter for me... I've got dogs, so the backseat is a necessity. Plus I need bike room, either in the trunk or on a roofrack. Miata has neither.

Golf R - 35% more expensive. Again, I don't need/want AWD... but aside from that, it looks utterly boring. Not saying it isn't great to drive... just talking pure looks. I can't imagine walking out my front door every morning to get into one of those.

[Ghost of Akina]

So currently if you “place an order” can Canadian dealers actually order or is it a standing order as they wait for roll of the dice to get an allocation that matches what they are looking for?

[RaceAddict]

Originally Posted by Ghost of Akina

So currently if you “place an order” can Canadian dealers actually order or is it a standing order as they wait for roll of the dice to get an allocation that matches what they are looking for?

As I understand it (explained elsewhere in this thread I believe) it's the latter... just wait for a match.

[Ghost of Akina]

Originally Posted by RaceAddict

As I understand it (explained elsewhere in this thread I believe) it's the latter... just wait for a match.

Yeah thought I remembered reading that. It’s probably more advisable to also order from a larger volume dealer as well even though it means having to travel a few hours…

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ghost of Akina

So currently if you “place an order” can Canadian dealers actually order or is it a standing order as they wait for roll of the dice to get an allocation that matches what they are looking for?

Toyota Canada's dealer allotment system used to work very well. Dealers would get their allotments and then just trade back and forth for specific vehicles. My dealership never was interested in selling the FRS/86 so used to send their allotments to a nearby smaller town that would take all they could get. In exchange they would take much of that dealers Camry allotment.
This worked very well until supplies went down and demand went up. Now the dealers all seem to hang onto whatever they can get even if it means not being able to trade off for a certain spec car with another dealer. Once this system fell apart it means that dealers and customers are sort of stuck with a "you get what Toyota sends you" situation. Speaking with the sales guys at a couple of dealerships I found they are no happier about the current conditions than the customers are. Hard to make a living selling cars when you can't get the specific cars people want.

[Squisher]

It is a tough market for sure. New or used. I am searching daily for 2nd hand manual coupes of any brand, as I have for most of my life been a used vehicle sniper. But it's really gotten a lot harder in the last couple of years. Conversations are already happening in my household about backup plans for the 86. If we don't get a vin by spring I'll most likely be jumping ship for something else. Not even sure what that something is but it will be something I can actually buy, probably used.

I do really appreciate this thread and all the updates from Rustyoid on non-allocated vins. Espescially any in the western provinces. Seems most dealers have a list of deposits/buyers though so highly unlikely even a non-allocated vin isn't spoken for.

[Slanders]

Originally Posted by Ghost of Akina

So currently if you “place an order” can Canadian dealers actually order or is it a standing order as they wait for roll of the dice to get an allocation that matches what they are looking for?

Originally Posted by RaceAddict

As I understand it (explained elsewhere in this thread I believe) it's the latter... just wait for a match.

The subject of whether one can order a GR86 from Toyota, or must wait for an allocation to be filled, is very interesting to me. I'm referring specifically to Canada here. The established wisdom on this forum and elsewhere is that, as in the US, you cannot "order" a GR86 from Toyota. (Whereas you can order a BRZ from Subaru.)

I'd like to present two pieces of evidence to contradict this.

First is my own experience. I had initially ordered a '22 BRZ from Subaru of London back in December 2021. While waiting for that order to be placed, I became more and more enamoured of the GR86, with its (in my opinion) much better looking front end, and the (again, IMO) fetching Neptune blue colour. I had originally soured on the GR86, as my initial experiences at both Toyota dealerships in London were disappointing.

Come February of 2022, the BRZ hadn't yet been ordered (it seems Subaru also has something of an allocation system, since the dealership was only allowed to order so many BRZs per month). I decided to see what luck I could have getting a GR86. Contacted Woodstock Toyota and talked to a very knowledgeable guy there. He assured me he could deliver a Neptune Premium MT within 3 to 6 months, "more likely 4-5." By this time I was over the BRZ with its shit eating grin, so I canceled the order with Subaru and went with Toyota. MSRP was a couple grand more than the BRZ, but hey, ducktail spoiler's gotta be worth at least that much, right? Ahem.

So over the next few months I drove this poor guy nuts with my neurotic pestering, seeing all the horror stories of allocations unfulfilled, Youtube videos like the one some sales guy in Mississauga put up in mid-February claiming the premium MT was sold out for 2022, etc. He would just calmly assure me that my car would arrive within the original estimated timeframe.

And sure enough, the transaction essentially boiled down to: Feb 2, ordered car; Feb 11, order placed, pending fulfillment; March 28, order fulfilled, ETA mid to late June; May 28, status changed from in production to in transit; June 21, released to trucking, got a VIN; June 25, car arrived at dealer.

So, granted I don't know all the behind-the-scenes machinations, but it sure seems like I factory-ordered a car. Of course, it's possible that I just got lucky and the allocation system worked out in my favour.

The second bit of evidence is in this guy's (year-old) Youtube video:

He's a sales manager at Maple Toyota, talking about the four ways you can acquire a Toyota. At the 06:18 mark he explains option 4, "sold order request." That seems to be the method by which I got my GR86.

At this point, it's moot to me, but it does make me wonder why my experience differs from so many others on these forums.

[Ghost of Akina]

Originally Posted by Slanders

The subject of whether one can order a GR86 from Toyota, or must wait for an allocation to be filled, is very interesting to me. I'm referring specifically to Canada here. The established wisdom on this forum and elsewhere is that, as in the US, you cannot "order" a GR86 from Toyota. (Whereas you can order a BRZ from Subaru.)

I'd like to present two pieces of evidence to contradict this.

First is my own experience. I had initially ordered a '22 BRZ from Subaru of London back in December 2021. While waiting for that order to be placed, I became more and more enamoured of the GR86, with its (in my opinion) much better looking front end, and the (again, IMO) fetching Neptune blue colour. I had originally soured on the GR86, as my initial experiences at both Toyota dealerships in London were disappointing.

Come February of 2022, the BRZ hadn't yet been ordered (it seems Subaru also has something of an allocation system, since the dealership was only allowed to order so many BRZs per month). I decided to see what luck I could have getting a GR86. Contacted Woodstock Toyota and talked to a very knowledgeable guy there. He assured me he could deliver a Neptune Premium MT within 3 to 6 months, "more likely 4-5." By this time I was over the BRZ with its shit eating grin, so I canceled the order with Subaru and went with Toyota. MSRP was a couple grand more than the BRZ, but hey, ducktail spoiler's gotta be worth at least that much, right? Ahem.

So over the next few months I drove this poor guy nuts with my neurotic pestering, seeing all the horror stories of allocations unfulfilled, Youtube videos like the one some sales guy in Mississauga put up in mid-February claiming the premium MT was sold out for 2022, etc. He would just calmly assure me that my car would arrive within the original estimated timeframe.

And sure enough, the transaction essentially boiled down to: Feb 2, ordered car; Feb 11, order placed, pending fulfillment; March 28, order fulfilled, ETA mid to late June; May 28, status changed from in production to in transit; June 21, released to trucking, got a VIN; June 25, car arrived at dealer.

So, granted I don't know all the behind-the-scenes machinations, but it sure seems like I factory-ordered a car. Of course, it's possible that I just got lucky and the allocation system worked out in my favour.

The second bit of evidence is in this guy's (year-old) Youtube video:

He's a sales manager at Maple Toyota, talking about the four ways you can acquire a Toyota. At the 06:18 mark he explains option 4, "sold order request." That seems to be the method by which I got my GR86.

At this point, it's moot to me, but it does make me wonder why my experience differs from so many others on these forums.

This sounds a lot more like the experience I had this week. I contacted one of the top 10 volume dealers here in Alberta, they treated it like an order. Said no problem 4-5 months, small refundable deposit. The process was crazy simple, had a good chat with sales guy and one the fsm’s. They didn’t even try to get me take a different colour or spec but ordered exactly what I wanted. So hopefully that is the case and I have one by summer.

[Slanders]

Originally Posted by Ghost of Akina

This sounds a lot more like the experience I had this week. I contacted one of the top 10 volume dealers here in Alberta, they treated it like an order. Said no problem 4-5 months, small refundable deposit. The process was crazy simple, had a good chat with sales guy and one the fsm’s. They didn’t even try to get me take a different colour or spec but ordered exactly what I wanted. So hopefully that is the case and I have one by summer.

Yes, hopefully you'll have the same experience I did. Good luck!

[Rustyoid]

Originally Posted by Slanders

At this point, it's moot to me, but it does make me wonder why my experience differs from so many others on these forums.

You simply got extremely lucky at a large volume dealer during the first production runs

[Slanders]

Originally Posted by Rustyoid

You simply got extremely lucky at a large volume dealer during the first production runs

Woodstock is a large volume dealer?