Noob: Why exactly do dealers have a hard time finding cars?

[Photonic]

I am trying to get my hands on my first BRZ and I post this hear because I know Toyota/scion distribution is managed differently IE more available.. My local subaru dealer is very small, family owned, very small inventory and only one overpriced Limited on the lot for 30k. but it is not what I want.

I am not familiar much with the auto "industry" except for mine. I work for Hyundai proper. I build cars and I know all our cars go to a distribution center which is then allocated to dealers AS THEY REQUEST ..in almost real time. We pretty much have a surplus at all times in all colors and trim, ready to replace dealer stock as it is sold.

I assume other companies work this way but it seems BRZ's are not stocked in distribution buffers and are delivered as ordered from the factory?

The subaru dealers tell me I must wait 3 months for the car I want even if I negotiate a deal. Why is this so?

[strat61caster]

Toyobaru seem to be operating off regional allocations with each region determining who gets the cars, dealerships work with their regional person to get the car they want, not the car you want.

Ideally it would work the way you want it, order the car and you should have the exact car you want in about a month (that's the way mine worked out, but it was like pulling teeth). But no matter how friendly your neighborhood dealership is they're looking out for themselves first, they've got their next 3 months deliveries worked out the way they want and don't want to shuffle to get the car to your specs, maybe they're only getting one car a month and they've got three guys ahead of you. Doesn't matter, they're playing a game unless they only get 1 car every 3 months.

You could probably get the car you want over this way though, it feels awkward hawking this guy but he's really the only reliable way to get a BRZ with minimal hassle.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54679

[Photonic]

I sent him a PM immediately before I made this post. I may not get the color I Want, but if he could sell a black or dark grey within a couple weeks time, And coordinate with my dealer. I will buy it at my dealers selling price of 26,390. (thats what they want for a premium if I wait 3 months for it)

IF they agree to pay off my car, or meet me half way. Either sell it at MSRP, or give me another 1k on my trade in ..w/e looks better on the paper. They want to give me 15500 for my Genesis coupe. I need 17.7 to pay it off. If they just gave me 16.5 if be happy. but I wont wait 3 months and be without a car.

[Photonic]

I cant believe my trade is so far down ....I put 7k down on my genesis ...and after just 1.5 years the subie guys want an extra 2k ....I could sell it outright and id finance the full amount ..but BRZ'S are not lot available for the most part ...

[RaLo]

sadly, this was the ultimate reason i went with an frs. every subie dealership hit me with the same "hard-to-come-by" story because they are able to mark up the prices on the brz. dealers would only have one available... visually, and marked up to almost sti msrp! i wont bad mouth any particular dealership, but there was one i was working with for a bit that were trying to sell me on the one they had on the showroom floor, when they actually had 3 others on the roof of the building. i could be wrong, maybe California dealers are different, but i'd be willing to bet if you told them what color and options you wanted and were willing to pay whatever they asked, they'd find you one in 48hrs.

[Ammunition]

Originally Posted by RaLo

sadly, this was the ultimate reason i went with an frs. every subie dealership hit me with the same "hard-to-come-by" story because they are able to mark up the prices on the brz. dealers would only have one available... visually, and marked up to almost sti msrp! i wont bad mouth any particular dealership, but there was one i was working with for a bit that were trying to sell me on the one they had on the showroom floor, when they actually had 3 others on the roof of the building. i could be wrong, maybe California dealers are different, but i'd be willing to bet if you told them what color and options you wanted and were willing to pay whatever they asked, they'd find you one in 48hrs.

I had a similar experience when I was shopping around (although I wanted the FR-S more, but I wanted to compare prices).

Even with a $1k off discount through the Costco auto program the Subaru dealership I went to only had one BRZ on the lot - it wasn't even a limited and they wanted something like $31k + for it. Of course it had all of that garbage chrome fender and gas cap garnish that I didn't like, but that jacked up the price tag.

OP - it might be that the dealership you're working with is trying to convince you to get one of the cars that has been sitting on the lot by telling you it'll take that long. I waited five weeks to get my car, but I put a deposit on it in early August when the 2014s were being built.

I couldn't get a 2013 Asphalt FR-S with an AT because I didn't start shopping around until production for the 2014 was about to begin.

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to order a car with your specifications and receive it in a reasonable amount time considering it has to be built and delivered, but I might have just got lucky or the dealership I worked with did things differently. I did get a call from the Subaru dealership two months later that they had located a car in my second color-choice, but in that time I had already shopped around, decided on a dealership, waited the five weeks for my FR-S to be built, and received it, so Subaru dealerships might just operate differently.

[ntron1]

Originally Posted by Photonic

I cant believe my trade is so far down ....I put 7k down on my genesis ...and after just 1.5 years the subie guys want an extra 2k ....I could sell it outright and id finance the full amount ..but BRZ'S are not lot available for the most part ...

Without knowing the Genesis, yr. make, model and mileage it is difficult to tell if their offer is fair. The range on a 2012 with 25K miles is $14K - $17K. The dealer does not care if you owe more or not although if you owe less than the trade amount they may try to low ball you.

In my area both 2013's and 2014's are easy to find below msrp.

[AzBRZ]

I would suggest getting on the phone with dealers within the radius you are willing to drive to. Your local dealer may not be the right answer for you.. When I bought mine in Oct. the local dealer had ~8 BRZ's in stock, a mix of '13's and '14's, Prem's and Ltd..

[Jmonty]

Hit up Clint he has all colors of 2014 in stock at a great price

[Frstorm]

Clint will take care of you. Your be blown away by his price

[White64Goat]

Was perusing his dealers website last night and discovered I could have gotten a WRX for less $ than a BRZ.............

You want BRZ's?? and got a shadow selfie to boot.............

[Bad Habits]

Don't know why your local dealer is bs'g you but there are brz's out there. I went thru a small subie dealer and they didn't have a SWP in stock but when I told them I was a serious buyer and wrote them a 20k check as a hold they had me a car in five days including clear bra and tint.

A lot of people have purchased from Clint @ Heuberger Motors and seem to have had great experiences. My google fu says their current inventory is 58 2014's and 8 2013's so its safe to say there are cars out there.

Further google fu produced these results -

4 birmingham, al
3 columbus, ga
11 huntsville, al
24 kennesaw, ga
4-6 atlanta metro area

I'm going out on a limb here but it sounds like this dealer is full of it.

Happy shopping.

[Photonic]

I know there are other dealers, ive checked their inventory already. No red ones, and they all want over MSRP for them.

I am not going to "Drive" just on the off chance of haggling.

It has to be expensive to ship a car though? Im thinking seriously about Clint, and either flying up , driving it back ..or having it shipped. Then ill sell meh car outright.

[Lonewolf]

Heuberger Motors...problem solved