[Homer]

Reality check here; just trying to get a sense of whether this sounds reasonable to anyone.

I spoke with my local dealer today. He quoted MSRP (no add-ons, extras, doc fees, etc.), but went on to state that if I ordered now I shouldn't expect delivery anytime before January. He said that virtually the only way he could deliver before then would be if someone happened to cancel their order and no one higher on the list wanted that particular van. Further, even with the January delivery date, he told me that I had better be somewhat flexible with respect to the color of the vehicle.

This was a surprise to me. I mean, I wasn't expecting to get the van next week, but 4 months and even then not necessarily getting my first color choice? Is this atypical or the norm for placing an order at this point?

Any and all comments welcome. FWIW, I'd really like to do business with this dealership because it's only a few minutes away and has an excellent service department.

 

[Homer]

Thanks for the reply. At least I know I not the only one facing a 4 months wait.

My dealer asked me which model I wanted, initially. I told him I wanted the RES and that's when he said 'no earlier than January and no guarantee it would be my first color choice'. I presume I could get one earlier if I had no preference concerning **both** the model and color.

Anyway, facing January delivery (or later), I can't help but wonder what the odds are of getting one of the first to roll off the line at the AL plant.

 

[Homer]

I find that interesting. I would have thought allocation would apply across the board. IOW, getting an LX in a particular color would be as difficult as getting, say, an EXL in a particular color. I don't know, on balance, does Honda produce more LXs than EXs?

 

[Homer]

Maugham,

I understand what your dealer is trying to do, I'm just surprised he's able to do it.

The way I **thought** it worked was that each dealer was allotted a specific number of vehicles and that number was model-based. If a dealer's total allocation of vehicles were, say, 50, I didn't think he had the ability to order 50 LXs or 50 NAVs. I mean, if every dealer ordered all LXs (or all NAVs), wouldn't that completely hose Honda's production schedule? Obviously, I'm clueless as to the mechanics of allocation.

 

[Homer]

Ody, I think you're probably correct; there's no standard method or, if there is, the dealers are generally confused (most likely the result of a lack of communication).

Regardless, I'll take your advice and shop around. Further, I think I'll make the dealer aware that I'm shopping around. I don't know whether that will work but it's certainly worth a shot. Thanks.

 

[Homer]

I apologize if this has been covered elsewhere but what's the deal with respect to warranties on all that aftermarket stuff?

I had a conversion van and only got a year on the electronics that were added. The first control module failed within the first year so it was covered. But I had to pay for the next one and to replace the original VCP (which went about a year later).

 

[Homer]

2000 TL - e-mail me and I'll give you the names of the dealers with whom I have spoken regarding availability and whether or not they're taking orders. BTW, I'm in the NW burbs.

 

[Homer]

3odys4me - Your post motivated me to read the brochure (yet again). The inside back clearly states:

"Just ask your dealer to help you select quality items from our full line of genuine accessories. They're covered under our 3-year/36,000 mile limited warranty if they're installed when the car is purchased".

There's a footnote for the warranty which states,

"Ordinary maintenance or adjustments, parts subject to normal wear and replacement, and certain items are excluded".

FWIW

 

[Homer]

>>>>I had them quote an Alpine DVD 6 disc changer, 7" monitor, Alpine NAV & screen, VHS, wireless headphones, overhead monitor. Total quote was $7,205!!!<<<<

Sheesh! I did a quick search and got $3299 for the Alpine NAV w/6 disc changer (Car Nav Systems) and $1349 for i-VES (HandA). Obviously, that doesn't include installation but, geez, for $7205 it seems like you should get all that stuff plus a factory installed "Llama Liner"................maybe even a llama!

 

[Homer]

2000 TL:

PLEASE e-mail me again. I just received the e-mail you sent and I accidentally trashed it. Sorry! I'll be watching for it this time.