4 Reasons You Should Special Order Or Reserve Your Next New Vehicle

Let's not even try to fudge the numbers – inventory at new vehicle dealers isn't what any brand is accustomed to. From premium automakers to the truck-heavy domestic manufacturers to all other import brands, a global shortage of microchips and numerous other parts is making it difficult to sustain reasonable inventory levels.

Yet new vehicle sales in Canada during the first nine months of 2021 were up 13% from last year's levels. According to Statistics Canada, new vehicle sales in Prince Edward Island jumped 42% over the course of 2021's first seven months. No other part of the country has rebounded more quickly. In other words, plenty of Islanders are driving home in brand new cars despite the fact that there are so few cars available.

How? 

Simply put, demand is so high and inventory so low that many vehicles are sold as soon as they arrive on the lot. Take a Kia Telluride, for example, a luxury SUV for which there was scarce inventory even before the pandemic. In 2021, when one new Telluride rolls off a delivery truck at the Kia store in Summerside, it's sold to one person on a long list of waiting buyers. 

And that goes for very nearly every model available in Centennial Auto Group's vast network of new vehicles. This is a new era, and it's not only causing dealerships to transition the way in which business is conducted by the dealer; it's also causing mindsets to change among consumers. 

Is there an alternative to the old way of acquiring a new vehicle?

Yes, it's called the dealer trade. Here's what typically happens when the vehicle you want isn't on the lot. A customer walks into a new vehicle showroom and wants to test drive, let's say, a Nissan Rogue. There are quite a number of Rogues on the lot, so after taking a look at the model in the showroom, the customer takes a 2021 Nissan Rogue SV AWD for a test drive. Upon determining that he wants to purchase the new Rogue, he can choose either a black, grey, or white Rogue SV from the lot. Perhaps our customer doesn't like those choices, but that's alright: we trade one of our black Rogue SVs for a red Rogue SV at another dealer and everyone lives happily ever after.

The difficulty today goes well beyond limited stock on our own lots since most dealers are in an even lower-inventory position. That makes dealer trades far less likely. Not impossible, mind you, but far less likely.

So, is there another alternative?

Yes, we can either reserve vehicles in our allocation or directly special order a vehicle for you straight from the factory, depending on the make and model, of course. It's a perfectly normal circumstance in Europe, where densely populated cities make it impossible for dealers to stock a wide array of vehicles. But it's a new experience for consumers in Prince Edward Island.

Why should you pre-order your next new vehicle? Here are the four main reasons.

#1: EXACT SPECIFICATION

Use the Mazda CX-9 as an example. There are five different trim levels plus a bunch of different exterior colour options and two different seating configurations. If you want a six-passenger 2021.5 CX-9 Signature in Deep Crystal Blue Mica with the optional Pure White Nappa leather interior, are you sure you want to settle for a seven-passenger CX-9 GT in Sonic Silver with black leather? Maybe waiting a number of weeks isn't ideal, but if it ensures you get the exact specification you desire, it'll be worth it.

#2: LOCK IN CURRENT PRICING

Don't let it strike fear into your soul, but as with many consumer goods, the prices for new vehicles are on the rise. In virtually all instances, selecting the vehicle you want ahead of its arrival will allow you to lock in the present manufacturer's suggest retail price for the existing model year. This way, you won't be caught out by inflation or the rising costs of parts and assembly that manufacturers obviously pass down to the consumer.

#3: RELAXED TRANSACTION

Is waiting really all that bad? Waiting gives you time. It gives you time to arrange financing, it gives you time to change over your insurance, it gives you time to select the accessories you want. Rome wasn't built in a day – you certainly don't need to complete your new vehicle transaction in a single evening, either.

#4: NO COMPETITION WITH OTHER SHOPPERS

It's a story we're witnessing time and time again. When a hot vehicle arrives on one of our lots that is not yet spoken for, buyers have to act very, very fast in order to secure the vehicle ahead of competing buyers. You're not the only customer looking for a black Civic Touring. Select your vehicle ahead of time – before it hits the lot. Then place your deposit and it will be reserved for you and you alone.