Special Ordering Questions

[TheShortGuy]

I have been looking at purchasing a 23 MT but have some questions with ordering/allocation/purchasing in general. I have built out the Supra I want on Toyota's website and called the dealership local to me. They told me that Toyota has closed the special order option for them, but that they can let me know when they get a Supra into their dealership. I called another dealership about 2 hours away and they basically gave me the same story. So is special ordering just not an option at any dealership currently? Would I just have to wait and hope that they get a supra in that has the options I want?

Thanks in advance.

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[ColonelAdama]

Yup. No custom ordering from the factory. You can have a dealer put in an "order preference" and the regional distributor will try to allocate a Supra that is close to the spec you requested. (ie. I "ordered" an A91-MT and got a 3.0 Premium MT. Whoops!)

Would I just have to wait and hope that they get a supra in that has the options I want?

Yes. Good luck!

 

[JTN]

ColonelAdama pretty much hit the nail on the head.

IMO your best course of action is to have multiple deposits at multiple dealerships so see who can get an allocation at the best price... or just who can get an allocation. You may have to look at dealers outside your immediate local market, possibly even a few states away. Also if you can find a dealer who seems "hungry" or willing to chase down a Supra for you without a ton of markup or port install options... unless you actually want all the port installed options.

 

[TheShortGuy]

ColonelAdama pretty much hit the nail on the head.

IMO your best course of action is to have multiple deposits at multiple dealerships so see who can get an allocation at the best price... or just who can get an allocation. You may have to look at dealers outside your immediate local market, possibly even a few states away. Also if you can find a dealer who seems "hungry" or willing to chase down a Supra for you without a ton of markup or port install options... unless you actually want all the port installed options.

That's unfortunate. However the local dealership says they will not add any mark up, which is nice. But the dealership 2 hours away says they are the "#1 dealership" in the state so they get the most allocations. May just have to make a trip up there and talk with them about getting something ordered. I am assuming the deposit is refundable if you don't get a car through them?

 

[JTN]

That's unfortunate. However the local dealership says they will not add any mark up, which is nice. But the dealership 2 hours away says they are the "#1 dealership" in the state so they get the most allocations. May just have to make a trip up there and talk with them about getting something ordered. I am assuming the deposit is refundable if you don't get a car through them?

I had three deposits at different dealers last year when I was trying to get my Supra. All three said their deposits were refundable, but just as a CYA get that in writing before you hand over any money. I put the deposits on my credit card, so if there was any shenanigans at least I had a chargeback avenue if needed... but both dealers I didn't go with easily and politely refunded my deposits.

To tell my own Supra story as briefly as possible, I started looking for one in spring of last year. I went to the local "#1 Dealership" near me who actually had FOUR 2022 Supras on their lot. All four were marked up, had tons of options on them I didn't want, were in colors I didn't totally love, and the dealer's position basically was "take it or leave it". So I left it, and started looking for other local dealers who might want to find me a Supra. I heard the same song and dance from several dealers... "put in a deposit and we'll put in your preference". So I had a few deposits in with no real movement to speak of. Each month was "we're preferencing for it but nothing yet". It didn't help that I was looking for a car at the tail end of the 2022 model year right as the 2023's were going to be showing up.

I eventually found a dealer way out in the sticks who primarily dealt in trucks who was totally chomping at the bit to take my deposit and find me my exact car on my terms, no markups no options I didn't want. That was in July. They did not get an allocation for my car until November. Despite them preferencing for my car for months, they didn't get an allocation and the way they got it was to trade the allocation from another dealer who had it. They got it in time to strip off all the port installed garbage so I got exactly as I wanted it. Then we had to wait two months for it to get delivered and I picked it up in late January.

 

[TheShortGuy]

@JTN what do you mean when you say "port installed garbage" are you just talking about options.

Let's hope I can get as lucky as you did. I don't mind waiting a few months to get what I want.

 

[JTN]

@JTN what do you mean when you say "port installed garbage" are you just talking about options.

Let's hope I can get as lucky as you did. I don't mind waiting a few months to get what I want.

Port installed options are all the money-add things they tack on the car to pad the dealer's take. Stuff like the carbon fiber mirror caps, the half hood PPF, the wheel locks, first aid kit, audio cables, etc. The only actual option package the Supra has is the driver assist package... everything else is not a factory option and is installed on the car once it reaches port in the destination country. If you actually want any of those things you are better off buying them and installing them yourself as you'll save a good deal of money doing it that way.

I would say it is not so much luck as it is patience and diligence. If all you want is "a manual Supra" cost and options be damned, I bet you could find one within a week... but you'd probably have to travel to get it and you'd most likely be paying above MSRP. The best advice I can give is to stick to your guns, use all the publicly available sources of information to help you like Toyota's stock information on their website. Then don't let any of the shadier dealers try to peel you by saying they definitely can order things (when they really can't) or forcing you to accept port installed options or dealer installed option packages (like tint, carpet treatments, etc.) or using their financing as a condition of buying the car.

 

[Stvee]

@JTN what do you mean when you say "port installed garbage" are you just talking about options.

Let's hope I can get as lucky as you did. I don't mind waiting a few months to get what I want.

Check this website. It shows what the local dealers have available and what they have incoming.

https://www.toyota.com/search-inventory/model/supra/

 

[jtsang25]

Port installed options are all the money-add things they tack on the car to pad the dealer's take. Stuff like the carbon fiber mirror caps, the half hood PPF, the wheel locks, first aid kit, audio cables, etc. The only actual option package the Supra has is the driver assist package... everything else is not a factory option and is installed on the car once it reaches port in the destination country. If you actually want any of those things you are better off buying them and installing them yourself as you'll save a good deal of money doing it that way.

I would say it is not so much luck as it is patience and diligence. If all you want is "a manual Supra" cost and options be damned, I bet you could find one within a week... but you'd probably have to travel to get it and you'd most likely be paying above MSRP. The best advice I can give is to stick to your guns, use all the publicly available sources of information to help you like Toyota's stock information on their website. Then don't let any of the shadier dealers try to peel you by saying they definitely can order things (when they really can't) or forcing you to accept port installed options or dealer installed option packages (like tint, carpet treatments, etc.) or using their financing as a condition of buying the car.

Kind of related the supra carpet in the trunk is stock from from factory. Don't let the dealer charge you for that.

 

[sstevecc82]

Don't forget to ask your dealership, how many ppl are on the list. IMO, don't be too picky about having all the options you want.

 

[Sharocks]

I won't sugar coat it.

Toyota has the worst ordering system known to automotive kind.

It's basically a wish list.

For example, I wanted a GR Rolla Circuit, called around a lot of local dealers.

One that didn't even take my name down called me and said they have an A91-MT on the way.

So the grabbed it lol

 

[FuzzyRev]

Kind of related the supra carpet in the trunk is stock from from factory. Don't let the dealer charge you for that.

That's never been "stock" on the cars in the lower 48. Always either a PIO or optional accessory, never free.

 

[JTN]

Kind of related the supra carpet in the trunk is stock from from factory. Don't let the dealer charge you for that.

That might be the case in the Canadian market, but my 2023 did not come with the factory rear cargo area carpet. I bought it separate from the car for like 30% less than the dealer price.

Toyota has the worst ordering system known to automotive kind.

It's basically a wish list.

It literally is. What the dealer does is place a "preference", as in "they want a vehicle and would PREFER it to have these options or color"... the regional distributor then basically says "well, all we have is this" and sometimes that is exactly what the preference is for and other times it is barely the same thing.

 

[jtsang25]

That's never been "stock" on the cars in the lower 48. Always either a PIO or optional accessory, never free.

That might be the case in the Canadian market, but my 2023 did not come with the factory rear cargo area carpet. I bought it separate from the car for like 30% less than the dealer price.



It literally is. What the dealer does is place a "preference", as in "they want a vehicle and would PREFER it to have these options or color"... the regional distributor then basically says "well, all we have is this" and sometimes that is exactly what the preference is for and other times it is barely the same thing.

Oh that sucks for you guys down there.

 

[mmspider]

This is a common thing among Japanese automakers and its needs to change eventually. American and European automakers give the option to custom order it is a disappointment Toyota does not offer it. You can custom order a BMW Z4 which comes from the same factory lol. Friends and family of mine recently custom ordered cars from different brands and the experience was awesome. Getting the exact spec you want when spending thousands of dollars should be the standard. Sorry for rant.

I am on the list (no deposit required) for a black 3.0L at the dealership I bought my first supra from. Of course when one finally comes in its going to have options I don`t want lol. But I have no choice if I want another supra.

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