Special Orders
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 743
Likes: 33
GLS450
Special Orders
What is the typical turnaround on 2015 special orders?
What are the typical tactics used with regard to vehicles on the lot vs special orders as it pertains to cost/discounts etc?
What items can the dealers add that may not require a 'new' build?
Thanks
What are the typical tactics used with regard to vehicles on the lot vs special orders as it pertains to cost/discounts etc?
What items can the dealers add that may not require a 'new' build?
Thanks
Last edited by jerome8283; Mar 10, 2015 at 05:45 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,425
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota
2015 Ram 2500, former 2013 GL350, 2007 GL450
It varies from model to model, GL350's and GL550's are in tighter supply and depending upon the dealer they get more or less order 'slots'. Waits of >3 months are not unheard of for those models. GL450's would be the quickest turn, 3 weeks seems optimistic to me.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 1,117
A gaggle of MB's
"Custom-build order" is a great way Each dealer knows what they have allocated/confirmed production with the factory - for roughly the next 90 days of "confirmed" order slots by model with Vance/factory.
Up to about 40 days from confirmed production date each slot is "changeable" - add/change colors-interior-options, as long as those options are available for that production date - however you cannot change a slot for one model to a different model.
At/about 40 days in advance of production date - each slot gets "lock down" by the factory meaning no-further-changes allowed.
On a build-order - any dealer/consumer/fleet incentives are based on delivery month - not by order month - so a dealer cannot confirm incentives/fleet/etc until they know that month of delivery.
That's the only Catch22 on a build order - which primarily impacts the beginning of any new model year delivery - since incentives are least or zero for 1st 6-8 weeks.
Up to about 40 days from confirmed production date each slot is "changeable" - add/change colors-interior-options, as long as those options are available for that production date - however you cannot change a slot for one model to a different model.
At/about 40 days in advance of production date - each slot gets "lock down" by the factory meaning no-further-changes allowed.
On a build-order - any dealer/consumer/fleet incentives are based on delivery month - not by order month - so a dealer cannot confirm incentives/fleet/etc until they know that month of delivery.
That's the only Catch22 on a build order - which primarily impacts the beginning of any new model year delivery - since incentives are least or zero for 1st 6-8 weeks.
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Ford Lightning, GL350 and a couple of outbacks
we placed an order for a GL350 in late january and told we had a late March build date. The original dealership we had talked to didn't have a build date available until late April, so the dealership quota system factors into the timeline. There's a lot of customization you can do. The online build on the M-B website does not list the special order options. If you search for the dealership ordering guide it will list everything.
