2020 PHEV Not Just For California

[css28]

It's not so much as question of ability so much as of willingness: Dealers are not required to sell every car a company they rep makes and if they don't want to place special orders they are not required to place special orders.

My understanding is that Honda "allocates" cars to their dealers with little dealer control.
As I recall, in spring of 2018 just about every Honda dealer was sent one or two Clarities and it took some of them quite a while to sell them. My daughter was lucky enough to have the exact car that she wanted arrive at her nearest dealer in April 2018 after test driving a different one a few weeks earlier. My experience of her car is what motivates the purchase of the Touring, specifically.
In my case, my dealer has already been allocated (a few?) 2020 Clarities for April, none of which match my desire (PHEV Touring in Crimson Red). With my deposit in hand, the dealer is submitting a request that such a car be sent to them. I should know in 3 -4 weeks how that request was dispositioned.

I made initial contact with two local dealers, both of which mentioned April for initial allocation. The dealer I've gone with has been very responsive and informative at this initial stage--the other, when pressed for an itemized quote, replied that I'd have to wait a month or so until "until Honda releases the cost numbers".

I remain cautiously hopeful but recognize that Honda delivery predictions can slip drastically.
I became directly interested in this Clarity in late July when my six year old Volt got totalled. At that point, the nearest dealer with that color and trim in stock was ~500 miles away, in Brooklyn and I was hesitant to jump into the remote purchase. I've been driving a 2017 LEAF that I picked up for just a couple thou more than my payout from the Volt's settlement so I have no urgency in the timing. I'll probably sell our eight year old Prius and keep the LEAF when and if this Clarity comes through.

 

[Kerbe]

Because they wouldn't have to offer any discounts for special-order cars, you'd think dealers would find it profitable to special-order cars for customers willing to pay for them.

Dealerships don't make much money on car sales: They thrive on service income!

 

[Kerbe]

Quite a change from the 1940's when all Ford dealers no matter where they were located had to have a Ford tractor on display.

There's a Ford promotional video on YouTube - I wish I could find it - that shows how EVERY car buyer in the 1950's custom ordered their car: The only ones on the lot were for display (and end-of-year sale).

 

[insightman]

Dealerships don't make much money on car sales: They thrive on service income!

What I was thinking was that dealers make more if they pre-sell a car for MSRP (or, horror, more than MSRP) and it never has to sit on their lot for even a day. I assume dealers pay money to have cars sitting on their lots. And they will have more service business if they sell more cars--especially to happy customers.

 

[Landshark]

Perhaps Honda has their finger on the pulse more than we believe. Or not.

With unsold 2019’s on dealer lots in CA, and essentially unchanged 2020’s on the way, they may have decided to send some to other states.

 

[Tek_Freek]

My understanding is that Honda "allocates" cars to their dealers with little dealer control.
As I recall, in spring of 2018 just about every Honda dealer was sent one or two Clarities and it took some of them quite a while to sell them. My daughter was lucky enough to have the exact car that she wanted arrive at her nearest dealer in April 2018 after test driving a different one a few weeks earlier. My experience of her car is what motivates the purchase of the Touring, specifically.
In my case, my dealer has already been allocated (a few?) 2020 Clarities for April, none of which match my desire (PHEV Touring in Crimson Red). With my deposit in hand, the dealer is submitting a request that such a car be sent to them. I should know in 3 -4 weeks how that request was dispositioned.

I made initial contact with two local dealers, both of which mentioned April for initial allocation. The dealer I've gone with has been very responsive and informative at this initial stage--the other, when pressed for an itemized quote, replied that I'd have to wait a month or so until "until Honda releases the cost numbers".

I remain cautiously hopeful but recognize that Honda delivery predictions can slip drastically.
I became directly interested in this Clarity in late July when my six year old Volt got totalled. At that point, the nearest dealer with that color and trim in stock was ~500 miles away, in Brooklyn and I was hesitant to jump into the remote purchase. I've been driving a 2017 LEAF that I picked up for just a couple thou more than my payout from the Volt's settlement so I have no urgency in the timing. I'll probably sell our eight year old Prius and keep the LEAF when and if this Clarity comes through.

We bought our Crimson Touring in Salt Lake through email, flew up and took delivery on my birthday, and drove home the next day to Las Vegas. About 430 miles.

 

[Kerbe]

What I was thinking was that dealers make more if they pre-sell a car for MSRP (or, horror, more than MSRP) and it never has to sit on their lot for even a day. I assume dealers pay money to have cars sitting on their lots. And they will have more service business if they sell more cars--especially to happy customers.

https://www.autobytel.com/car-buying-tips/car-dealership-tips/how-do-car-dealers-make-money-100450/

 

[Kerbe]

With my deposit in hand, the dealer is submitting a request that such a car be sent to them.

Dealerships network and trade stock back and forth between each other. Dealing directly with the mfr. seems to be a last-ditch effort.

 

[insightman]

https://www.autobytel.com/car-buying-tips/car-dealership-tips/how-do-car-dealers-make-money-100450/

The article you linked says that car dealers get away with discounting from the MSRP because they get dealer cash and dealer holdbacks from the manufacturer. Wouldn't selling a special-order car at MSRP or greater than MSRP make up for not getting dealer cash or a dealer holdback?

 

[Kerbe]

The article you linked says that car dealers get away with discounting from the MSRP because they get dealer cash and dealer holdbacks from the manufacturer. Wouldn't selling a special-order car at MSRP or greater than MSRP make up for not getting dealer cash or a dealer holdback?

I really don't know - it was just the best article I could find on the subject. I think the relationship that dealers have with mfrs is very complicated and varied from make to make. The hours spent on doing a special order and preparing the car when it arrives before handing it over to the customer must also be added to the debit side of the ledger. There's also special handling involved in shipping a custom order...

 

[Landshark]

Is there even such a thing as a “custom order” Clarity PHEV? We get a Base model, a Touring model and a choice of colors.

No 8-way adjustable passenger seat, no sunroof, etc. You get what rolls out of the factory.

As for dealers trading stock, yes, they do this. First they need to have stock. How many dealers have a stock of 2020 Clarities to trade?

 

[Kerbe]

Is there even such a thing as a “custom order” Clarity PHEV? We get a Base model, a Touring model and a choice of colors. No 8-way adjustable passenger seat, no sunroof, etc. You get what rolls out of the factory. As for dealers trading stock, yes, they do this. First they need to have stock. How many dealers have a stock of 2020 Clarities to trade?

css28, to whom I was responding, wrote this: "In my case, my dealer has already been allocated (a few?) 2020 Clarities for April, none of which match my desire (PHEV Touring in Crimson Red). With my deposit in hand, the dealer is submitting a request that such a car be sent to them. I should know in 3 -4 weeks how that request was dispositioned." If dealers in his area are being allocated random Clarities then, yes, he could expect his dealer to first check on the availability of the model he wanted at another local dealership. As to "custom order," any order that requests a specific model, trim-level or color is "custom" - as opposed to a generic "send any car at random" order.

 

[Landshark]

css28, to whom I was responding,

My apologies for interrupting your private conversation on this public forum.

I will, however, respectfully disagree with you on what constitutes a custom order.

 

[css28]

In the early days of Honda car sales in the U.S., they specifically limited their cars to very few colors and configurations to allow their (then very small) dealers to be able to satisfy their customers without an overly large inventory.
My father bought a 4-door Accord in 1981. At that point, that model and body style was available in one of three colors (silver, red and green) and two transmissions (3-speed automatic or 5-speed manual). Everything else (including air conditioning) was installed at the dealer.

 

[css28]

Dealerships network and trade stock back and forth between each other. Dealing directly with the mfr. seems to be a last-ditch effort.

Unless they have visibility of other dealers' allocations, there will be no dealer exchanges practical. Right now, it appears that only California has 2020 cars physically in stock.
I'm not against a last-ditch effort if it results in the car I want at my dealer.

 

[Kerbe]

My apologies for interrupting your private conversation on this public forum. I will, however, respectfully disagree with you on what constitutes a custom order.

Don't get testy - every response is to a stimulus - and you seemed to interpret my comment about dealer trades as coming out of left field: I was just explaining WHY I wrote what I wrote. So what, in your estimation, marks the difference between an "order" and a "custom order"?

 

[Kerbe]

Unless they have visibility of other dealers' allocations,

They do, once the dealer takes delivery. And so do you, so long as the dealership has a website. When none of the local Honda dealers had the Clarity I wanted I went online and searched other dealerships until I found one, 135 miles away. Although one of the local dealerships had reciprocity with that dealership, a salesperson explained what it would cost them to get the car here and how they would pass that expense along to me so, in the end, I saved a few hundred dollars by driving 135 miles.

 

[css28]

They do, once the dealer takes delivery. And so do you, so long as the dealership has a website. When none of the local Honda dealers had the Clarity I wanted I went online and searched other dealerships until I found one, 135 miles away. Although one of the local dealerships had reciprocity with that dealership, a salesperson explained what it would cost them to get the car here and how they would pass that expense along to me so, in the end, I saved a few hundred dollars by driving 135 miles.

My preference is for the car I want to arrive at my dealer under the standard destination charge--no extra dealer exchange fees, no trips to Buffalo, Brooklyn or Princeton. I consider this a "first ditch" effort to get the car I want sent to my dealer by Honda. More efficient than having dealer porters driving cross-country.
What I have working in my favor is the luxury of time. I have no immediate need for this car, in fact I wouldn't want one right now because it's an awful season for selling the car it's replacing.

 

[Landshark]

Dealerships network and trade stock back and forth between each other.

As for dealers trading stock, yes, they do this. First they need to have stock. How many dealers have a stock of 2020 Clarities to trade?

css28, to whom I was responding,

I may have misinterpreted the words above, but it came across as “I wasn’t talking to you.”

and you seemed to interpret my comment about dealer trades as coming out of left field: I was just explaining WHY I wrote what I wrote.

I believe you have misinterpreted my interpretation of your words. I agreed that the practice occurs and pointed out that dealers need to have the vehicles in stock in order to trade with each other.

Don't get testy

Perhaps another misinterpretation on your part. I don’t consider my response to your “to whom I was responding” statement as testy. I also don’t consider it appropriate for one forum member to dictate to others how they should or shouldn’t post.

So what, in your estimation, marks the difference between an "order" and a "custom order"?

The Clarity is available in 2 trim levels and about a half dozen colors. Each trim level is equipped with its own specific set of features. That’s it. Nothing can be added, changed or deleted. There is nothing custom about a Clarity. Ordering a Clarity is just an order.

I’m sure you’ll disagree. I respect your decision to do so. This discussion is going nowhere and is of no benefit to the members who wish to discuss the availability of the Clarity outside of California.

That’s all I have to say on the matter.

 

[AlanSqB]

Um, if I wore a hat I’d need to be eating it about now. I was sure that they were done.

Anyway. This was the scene at South Tacoma Honda today where I was told Honda made them take 14 of them.

Sounds like they weren’t thrilled with the allocation. PM me if you want the name of the salesman I was working with today. Was looking at a Passport, but didn’t buy. They’re just not compelling at all.