Like BMW's New X3? Special Order, Get It in a Week
By Bill Visnic August 4, 2010
BMW's 2011 X3 crossover is being built in America for the first time, and that's a distinct news advantage for customers here.
First, BMW is encouraging interested buyers to special-order their X3 to get it exactly the way they want. That's the way it works in Europe, but Americans historically have not liked to wait for a special-order car. Now that X3s are being built in BMW's newly-expanded Spartanburg, SC, assembly plant, the company says the special-order delivery times can be drastically cut - to a point that can satisfy even impatient Americans.
How fast can BMW build your new X3? If you're willing to pick it up at the Spartanburg plant (and BMW has a nifty program that takes care of all the details), company officials say you can take delivery just a week after the factory gets the order.
Consider the fact that it usually takes a minimum of a few days for a dealer to get a car off the lot from a dealer in another state, waiting a week for an X3 built exactly to your specifications seems like a no-brainer, and a trip to the Spartanburg assembly plant is a bonus for any true fan of the brand.
The company says special ordering saves most customers money because they're not buying a car off the lot that typically has unwanted options or equipment. Factor in the tasty options BMW's making available only to those who special order the X3 and it looks like it's time to start thinking about buying a car European-style.
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Good on ya, BMW. I have usually ordered out my new cars, although the last two were from inventory.
By ordering out the vehicle, one is assured that it is "new,new" vs "old new", meaning, although it may the current or even next year vehicle, it could have been sitting around for up 9 months or longer.
However, in BMW's league, i suspect those customers are less likely to have second thoughts or buyers' remorse about their purchase after leaving the dealershiip than customers of The Big Six. Hence, the doctrine of, "Nobody drives away in the same car the drove in" requires a large inventory of very similar units.
But by offering order-only options, Bimmer may be able to change that thereby reducing floor plan, taxes, and damage.
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