[gio]

I think I might have messed up. I went to a dealer about a week ago to test drive a 235. They didn't have any on the lot (the one they did have was at the body shop having a scratch repaired) so they told me to come back in a few days for the test drive. I asked the dealer multiple times how long it would take if I ordered in the next week or so, and he said every time "8 weeks". One of his associates said "6-8 weeks". I did not quite believe either of them. Maybe he actually had allocations available but there was no way to know for sure. He was aware that I was in a rental car so he knew I was in a rush. He also knew I was an easy sale as I bought my 135 from him 6 years ago.

So I went to another dealer just yesterday because they had a 235 in stock for me to test drive. I drove it and told them I'd come back next weekend to place an order once I decided what I wanted. I asked how long it would take and I got the "8 weeks" answer which was later clarified to "8-12 weeks". They pressured me to make the deal right there and started knocking the price down off MSRP. In reality I knew what I wanted so I left a deposit and ordered right then. The first dealer never showed any willingness to give me anything off MSRP, neither last weekend nor when I bought my 135.

I asked when I'd hear more about the car (production number, etc) and I got the answer "in a couple of weeks" and the explanation that it would more likely be like 12 weeks total, rather than 8. It became obvious to me that they did not have any allocations available. Now, I'm learning that dealerships only get allocations once a month at the start of the month, correct? So, that I'm looking at 2 weeks at least before my car can even really be ordered by the dealer? I wonder if I messed up and if I could have done quicker at the first dealer. Since I am paying over $600/month for my rental car an extra 4 weeks is a big deal! The dealer has a non-refundable deposit of mine, now, too, so I guess I am stuck. Maybe I should look into dumping the rental car and buying a cheap car which I'll sell later.

Looking back at when I bought my 135, I ordered on April 15, 2008, the car was finished being built on May 5, and I picked it up June 2. That was the first model year of the 135, too and it was just under 7 weeks start to finish. Why are things so much slower now?