[terryw]

I am interested in purchasing the 2018 PHEV Limited minivan and first tried to use the Chrysler website search inventory webpage, specifying the configuration that I want (color, options, etc). I cannot find any that match - most of the higher end vehicles have things I don't want (18-inch tires, wireless charging pad, etc). Also, I've noticed that all newer vehicles have the 2EC package as a priced option (around $900), although I found a few at dealer locations whose window stickers did not have price for that option (so I'm assuming that they are older models that happen to still be available).

So then I went though the BUILD a vehicle pages choosing what I want. (Incidentally, I noticed that on the BUILD, the 2EC is ALWAYS included as a standard feature - no extra charge). This ended up with a configured vehicle with a reasonable price.

My question is - is it really possible to "order" a vehicle though the build process? or do I have to go to a dealer and somehow order this configuration through them? There is an option for obtaining a quote but it implies that a dealer will be chosen and I will be contacted by them. Has anyone used this process?

 

[irpilot]

Thread was awaiting approval because you're new. You have to place an order with a dealer. Good luck with your purchase and welcome to the forum.

 

[Bond007]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. The Pacifica hybrid is an awesome car if you are looking for that particular combo. I would strongly advise you to consider only a new order on this car considering how many issues and recalls it has had. I believe the technology is still evolving and you should get the latest build to have the best available technology in your car.
Many of us ordered our cars instead of looking through what is available on the lot. You have to go through a dealer to order it, BUT you don’t need to be there physically. What I did was build a car online, write down all details including MSRP, options, etc and send email to all possible dealers from where you can purchase. You can negotiate over the phone and email for the best quote and order from them. Some may require you to go over to sign papers, some may want a small deposit, but I find that buying a car this way is much less stressful than going to each dealership and haggling over the prices of multiple cars with different trim and options.
Keep in mind that some dealerships would not do business over phone/ email and would ask you to come over there to test drive. I ignored all of them. Deal with only those dealerships that work on your terms. I did all negotiations via email and went for the best bidders office to sign and walk away. Best of luck.

 

[terryw]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. The Pacifica hybrid is an awesome car if you are looking for that particular combo. I would strongly advise you to consider only a new order on this car considering how many issues and recalls it has had. I believe the technology is still evolving and you should get the latest build to have the best available technology in your car.
Many of us ordered our cars instead of looking through what is available on the lot. You have to go through a dealer to order it, BUT you don’t need to be there physically. What I did was build a car online, write down all details including MSRP, options, etc and send email to all possible dealers from where you can purchase. You can negotiate over the phone and email for the best quote and order from them. Some may require you to go over to sign papers, some may want a small deposit, but I find that buying a car this way is much less stressful than going to each dealership and haggling over the prices of multiple cars with different trim and options.
Keep in mind that some dealerships would not do business over phone/ email and would ask you to come over there to test drive. I ignored all of them. Deal with only those dealerships that work on your terms. I did all negotiations via email and went for the best bidders office to sign and walk away. Best of luck.

Thanks for the info; how long did it take (after order was submitted by dealer) for the car to be delivered to dealer?

 

[terryw]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. The Pacifica hybrid is an awesome car if you are looking for that particular combo. I would strongly advise you to consider only a new order on this car considering how many issues and recalls it has had. I believe the technology is still evolving and you should get the latest build to have the best available technology in your car.
Many of us ordered our cars instead of looking through what is available on the lot. You have to go through a dealer to order it, BUT you don’t need to be there physically. What I did was build a car online, write down all details including MSRP, options, etc and send email to all possible dealers from where you can purchase. You can negotiate over the phone and email for the best quote and order from them. Some may require you to go over to sign papers, some may want a small deposit, but I find that buying a car this way is much less stressful than going to each dealership and haggling over the prices of multiple cars with different trim and options.
Keep in mind that some dealerships would not do business over phone/ email and would ask you to come over there to test drive. I ignored all of them. Deal with only those dealerships that work on your terms. I did all negotiations via email and went for the best bidders office to sign and walk away. Best of luck.

thanks for the response; will keep this in mind; how long did it take for it to arrive at dealer after order was placed?

 

[seo68]

I love my PacHy and would also recommend a new order through a dealer. I bought mine via email after building it online and then corresponding with the dealer. I did put down a $500 deposit via credit card. All in all, it was a relatively painless process, although I would have been happier with a little quicker delivery. :wink2:

 

[terryw]

thanks for responses. so it looks like it took a couple of months from time of order to arrival at dealer.

 

[MLambert]

The dealers will typically say 8-12 weeks. In October, the factory was shut down for an entire month to retool the Dodge Caravan line (it produces both vehicles), so some people experienced longer delays last fall. Chrysler generally prioritizes customer builds over the dealer inventory builds, so make sure the dealer marks the order correctly.

 

[Norbert]

On a side note, if you do custom order a car, the window sticker will have your name on it. It'll say "Custom made for XXXX." or something like that.

 

[Bond007]

thanks for responses. so it looks like it took a couple of months from time of order to arrival at dealer.

Mine took nearly three months for delivery last fall but as mentioned above it was due to a factory shutdown for one month.

On a side note, if you do custom order a car, the window sticker will have your name on it. It'll say "Custom made for XXXX." or something like that.

The exact words are “ This vehicle was built especially for XXX”. The funny thing is after doing all this, the dealership couldn’t find my window sticker during delivery (they were pretty embarrassed) and ordered a new window sticker for me on the same day. Eventually I found the original sticker beside one of the seats and had a laugh when the duplicate window sticker arrived a few weeks later.

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