There have to be a few inventory cars that match your guys' specifications? Why not just pick one out of inventory from a specialist vs ordering? I'm trying to figure out which way to go myself, just wondering if it was better one way or another.
I'm by no means an expert; however, the impression I get from having read posts and gone through the process myself, is this: Yes, there are inventory cars available for delivery in a matter of days (maybe just one or two days); however, there are caveats. For one thing, although Tesla offers fewer options than most domestic automakers, a car that exactly matches your specifications may not exist nearby. In that case, you'll have to either compromise (say, get your second- or third-choice color, or be upsold to the next battery/motor level) or place an order for delivery in a matter of weeks. This is actually not unlike buying any other brand of car; however, Tesla's ordering system
does emphasize placing an order for the exact car you want. Whether because of this or because Tesla buyers are pickier, a lot of people do choose to wait to get the exact car ordered. When going down this path, Tesla's production schedule emphasizes building cars for overseas markets first in the quarter, then Canada, then the eastern US, then the western US and finally California late in the quarter. This schedule enables them to deliver most of the cars they make in any given quarter in that same quarter, which looks good on the balance sheets. It means, however, that if you're in the US and place an order for a car early in the quarter, and if that configuration isn't in inventory, it's likely to take longer to deliver it than if you'd placed the order closer to the end of the quarter. Thus, the "2 week" delivery time promise isn't as precise as it looks. I'm not sure, but I suspect that the range of inventory options is likely to drop through most of the quarter, too, and build up again at the very end.
Another twist on this is that, although Tesla officially sells at list price, they will often offer discounts on inventory cars, especially if the car doesn't exactly match your original order specification. So if you place an order for, say, a blue/black LR RWD model, you may get a call in a day or so offering you a white/black LR RWD car from inventory for the same price you were quoted, despite the fact that white paint is officially $500 more than blue. Discounts can be even bigger on cars that had been on display in showrooms or used for test drives. If you're looking for a bargain, you might even talk to a salesperson to locate such cars. Deals can also be had when options are discontinued. When Tesla suddenly discontinued the mid-range battery pack, for instance, most of the people who'd recently placed orders for such cars were offered discounts to upgrade to the long-range version. Some of these deal opportunities are random/hit-or-miss type things. I'm one of the people who upgraded from a mid-range to a long-range car, for instance, but of course I had no way of knowing when I placed my order that the mid-range version would be dropped from the lineup literally two days later. Thus, I lucked out -- but if Tesla happened to have had the exact car I'd ordered in inventory, I would have received that, rather than the long-range version they actually delivered to me.
In sum, the specifics of ordering and discounts with Tesla are very different from what they are with a more-established brand's traditional dealership; however, the overall picture isn't quite as different as is often presented. You're more likely to be able to pay less than sticker price on most traditional cars (although that's not true of cars in high demand -- I've seen reports of price-gouging on Hyundai Kona EVs in California, for instance); but discounts from sticker price are available on Teslas, particularly if you're willing to deviate from your first-choice configuration to get a car out of local inventory. The Tesla-buying experience tends to be more chaotic and difficult to predict than the buying experience from a traditional dealership. My recommendation is to be very laid-back about it. Worrying won't help. If you place an order and don't cancel it, you
will get your car, although exactly when is uncertain; and if you need it fast, you may need to compromise on colors.
