You Can Save Thousands of Dollars by Ordering a New Car from the Factory

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Let’s face it, 2021 hasn’t been the best year to buy a new or used car. The chip shortage followed by the inventory shortages for both new and used cars has driven pricing up exponentially this year. In fact, some used car prices are rivaling the prices for new ones.

However, if you’re still on the hunt for a new car, but your local dealership is low on inventory, then you can order one to be built for you from the factory. And while you might think that ordering a car will cost you thousands of dollars more, it can actually save you thousands of dollars if you follow a few important steps.

1. Negotiate the price of the car before placing the order

Employees work at the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai, east China. | (Photo by Ding Ting/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Ding Ting via Getty Images)

The first step to saving money on your factory-ordered car – according to Zach and Ray Shefska at YAA – is to negotiate the price. That’s right when placing an order for your new car, whether it’s a normal factory configuration or a custom one, is to negotiate the price from MSRP with the salesperson before placing your order.

Timing is everything, so make sure to talk about the pricing before you place the order and not when you take delivery of the actual vehicle. YAA notes, “If you don’t negotiate with them, the assumption is that the deal is at MSRP and your leverage (once the vehicle is on the lot) is lesser. Especially in a market where inventory is scarce.”

2. Don’t order any accessories

When you order a car to be built from the factory, a lot of times the dealership will tack on extra accessories when the car arrives. For example, they may install mudguards, wheel locks, and window tint to your car as part of a mandatory “protection package” that they usually install on every new car on the lot. Dealerships typically do this when they receive the new car from the delivery truck and send it to the service department for its “pre-delivery inspection” (PDI).

The service receives a repair order (R.O.) from management that tells them which accessories to put on the car. According to YAA, you shouldn’t fall for this unnecessary accessorizing. Instead, tell the salesperson straight away that you don’t want any accessories installed on the vehicle when it arrives. If you want to know a bit of the dealership lingo, then you can tell them: “When you do the R.O. for the P.D.I, don’t add any accessories,” says Shefska. “(The dealer) has to honor the customer’s request. They’re the ones actually paying for it.”

3. Floor-plan assistance

Car Sales Dealership
Car Sales Dealership | Getty Images

Contrary to popular belief, dealerships don’t pay the manufacturers in cash for the cars that they order. According to YAA, they finance them instead, which means that the dealer pays interest on the cars that they have. To offset this interest accrual, the manufacturer will give the deal some money for every car, which is also known as “floor-plan assistance.”

Since you’re ordering a car from the factory, it won’t have time to sit on the dealer’s lot, thus it won’t accrue any interest. In that case, the dealer gets to pocket the floor-plan assistance money, which you might be able to use as some leverage for negotiating the price of the car down.

However, YAA notes that given the current 2021 market conditions, most dealers might not give you any discounts for calling out their floor-plan assistance profit, but it’s worth a shot.

Tips for ordering a new car from the factory

Now that you know how to save some money when ordering a car, here are few other tips from YAA:

  • Remember to put a deposit on the car: Most dealers will ask for a $500 to $1,000 deposit to secure the car order. If they don’t ask for a deposit, then ask them about it or else your car might not be yours when it arrives.
  • Make sure to sign a buyer’s order: Just like the deposit, a buyer’s order will secure the deal as it will have the all the details about the car your ordered and the pricing that you discussed. Make sure that you sign one of these, if not, then the deal could fall through or be delayed.

Also, if the dealership doesn’t want to negotiate, then you can always try ordering from another dealer and see if they will budge. After all, it’s your car that you’re ordering and you’re paying for it, so you should get the best deal possible.

RELATED: Should You ‘Hide Your Trade-in’ When Buying a New Car?

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Which Shoes Are Best for Driving?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’re starting to get serious about cars, you’ve probably looked to do some modifications. With that comes helping yourself out by making driving quickly as safe and easy as possible. Thankfully, driving shoes are here to help with that. However, there’s two camps here. Some say they’re an unnecessary gimmick, and others view them as absolutely essential. Either way, you need shoes to drive, and these are the best.

Are Piloti shoes good for walking? What about driving?

Piloti driving shoes blend form and function, but at a cost | Piloti

Odds are, if you googled “best driving shoes” you saw Piloti’s website. As far as I can tell, Piloti is the only brand dedicated to making a fully driving-oriented shoe. Additionally, the driving shoes I did find elsewhere were simply “driver” styled loafers. If you’ve ever seen the video of Ayrton Senna beating the snot out of an NSX at Suzuka, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Regardless, Piloti makes dedicated shoes built specifically for the act of driving.

To that point, Piloti makes a point to construct their shoes with driving in mind. The heels are rounded for better comfort while resting your feet on the pedals. However, that isn’t all. The edges of the soles are built specifically to keep them from catching on the pedals while you heel-toe downshift. Moreover, one of the key components of a good driving shoe is a thin sole for pedal feel. Piloti has that too, and says that the soles aren’t so thin you can’t walk around in them.

Vans are a cheaper alternative

Two red and black Vans skate shoes
He was a sk8r boi | Ken Hively via Getty Images

Funnily enough, what makes a good skating shoe makes a good driving shoe. To that point, Vans are pretty much as good as it gets. Just like the Piloti shoes, the edges of your average pair of Vans are smooth. Thankfully, that means they shouldn’t catch on the pedals while you rev-match. Now, style is subjective, but I much prefer the “Sk8r Boi” aesthetic to the “Mr. Serious Driver” look. However, you do you, reader. You’ll look great in either.

And that brings me to pricing. First, the Piloti driving shoes. They ain’t cheap. The cheapest shoe I found on their website is $115. Thankfully, there’s a good spread of sizes in both men’s and women’s, just like Vans. Fortunately, Vans has you covered if you want a cheap driving shoe to get the job done. Expect to pay around $60 for a set of Van’s Comfy Cush shoes.

Can’t go wrong with a good pair of Vans

Vans shoes on the street in London
Vans are my choice in driving shoe | John Stillwell via Getty Images

Honestly, Vans are my pick. I feel I don’t need to spend the money when I’ve already got Vans and work from home. I’ve raced plenty of karts in Vans, and I’ve never once said “Yeah, I need better shoes to knock down my lap time.” However, if you can afford to try a pair of Piloti shoes, do give them a shot. The specifics of their construction entices me, and I’d love to do a side-by-side comparison.

RELATED: Do You Need Expensive Off-Road Suspension for Your Truck or SUV?

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The 2022 Kia Carnival Barely Missed an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Rating Due to Bad Headlights

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Kia Carnival is one of the most satisfying new minivans on the market that some critics are raving about. It’s a refreshing new uptake on the minivan industry that excels in many ways, even in safety. According to the IIHS, the Carnival is a winner for this new model, but it doesn’t quite meet the requirements for the best award they offer. The Kia Carnival’s headlights stopped it from reaching that coveted place.

Introducing the 2022 Kia Carnival

The 2022 Kia Carnival minivan/MPV | Kia America

You might remember the Kia Sedona minivan, which is known for its poised handling and creature comforts. This van will no longer be in the lineup, however. Replacing it is the new Carnival, which considers itself more of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) than a minivan. 

The styling alone is impressive, and it promises to turn heads among consumers. The Korean Carnival model debuted a sport utility/minivan vehicle that could seat up to 11 people. Now we see a similar one on American soil, and it’s drawing quite a bit of interest. 

The Sedona was part of the minivan generation, which is actually beginning to phase out among the automaker’s lineups. However, some are still going strong, like the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna, mainly because of some refreshments to styling and/or performance specs. Kia decided to introduce a new species of sorts and bring a so-called mashup of the minivan and SUV with the Carnival MPV. 

When you first look at it, you won’t notice the sliding doors that are indicative of a minivan design. They blend in just enough to look like a regular SUV exterior. Additionally, it sports Kia’s iconic front-end grille, which gives it an aggressive look that you don’t see with minivans that are typically a soccer-mom mode of transportation. 

Did this Kia minivan/MPV impress the IIHS?

The Kia Carnival actually did impress the IIHS team because they ultimately gave it their Top Safety Pick award for how well it stood up in their testing. In all six crashworthiness tests, the Carnival hit the ball out of the park and received their ‘Good’ rating on all of them. 

The Carnival was very close to getting the Top Safety Pick+ award, which is the best one you can get from the IIHS, but it failed in one minor test. The headlights on the Carnival earned a less than stellar rating because of inadequate illumination. To qualify for the Top Safety Pick+ award, the Carnival needed to get a good or acceptable rating on all trim levels. 

That’s too bad because the SX Prestige trim level did earn a ‘Good’ rating for its LED projector headlights. However, it seems the ones on the lower trims aren’t up to snuff. 

What you can expect from the 2022 Kia Carnival

You can choose from one of five different trim levels on the Carnival. The base or LX model offers Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Kia’s safety suite of features, and a remote start feature as standard equipment. Its starting price begins at $32,100. However, only moving up to the top trims will gain you some of the better features. 

The top trim available, the SX Prestige, comes with reclining seats in the middle row with a footrest. You also get leather trimming, top-notch heating and ventilation, and removable second-row seats. The starting price for the SX Prestige trim is just over $47,000. 

Powering up the Carnival is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates 290 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. Paired with it is an eight-speed automatic transmission that enables the minivan to go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. Braking distance isn’t bad either. It can stop within 118 feet from 60 to 0 mph. 

It’s sad to see the Sedona go, but with what we see the Carnival can do, it might not be such a bad thing after all. Once it’s in the consumer’s hands, it could be just what the minivan segment needs for a comeback.

RELATED: It’s Not a Minivan: Kia Dubs the 2022 Carnival an ‘MPV’

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BMW Still Wins Out as the Best Luxury Car Brand According to Consumers

by Gabrielle DeSantis

At one point in time, BMW was the best luxury car brand. So much so, that the brand became a status symbol. Basically, if you wanted people to think you were someone, you drove a BMW. However, times change, and there’s a lot of new players in the luxury car segment. Take Genesis for example. The brand has quietly been sneaking up on BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Lexus. With so much choice in the marketplace, it’s time to figure out if consumers still prefer the old ways, or if attitudes have shifted.

Which luxury car is better? BMW stands tall

BMW clearly makes an effort to shake up design | BMW

Recently, a study by Kelly Blue Book found that when Americans ask “What’s the best luxury car?” the conclusion they often reach is BMW. As I said above, that’s been the case for some time. Moreover, BMW’s lineup structure lends itself quite well to American buyers. Take one of the brand’s most popular models, the 3 Series. You can have Beamer 3 Series in just about any flavor you like. And if there’s anything we American’s like, it’s flavor (unfortunately no cheese-flavored BMW’s of yet, but I’ve reached out for comment).

Anyway, you can get a 3 Series in hyper-fast M flavor (above), RWD, AWD, sedan or SUV, stick or automatic. Variety is the spice of life, and BMW is better than Audi in this regard. At least, in the eyes of consumers. One can argue that Audi does interiors better, but that’s a conversation for another time. Moreover, it isn’t just the 3 Series this applies to. Beamer has done it with the BMW 5 Series models as well, with similar success.

Change is slow in the automotive industry

An Audi luxury car dealership in Poland
Audi wins on dealer aesthetics | Karol Serewis via Getty Images

Clearly, the formula works. KBB states they conduct the survey every quarter. BMW has held the “most preferred luxury car brand” title for a stunning 12 quarters. However, change in the industry is constant, and new challengers are always popping up, in addition to competition from staples such as Mercedes and Audi. Now to circle back to Genesis for a moment. Hyundai’s luxury spin-off has shown real promise, and their models are subjectively more handsome than BMW models.

That said, there’s another component to the success of the Bavarian best luxury car. It’s generational. I’m 23 (a child, yes) and to my parents, BMW still symbolizes luxury and status. My dad knows I like cars, but doesn’t really know much about cars beyond that. He points out “nice BMWs” to me all the time. They’re a status symbol to him, and many parents pass that perception down to their children.

Are EVs better luxury cars?

A close-up of BMW's corporate HQ building
Not exactly the prettiest building | Christof Stache via Getty Images

All this to say nothing of EVs. Despite BMW’s outstanding 12 quarter run, KBB said that “Americans looked at the Tesla Model 3 more than any other luxury vehicle.” EV’s are changing how Americans view luxury, and features like one-pedal driving lend themselves to an ease of use that petrol cars usually can’t match. Not to mention, EVs are virtually silent, a hallmark of the luxury car. And that’s exactly why BMW is making a foray into EVs with some of their new models. Whether they can match EV behemoths like Tesla and Lucid remains to be seen.

RELATED: The 2021 BMW M440i Is a Symptom of a Larger Problem

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