granger said:
Dealer allocation of FJ's will be based on a mix of variables. It will not be volume alone that will determine which dealer gets more FJs. Instead it will be a mix of overall performance and sales history for a specific model or type of models. CAT said that at this time Toyota has not said which models will determine allociation.
Logic would dictate that previous 4x4 sales would be a factor but it could also be only sales history of SUV models (Tundra & Tacoma not included).
My dealer's story is similar and he pointed out that 4Runner sales, in particular, are important drivers of allocation decisions.
Of course, he's doing a pretty job at moving 4Runners so, knowing my tight timelines, he might be trying to impress me with their potential allocation volume.
Still, he's pretty honest and has kept my expectations realistically low by stating that he would be very surprised if they got more than 2-4 vehicles per allotment. Being #7, I'm looking at the second or third allotment (if I can squeak by that long with what I'm driving now).
If not, my dealer has offered to try and get me their "repair loaner" rental rate at Enterprise if I must have a 4X4 during the wait. They get a pretty sweet volume deal from Enterprise because they rent all the cars they loan to clients during warranty-related repairs.
I think Toyota would be crazy not to let pre-order deposits be THE most important indicator. Hell, if you've already lined up willing buyers, ship to them first before you lose them (they lost me on a hybrid ealrier this year because they didn't take care of depositors
first).
Of course, you can't blame the dealers for these mistakes- it's happening at the corporate distribution strategy level.