2017~2024 How long before a car gets to the U.S. until it hits a Midwest dealership?

:
2019 Mazda6 & CX-5
Im in negotiations with a local Central Ohio dealer now for a 19 Signature. She said the car is currently in Washington and should be at their dealership in a few weeks. Is that a reasonable amount of time? Im really curious as to why it would take weeks before the dealer would get this car if its already built and in the US.

Ive not ever bought a car in this fashion and could use some advice on how to protect myself from any shenanigans. We are close to agreeing in principle but the original discussion started out as we will do a dealer trade vs we will just wait until we receive our own inventory which is en route
 
You are buying something in short supply. Sign a contract, put down a deposit, no shenanigans to worry about.

They gave you a timeline, so there is not really much you can do other then go to another dealer.

I have heard it does take a couple weeks as the cars start spreading east, but I can't say if they dealer is being truthful or not. You would certainly have more bargaining by waiting until they were on multiple dealer lots.
 
Im familiar with the operations at the Port of Tacoma where it sounds like your Mazda came in. They process vehicles very quickly. The holdup is in the train system. They tend to load them up pretty quick but I suspect the cars sit on the rail cars at certain points waiting for the correct trains.
 
Appreciate the replies folks. I thought about it more overnight and decided that I am not going to negotiate now for a vehicle I wont take delivery of for an unknown period of time. Im just not comfortable with that.

Ill communicate back to the dealer later this morning that Im willing to do the deal but only on a dealer trade where Id get the vehicle within a few days.

There are actually a fair number of Signatures now showing up within a 100 mile radius of my home-even in the color we want. So, no rush for us I guess.
 
I don't see any issue. Make a purchase agreement pending your inspection and leave a deposit. Make sure it's refundable.

- Car arrives in port of Tacoma.
- Port processes the car and transfers it to a rail yard
- Rail yard waits until there's a full train load and then slowly makes it's way East. (train cars get transferred to different routes along the way)
- Rail yard unloads the vehicle and transfers it to a truck transport holding yard
- Truck transport waits for a full load and transfers it to the dealer
- Dealer checks out the car and prepares it for sale.

All that takes about 2-3 weeks.

For some strange reason every Signature get's roof rails added in Tacoma and it inflates the price by $400. If you don't want them, maybe the dealer can get them omitted before they're installed.
 
Last edited:
Appreciate the replies folks. I thought about it more overnight and decided that I am not going to negotiate now for a vehicle I wont take delivery of for an unknown period of time. Im just not comfortable with that.

Ill communicate back to the dealer later this morning that Im willing to do the deal but only on a dealer trade where Id get the vehicle within a few days.

There are actually a fair number of Signatures now showing up within a 100 mile radius of my home-even in the color we want. So, no rush for us I guess.
I placed my order when the particular 2016 CX-5 I wanted was still on the boat heading to Long Beach. It took 23 days to get to my Mazda dealer in Dallas area. I believe your dealer can give you an approximate date, but its hard for them to give you an exact date until the truck is showed up at dealers lot.

It seems youre not in the hurry and I would suggest you to wait for the one your dealer is going to be received unless there're items such as color combination doesnt meet your requirement.

Id never be a fan getting a new car via dealer trade. Im buying a brand new vehicle, and I wouldnt be happy to see the odometer is having 60+ miles or even hundreds of miles on it. And youd never know how the new vehicle gets to drive to your dealership in the dealer trade. Hard stops、fast acceleration、driving with a constant speed on the highway、and running over many potholes? Who knows!
 
I wait until the dealer has car models on his lot before picking one. I've seen too many new vehicles (not just Mazdas) that are dinged up and patched/painted to order ahead. Just me. Ed
 
He might be waiting a looong time if he wants to pick and choose from multiple Signatures in a specific dealer's inventory.

As of 12/12, there are 7175 2019 CX-5's in US dealer inventory

Of those 7175, only 391 are Signature trims (ie 5%)

Mazda has about 500 US dealers.

That means the average Signature dealer stock is <1.

If the OP wants a specific color, he'll either need to have the dealer tag one on the boat or arrange a dealer swap.

It remains to be seen if Mazda is proceeding very cautiously by constraining production of the 2.5T trims to see how they do in the marketplace or if the constraint is availability of 2.5T powertrains.



.
 
Last edited:
Appreciate the replies folks. I thought about it more overnight and decided that I am not going to negotiate now for a vehicle I won*t take delivery of for an unknown period of time. I*m just not comfortable with that.

I*ll communicate back to the dealer later this morning that I*m willing to do the deal but only on a dealer trade where I*d get the vehicle within a few days.

There are actually a fair number of Signatures now showing up within a 100 mile radius of my home-even in the color we want. So, no rush for us I guess.

Are you in a particular rush to get into this vehicle? If not, what's the issue? Every BMW I've bought was a factory order, 1 was picked up in SC at the Performance Center and 1 was picked up in Munich at the factory. Following the process from order to end of production and then transport was a great experience and was well documented on the BMW forums. Unless you need to get into a car immediately due to circumstances that are not evident here, enjoy the process knowing that you have a specific car (you would even probably get the VIN) and let the anticipation build towards the day you get the call from your dealer saying she's ready to be picked up.
 
Theres another step that needs to be added to the list of things that occur to a car assembled overseas. After it rolls off the cargo ship, the car makes a stop at Mazdass port facility in which ordered accessories are installed.

The dealer should know approximately how long itll take for the car to arrive. If you cant wait for it, then buy a car off the lot or buy one in which a dealer has to make a trade with another dealer.

Most people are impatient to take delivery of a new car and dont want to wait for it. When you order a CX-5, your order is not sent to Mazdas assembly plant. Mazdas assembly plant is too far away in Japan for that. Rather you wait for a car to roll off the ship that has the same model year, trim level, options, drive train, and exterior/interior color that you selected.

Be patient if you order one and have to wait. I had to wait four months for my car.
 
I wait until the dealer has car models on his lot before picking one. I've seen too many new vehicles (not just Mazdas) that are dinged up and patched/painted to order ahead. Just me. Ed

You mean like these?

I actually saw some totaled vehicles at the Prep Center in NJ that looked like they were put in a crusher but it was the constant back and forth movement of cars slamming into each other that caused it.
 
If you are trading in a vehicle, there is risk in ordering a car and waiting. If anything were to happen to your trade in before you take delivery of your new vehicle, you are screwed on that part of the deal. Thats why Im not going to order. Ill just wait until it hits the dealership and finish negotiating at that point. The market could also be different in 3-4 weeks as inventory rises.

And no-Im not in any rush to get a new vehicle. Im just kinda excited about getting a new car to replace my 2011.
 
Back