Can you order from factory?

[Vhyperion]

Our Xterra lease is up in January and we'd like to get a Honda Pilot. I've heard conflicting stories about pre-ordering directly from the factory. Does anyone know definitively?

Much appreciated.

[N_Jay]

Best I understand all vehicles are allocated to dealers.
I understand the process to go something like this.
A month or so before production Honda provides the dealer with a list of the vehicles he can expect. This included model type (LX, EL, EXL, EXL,-RES, EXL-NAV) and color.
The dealer then gets to request changes to his list. Either trading one color for another, or one model for another.
Then slortly before production the dealer gets back a list of exactly what he will be receiving. It may or maynot have the requested changes.
So the best way to get exacly whet you want is to find a dealer who you can work with through this process.

[hondacuraplanet]

It actually works just a bit differently.

Three months prior to the vehicle arriving in the dealer's showroom, they place a production order call, with the colors and trim levels of the vehicles that they want to have in stock and to fill orders. If they don't order the specific vehicles, they get nothing at all (which would be a MAJOR oopsie!).

[tady]

Also, even though the dealers request specific vehicles for the production order call, there is no guarantee they will get the specific vehicles they request. There are restrictions on color and the number of leather vehicles they are allowed, etc. I "ordered" a Pilot but it did not make the production list due to the restrictions.