Custom orders may be discouraged (not sure why), but as long as they are available, why aren't you using them?
I've never bought a single BMW off-the-lot. Ever. Always custom ordered my cars. Got exactly what I wanted at the price that I wanted 100% of the time.
That might be true IFF you only look at the
selling part of the equation.
However, there is a far bigger customer-OEM relationship exposure during the
service experience (in-warranty and out). That is where NOT having a dealer mediating your potential disputes with an automotive OEM become a huge problem for the vehicle owner.
As a Tesla owner, I can tell you from the first-hand experience what dealing directly with an OEM-owned service center looks like - you get randomly absolutely screwed!
Here are some of the examples:
1). Service appointments can only be scheduled online, and only 4+ weeks into the future. Annoying if you can park your Tesla and drive another vehicle, but highly problematic if you don't have spare cars.
2). Many concerns get dismissed as "within spec" or "not covered under warranty". Last time I had an issue with binding right-rear caliper, they declined in-warranty coverage and offered to "lubricate the caliper" for a you-pay service fee of $566. What the @#$%?!?
3). Different answers to "covered under warranty" claims from different service centers. Purely at the whim of local service managers or most recent HQ directions. So if you don't like the answer from service center A, you can book another +4 weeks appointment at center B.
4). Your chance of getting a loaner goes from 99% @BMW to about 5% @Tesla. The rest of the time you may (or may not) be offered Uber credits. In my case, Uber doesn't serve the area between Tesla Service Center and my house, so they are worthless.
5). 4-hour repair service estimate takes 5+ days to actually get done because HQ fired 1/2 the mechanics as part of some idiotic cost-cutting measure, and service centers are now permanently understaffed.
6). Other times things work out great, and Tesla might even send a mobile service "ranger" to get work done in your own driveway!
7). If you don't like anything, your ONLY recourse is the court system. There is no appeal, and usually no human to talk to.
If you want to see what OEM-owned service center experience looks like, feel free to peruse Tesla owner boards:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/forums/model-3.137/
Other than that, direct sales model is great!
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