[USER=7]@joe.pistell[/USER]
I should have clarified my statement in that I was referring to new purchases. Used is a whole different ball game.
I'll use my wife who works heavily in CX as an example. She wanted to buy a specific Mazda3 hatch with a 6spd. You can easily design and 'build' the car on Mazda's website. But in her eyes there was no button to buy it once she designed what she wanted. Of course I explained to her franchise laws and how new cars are distributed but she didn't care. "I designed the car I want, now I want to buy it online!" was the response I kept getting from her. She doesn't care how it works, she wants a seamless, simple experience. When I showed her Tesla's website she was overjoyed. "Why can't I buy my Mazda like that?"
I guess the point I'm getting at is while I think there is a decent amount of the population who shops for cars like in your Best Buy flat screen analogy I think there's also a decent amount like my wife who know what they want and simply want the easiest way to get it. Guess who ended up finding a Soul Red Mazda3 6spd hatch? Me! Took me days of calling around to different stores to see if they had one, what they were willing to sell if for, and if they could deliver it because none were available within 300 miles. I did all the leg work, not the dealerships. Should be the other way around!
So to answer your question I don't think anyone is hitting it out of the park save for Tesla when it comes to DR of new vehicles.
