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I'm shopping for a new car and have found that the MSRP I find online is nowhere near the dealer's price. Some of this is the addition of useless options which I am not sure that I have any control over, but even comparing apples to apples, MSRP tends to be much lower than the dealer's price.
Well, the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) should be the vehicle's base price, plus factory options. What you find online should basically match the factory window sticker. (Although if it has sat on a lot a while, price changes by the manufacturer could result in small differences).
The dealer does not have to charge this, as it is a "suggested" price. Are you trying to buy a popular car? I have seen dealers who love to tack on extra stuff, to jack up their sales price on new and popular cars. Overcharging for paint protection stuff, undercoating, body molding, electronic stuff, spoilers, etc.
Shoot, I just went into a dealership this morning that put "1995 Dealer Mark-up" and "2995 Dealer Mark-up" on their add on sticker, this was in addition to charging an extra 595 for wheel locks and mud guards. Still not as bad as another dealership I went into that was offering a 4995 tire warranty on all its cars (by offer I mean all the cars had this included on the sticker).
I am looking at cars that cost between 17-28k, there is no allowable reason for such mark ups, but their greed makes me feel a lot better about just window shopping for now. Eventually I'll buy another car, but from a place that doesn't try to negotiate down from a price that already far exceeds MSRP (which is in itself an inflated figure).
I'm shopping for a new car and have found that the MSRP I find online is nowhere near the dealer's price. Some of this is the addition of useless options which I am not sure that I have any control over, but even comparing apples to apples, MSRP tends to be much lower than the dealer's price.
Where? MSRP (as Checkered pointed out) is just that - nothing more - and is the same across an entire market. Are you saying that you can find a specific vehicle w/a listed MSRP online & then finding that exact vehicle w/another price (FWIW, a number of makes now allow you to pull up a PDF or similar of the actual window sticker), or are you spec'ing out a vehicle & then looking at similar vehicles @ dealerships?
As far as buying at MSRP, dealers, not being part or parcel of the Manufacturer, are free to charge more or less, as you are free to purchase or not.
You shouldn't pay MSRP and definitely not over MSRP for 90% of cars out there. There are some cars that are very popular / short supply/ special edition/redesigned that sell for over MSRP but that's it. The new Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S sports card is one I can think of that is going way over MSRP. Keep in mind that the dealers first price or listed price is generally not the lowest price they would sell it for. There is room for negotiating and they want you to feel like you got a good deal.
Unless you special order the car (not even sure if most manufacturers do this much any more), you are stuck with some "worthless" factory options if its a common configuration for the car. If it's dealer installed options, maybe you have a chance at getting those removed or not paying for them. Once again, that would be negotiated.
What are you buying that they are trying to add a dealer mark up?
Anything.
There's always $2000-3000 "market adjustment" on the stickers here. Ford, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Hyundai... doesn't matter. I guess some suckers think they get a good deal when they talk them down to no markup or maybe even pay half of it? No idea, there must be some reason. When I bought my car, they tried to tell me I was getting a great deal since they "forgot to put the market rate adjustment sticker on." I just laughed and offered $2,000 off MSRP. I actually liked that sales guy. Beat the hell out of the Chevy sales manager who called the sales guy dumb for not knowing the product before proceeding to lie because just wanted to push something I didn't want because it was on the lot. Dealers are nuts here.
I'm shopping for a new car and have found that the MSRP I find online is nowhere near the dealer's price. Some of this is the addition of useless options which I am not sure that I have any control over, but even comparing apples to apples, MSRP tends to be much lower than the dealer's price.
I bought two cars the last few years and edmonds was right on both MSRP and the dealer invoice which I saw after sell on both.Invoice is always lower than MSRP price.You can not tell the dealer holdback or the dealer incentive that happen duirn gthe years tho.
i used to see markups back in WI, and see them now being down in SC. While i dont agree with many, i can "understand" when dealers add margin to the hot or rare cars, i recently saw a big markup on a Laguna Seca Mustang. And in fact when i sold in the early 90's, markups on the new Miatas and 3000gt vr4's were common on our lot as the cars were not.
But when dealers now all seem to list doc fees, as well as the famous protection packages, etc... well just figure out what you want to pay for that car and negotiate it. If they wish to sell the car they will, but if you are trying to haggle on said Laguna Seca, you may not have much luck lol
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