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besides the MRSP you see on the website, dealers charged around $800 "destination fee". Suppose they give me a quote of $22,000 for a car that is $25,000 MRSP, and they said that does not include destination fee of $800.
When I look at truecar.com, I see mentioned:
Documentation Fee ($499), Prep Fee ($795) and Accessories ($0)
WTF are these fees?
What is "Documentation" fee? how can I avoid it?
What is "Prep Fee", is that the same as "destination"? something else?
And can I expect the dealer to find me a car without any "Accessories"?
Oh man, I hate car shopping.
EDIT: I fully understand there is tax (7%), there is registration and plates fee, and of course I need to prove that I have insurance. Anything else?
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The "Fees" don't matter. Negotiate the out the door price(the amount you are giving them a check for, or financing) after all that crap, including sales tax.
Make it clear that you are asking for quotes on the total price after everything is added in. If you get a quote online that is total and then they try and add something after that walk right out the door.
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Don't forget to preemptively negotiate about door mats and dealer-installed beauty packages, or they will magically show up on the car they finally give you no matter if you wanted them or not and then be added to the bill.
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Use the Costco car buying service, no surprises, the price the participating dealer quotes you is the price you pay.
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Are your buying or Leasing? If you are buying the Destination charge is a real fixed cost. All other Fees are Bs. Get as much cost information you can get on the car and work from there.
I usually walk off the lot when I see cars with a msrp then an additional dealer mark up or detailing charges like pin stripes, window tinting, lojack or wheels
If you hate dealing with car dealers try using costco or another buying service. You won't get the best deal but you will get a fair or good deal.
You timing when you buy can make a difference. End of the month better. Dealer rebates or incentives will increase later in the model year.
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New car? Just hand over the wallet to the salesman. I've bought two new cars in my life. The lessons learned taught me never to do that again.
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It's all negotiable. Just be prepared to walk away. Walking out the door saved me a surprise "document fee". When the salesman follows you out, you know you won.
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Buck wrote:
Better yet, DO NOT BUY NEW.
Unless you can afford it, which means writing a check for the total.
http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/drive-free/
meh. his math is off.
