What we negotiate on a new car deal
New cars have small margins on the sticker but big margins on everything around it: doc fees, market adjustments, protection packages, financing spreads and dealer-installed accessories. That's where most buyers overpay by $1,500 to $4,000.
We negotiate the selling price against invoice and current incentives, strip out unnecessary add-ons, and pin down a full out-the-door number in writing before you commit to anything.
- Selling price vs. MSRP
- We benchmark against invoice, holdback and current manufacturer incentives — not the sticker.
- Dealer fees and add-ons
- Doc fees, nitrogen, VIN etching, appearance packages and market adjustments get audited and removed where possible.
- Financing offer
- We compare the dealer's rate against outside lenders and negotiate the spread, term and money factor.
- Trade-in valuation
- If you're trading in, we negotiate that as a separate transaction so the two numbers can't be blurred.