Car shopping in 2022

[18IsTheMan]

We've been in the market for a new family vehicle for a while now and, boy is it nuts. It used to be "how much below MSRP can you go?" and now it's "how much above MSRP are you willing to pay?" I, for one, refuse to pay above MSRP. I've never actually even purchased new, but used cars are selling for as much as or more than new, so used doesn't make sense at the moment.

A few days ago I found a dealer that had the vehicle I was looking for in stock, which is rare to not have to order. Emailed to ask about price and they came back $5000 over MSRP. I just replied "thanks for the info, but we aren't in position to pay over MSRP at the moment." They replied and dropped the price $4000. I finally got them down to about MSRP and seemed like we almost had a deal in place. They sent the total order sheet and it had $2300 in fees. It was one of the few times in life my mouth has actually dropped open in shock.

A month or so ago I found another dealer a few hours away who had the car in stock and was selling at MSRP. It was a 4 hour drive, but I was ready to jump on it. Then the dealer informed they were only selling to local residents until supply builds back up. Have never encountered that in all my years of buying cars.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we're just gonna have to keep scraping by in our 2 smaller cars for now. It drives (pun intended) that so many folks are gladly laying down thousands of dollars above MSRP. It's ruining it for the rest of us who have a little financial sense. For the vehicle we are looking at, almost none are in stock anywhere and they have to be ordered, so people aren't buying these in a pinch. It takes months to get them in most cases. Just can't bring myself to buy when others are needlessly panic buying and driving up the market.

 

[Prestonyte]

I just sold my 2020 Honda Odyssey for $5000 more than I paid for it and bought another 2023 Odyssey. Paid MSRP for the new one - this dealer does not mark up price with extra fees and market up charges. Had to order the Odyssey and it took about 4 months to get it. Dealer told me he had 4 more coming in Nov. but that's it til then.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I just sold my 2020 Honda Odyssey for $5000 more than I paid for it and bought another 2023 Odyssey. Paid MSRP for the new one - this dealer does not mark up price with extra fees and market up charges. Had to order the Odyssey and it took about 4 months to get it. Dealer told me he had 4 more coming in Nov. but that's it til then.

What dealer did you use?

 

[Prestonyte]

What dealer did you use?

Breakaway Honda in Greenville. I used the same salesman for the last 6 purchases and he's great. Sold the old one to CarMax for more than the dealer offered.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Breakaway Honda in Greenville. I used the same salesman for the last 6 purchases and he's great. Sold the old one to CarMax for more than the dealer offered.

Interesting, thanks. May give them a shout. I'm in the DC area but have family in the Greenville area. Odysseys are going for $5,000-$6,000 over MSRP here.

 

[Prestonyte]

Interesting, thanks. May give them a shout. I'm in the DC area but have family in the Greenville area. Odysseys are going for $5,000-$6,000 over MSRP here.

If you call, ask for Ariel Sanchez. He is their top sales guy and a straight shooter.

 

[18IsTheMan]

If you call, ask for Ariel Sanchez. He is their top sales guy and a straight shooter.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Gamecock23]

Just went through a similar process myself. Had the truck deal that I wanted at MSRP in NC. Had been trying to get a Jeep Wrangler for my wife, but they weren't budging off their $3K above MSRP. Drove 3-1/2 hours to get the truck and the Jeep dealership called me three times to get me to turn around. I told them what it would take and they finally just offered me a ridiculous price for my trade in. They still didn't come off of their higher than MSRP price, but the offer on the trade-in and ultimately the bottom line, made me turn around and drive 3-1/2 hours back to get the Jeep for my wife. Got the new Jeep the same day after 7 hours of driving. My trade-in was gone off their lot in 3 days. The car business is nuts right now.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Just contacted a dealer I found about an hour up the road who is not charging above MSRP and no dealer add-ons. If I placed an order today for Odyssey it would be a 10 month wait.

 

[Tupacaintdead]

We've been in the market for a new family vehicle for a while now and, boy is it nuts. It used to be "how much below MSRP can you go?" and now it's "how much above MSRP are you willing to pay?" I, for one, refuse to pay above MSRP. I've never actually even purchased new, but used cars are selling for as much as or more than new, so used doesn't make sense at the moment.

A few days ago I found a dealer that had the vehicle I was looking for in stock, which is rare to not have to order. Emailed to ask about price and they came back $5000 over MSRP. I just replied "thanks for the info, but we aren't in position to pay over MSRP at the moment." They replied and dropped the price $4000. I finally got them down to about MSRP and seemed like we almost had a deal in place. They sent the total order sheet and it had $2300 in fees. It was one of the few times in life my mouth has actually dropped open in shock.

A month or so ago I found another dealer a few hours away who had the car in stock and was selling at MSRP. It was a 4 hour drive, but I was ready to jump on it. Then the dealer informed they were only selling to local residents until supply builds back up. Have never encountered that in all my years of buying cars.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we're just gonna have to keep scraping by in our 2 smaller cars for now. It drives (pun intended) that so many folks are gladly laying down thousands of dollars above MSRP. It's ruining it for the rest of us who have a little financial sense. For the vehicle we are looking at, almost none are in stock anywhere and they have to be ordered, so people aren't buying these in a pinch. It takes months to get them in most cases. Just can't bring myself to buy when others are needlessly panic buying and driving up the market.

I used to sell Toyotas, if you were smart you would live on YouTube and pickup on all the secrets. Believe me there are tons

 

[ToddFlanders]

What's the lease market like? I've leased several times in the past and loved it. I eventually bought as it made sense, but could have leased cars my whole life without getting tired of it.

 

[CockofEarle]

We've been in the market for a new family vehicle for a while now and, boy is it nuts. It used to be "how much below MSRP can you go?" and now it's "how much above MSRP are you willing to pay?" I, for one, refuse to pay above MSRP. I've never actually even purchased new, but used cars are selling for as much as or more than new, so used doesn't make sense at the moment.

A few days ago I found a dealer that had the vehicle I was looking for in stock, which is rare to not have to order. Emailed to ask about price and they came back $5000 over MSRP. I just replied "thanks for the info, but we aren't in position to pay over MSRP at the moment." They replied and dropped the price $4000. I finally got them down to about MSRP and seemed like we almost had a deal in place. They sent the total order sheet and it had $2300 in fees. It was one of the few times in life my mouth has actually dropped open in shock.

A month or so ago I found another dealer a few hours away who had the car in stock and was selling at MSRP. It was a 4 hour drive, but I was ready to jump on it. Then the dealer informed they were only selling to local residents until supply builds back up. Have never encountered that in all my years of buying cars.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we're just gonna have to keep scraping by in our 2 smaller cars for now. It drives (pun intended) that so many folks are gladly laying down thousands of dollars above MSRP. It's ruining it for the rest of us who have a little financial sense. For the vehicle we are looking at, almost none are in stock anywhere and they have to be ordered, so people aren't buying these in a pinch. It takes months to get them in most cases. Just can't bring myself to buy when others are needlessly panic buying and driving up the market.

If their paid for, ride em.

 

[Forkcock]

I buy a lot of vehicles for my client. Probably 20 or 30 a year. Pickup trucks, vans, SUV's. We have a Ford fleet discount and buy below sticker but dealers can make the sticker price be whatever they want it to be. When I finally negotiate a purchase price on a Ford, I have the dealer send me a copy of the window sticker, reflecting the agreed upon price.

 

[gamecocks94]

I cringe at the thought of going through the car buying process, but I may have to do it very soon. My car is in the shop for a major mechanical issue for the second time in less than a year and it's only three years old. At this point, it makes the most sense to get rid of it, but the thought of having to start over on payments and going through the car buying process makes me want to puke. I feel like I'm in a no-win situation regardless of what I do.

 

[Thunderstick]

We've been in the market for a new family vehicle for a while now and, boy is it nuts. It used to be "how much below MSRP can you go?"

Generally speaking, in better economic times you begin the negotiation at dealer cost, NEVER at the MSRP.

 

[haneynfl]

Six months ago, me and my wife looked at the new Jeep Wagonneer. Dealers in central FL was 10-15K more than MSRP - listed as market adjustment. Like others, I don’t even pay MSRP much less over MSRP. So, I stopped looking. Fast forward to two months ago, I get a random internet ad that a dealer in Cocoa Beach had Wagonneers $10K off (below MSRP). Peaked my interested so I look, found one with the options, and even did their online trading tool. The provided me a purchase order online at the discounted price and offered me more than I even expected on my Suburban. Cocoa is about an hour from me, so I went to a closer dealer. Same model and options - test drove the Wagonneer. Pulled back into the lot - salesman said what do you think? I said beat this purchase order so I don’t have to drive to Cocoa. They beat it by $100 without blinking an eye and gave me $400 more for my trade. The dealer that I have went to with the higher mark up - still had markups over $10K on Wagonneers. Crazy, but I got my dealer and really happy. Wife even more happy because she wanted a Wagonneer.

 

[Tupacaintdead]

I buy a lot of vehicles for my client. Probably 20 or 30 a year. Pickup trucks, vans, SUV's. We have a Ford fleet discount and buy below sticker but dealers can make the sticker price be whatever they want it to be. When I finally negotiate a purchase price on a Ford, I have the dealer send me a copy of the window sticker, reflecting the agreed upon price.

Sticker is called a “maroney” just a fun fact

 

[KingWard]

I just sold my 2020 Honda Odyssey for $5000 more than I paid for it and bought another 2023 Odyssey. Paid MSRP for the new one - this dealer does not mark up price with extra fees and market up charges. Had to order the Odyssey and it took about 4 months to get it. Dealer told me he had 4 more coming in Nov. but that's it til then.

I'll be ordering a 2023 Siena shortly.

 

[KingWard]

We've been in the market for a new family vehicle for a while now and, boy is it nuts. It used to be "how much below MSRP can you go?" and now it's "how much above MSRP are you willing to pay?" I, for one, refuse to pay above MSRP. I've never actually even purchased new, but used cars are selling for as much as or more than new, so used doesn't make sense at the moment.

A few days ago I found a dealer that had the vehicle I was looking for in stock, which is rare to not have to order. Emailed to ask about price and they came back $5000 over MSRP. I just replied "thanks for the info, but we aren't in position to pay over MSRP at the moment." They replied and dropped the price $4000. I finally got them down to about MSRP and seemed like we almost had a deal in place. They sent the total order sheet and it had $2300 in fees. It was one of the few times in life my mouth has actually dropped open in shock.

A month or so ago I found another dealer a few hours away who had the car in stock and was selling at MSRP. It was a 4 hour drive, but I was ready to jump on it. Then the dealer informed they were only selling to local residents until supply builds back up. Have never encountered that in all my years of buying cars.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we're just gonna have to keep scraping by in our 2 smaller cars for now. It drives (pun intended) that so many folks are gladly laying down thousands of dollars above MSRP. It's ruining it for the rest of us who have a little financial sense. For the vehicle we are looking at, almost none are in stock anywhere and they have to be ordered, so people aren't buying these in a pinch. It takes months to get them in most cases. Just can't bring myself to buy when others are needlessly panic buying and driving up the market.

I would urge patience. Rising interest rates could cool this seller's market shortly.

 

[Forkcock]

Sales reps at the dealerships are not selling near as many cars these days but they're making more money than ever. This is a fact.

 

[CWW]

Generally speaking, in better economic times you begin the negotiation at dealer cost, NEVER at the MSRP.

How do you know what the dealer paid?

 

[18IsTheMan]

I would urge patience. Rising interest rates could cool this seller's market shortly.

I tried! My 2007 CR-V has been limping bravely along, but it finally just needs to be replaced. Months ago the market was predicted to improve the second half of this year, but no sign of that at this point. Now they're predicting middle of next year.

Fortunately, I found a dealer a couple hours away that is selling at MSRP with no dealer ad-ons and only $400 in dealer fees. Will be getting our Honda Odyssey week after next.

 

[Thunderstick]

How do you know what the dealer paid?

That info is readily available to everyone. “Consumer Reports” is one source — for $10-20 it will provide dealer invoice, hold-backs, etc. Percentage of dealer profit on optional equipment is also available.

You should NEVER buy a car without this data.

 

[KingWard]

I tried! My 2007 CR-V has been limping bravely along, but it finally just needs to be replaced. Months ago the market was predicted to improve the second half of this year, but no sign of that at this point. Now they're predicting middle of next year.

Fortunately, I found a dealer a couple hours away that is selling at MSRP with no dealer ad-ons and only $400 in dealer fees. Will be getting our Honda Odyssey week after next.

Enjoy it.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Enjoy it.

Thanks! I think we will. My wife is not enthused about minivan people, but I'm all about space and there's no beating minivans for space.

I did give the Sienna a look, but aside from space, our big factor is car seats as we have 3 in car seats right now. The Odyssey has a slight edge over the Sienna in terms of flexibility with car seats. Toyotas are tanks though. They'll run forever.

 

[KingWard]

Thanks! I think we will. My wife is not enthused about minivan people, but I'm all about space and there's no beating minivans for space.

I did give the Sienna a look, but aside from space, our big factor is car seats as we have 3 in car seats right now. The Odyssey has a slight edge over the Sienna in terms of flexibility with car seats. Toyotas are tanks though. They'll run forever.

Yes, what stage of like you're in plays a rightful role in selection. We are a retired couple, but often it's our vehicle we use when the family is on vacation and we all go out to eat together. Also, I do a lot of golf day trips. If I can get 35 miles/gallon instead of 23-25, I'd prefer to do that. I have had two Odysseys, including the one I have now. I have not been disappointed.

 

[gamecox4982]

I drive a 2008 MDX and its in excellent condition. I would gladly play 4k in repairs if necessary vs paying out the WAZOO for a new one.

 

[KingWard]

I drive a 2008 MDX and its in excellent condition. I would gladly play 4k in repairs if necessary vs paying out the WAZOO for a new one.

If the general condition of the car is good, going that route would certainly be understandable as things are now.

 

[Thunderstick]

I drive a 2008 MDX and its in excellent condition. I would gladly play 4k in repairs if necessary vs paying out the WAZOO for a new one.

I drive a 2017 Porsche Carrera 911S in superb condition with 23K miles. $4K maintenance bills? Meh...

 

[gamecox4982]

I drive a 2017 Porsche Carrera 911S in superb condition with 23K miles. $4K maintenance bills? Meh...

I didn't say maintenance, I said repairs.... meh

 

[Thunderstick]

What's the lease market like? I've leased several times in the past and loved it. I eventually bought as it made sense, but could have leased cars my whole life without getting tired of it.

Always lease my wife's car as it enables me to keep her in a vehicle under warranty and able to use its roadside assistance without having to purchase an AAA membership. However, it's not for everyone. She (and I) drive 5K miles a year.

 

[Thunderstick]

I didn't say maintenance, I said repairs.... meh

Haven't had any repairs yet...sorry to be you.

 

[Thunderstick]

"Six months ago, me and my wife looked at the new Jeep Wagonneer. Dealers in central FL was 10-15K more than MSRP - listed as market adjustment..."

Here's a market adjustment!

 

[18IsTheMan]

Six months ago, me and my wife looked at the new Jeep Wagonneer. Dealers in central FL was 10-15K more than MSRP - listed as market adjustment. Like others, I don’t even pay MSRP much less over MSRP. So, I stopped looking. Fast forward to two months ago, I get a random internet ad that a dealer in Cocoa Beach had Wagonneers $10K off (below MSRP). Peaked my interested so I look, found one with the options, and even did their online trading tool. The provided me a purchase order online at the discounted price and offered me more than I even expected on my Suburban. Cocoa is about an hour from me, so I went to a closer dealer. Same model and options - test drove the Wagonneer. Pulled back into the lot - salesman said what do you think? I said beat this purchase order so I don’t have to drive to Cocoa. They beat it by $100 without blinking an eye and gave me $400 more for my trade. The dealer that I have went to with the higher mark up - still had markups over $10K on Wagonneers. Crazy, but I got my dealer and really happy. Wife even more happy because she wanted a Wagonneer.

That’s awesome! Definitely not getting below MSRP around here. Most dealers, if they give you MSRP, they now you with fees and dealer add-ons. But most are just well above MSRP. Of course they re-branded “market adjustment” as “value priced”.

 

[haneynfl]

Here's a market adjustment!

That is crazy. But if you can afford that market adjustment - money is not an issue.

 

[bravepanthercock]

In my opinion, I would avoid the dealer and buy from Carvana. Just bought a truck and the process was exceptional. No bogus fees and cars priced below local dealers.

 

[The Reel Ess]

Just hold tight. Prices are already dropping. Interest rates are climbing though.

Used Car Prices Have Fallen for 4 Months Straight

Hold the applause: Typical monthly payments are actually more expensive now.

money.com

 

[18IsTheMan]

In my opinion, I would avoid the dealer and buy from Carvana. Just bought a truck and the process was exceptional. No bogus fees and cars priced below local dealers.

I did check them out. I guess it depends on what kind of car you're looking for. For Honda Odysseys, there wasn't much difference in price between a late model used and what new are selling for. Not sure why, but Odyssey's are particularly in demand right now.

 

[ToddFlanders]

Always lease my wife's car as it enables me to keep her in a vehicle under warranty and able to use its roadside assistance without having to purchase an AAA membership. However, it's not for everyone. She (and I) drive 5K miles a year.

Yea, doing most of my work from home I never hit the mileage restrictions on leases - so I loved my leased cars. You know exactly how much it's going to cost you (because of the warranty like you mentioned) and then you just give it back in three years and get another new car. It's a zero risk proposition.

 

[Tmac061]

We've been in the market for a new family vehicle for a while now and, boy is it nuts. It used to be "how much below MSRP can you go?" and now it's "how much above MSRP are you willing to pay?" I, for one, refuse to pay above MSRP. I've never actually even purchased new, but used cars are selling for as much as or more than new, so used doesn't make sense at the moment.

A few days ago I found a dealer that had the vehicle I was looking for in stock, which is rare to not have to order. Emailed to ask about price and they came back $5000 over MSRP. I just replied "thanks for the info, but we aren't in position to pay over MSRP at the moment." They replied and dropped the price $4000. I finally got them down to about MSRP and seemed like we almost had a deal in place. They sent the total order sheet and it had $2300 in fees. It was one of the few times in life my mouth has actually dropped open in shock.

A month or so ago I found another dealer a few hours away who had the car in stock and was selling at MSRP. It was a 4 hour drive, but I was ready to jump on it. Then the dealer informed they were only selling to local residents until supply builds back up. Have never encountered that in all my years of buying cars.

I've resigned myself to the fact that we're just gonna have to keep scraping by in our 2 smaller cars for now. It drives (pun intended) that so many folks are gladly laying down thousands of dollars above MSRP. It's ruining it for the rest of us who have a little financial sense. For the vehicle we are looking at, almost none are in stock anywhere and they have to be ordered, so people aren't buying these in a pinch. It takes months to get them in most cases. Just can't bring myself to buy when others are needlessly panic buying and driving up the market.

What type of vehicle?