Learning The New Car Wholesale Cost
January 21st, 2012
Like other retail businesses, new car dealerships buy cars at wholesale prices, then they sell to the public at higher prices (retail) to make a profit. So they buy at the new car invoice price, then try to sell at the sticker price for maximum profits. But smart shoppers know how this works, so before they negotiate with dealers, they make sure they have the new car invoice prices. This actual figure seems to be quite mystical to the general public as well as to employees of the dealership. Only the owners really know exactly what they paid for each vehicle at the wholesale level. However, when shopping around for the best deal, we find that one dealership may quote a particular price, then a completely different price will be quoted at the next dealer. To begin with, every dealer pays the same amount to the manufacturer for the same vehicle. The numbers change with the added charges and fees that are tacked on to each dealer, like delivery fees and transportation charges, all of which increase the invoice price. No matter where the dealership is located with regards to distance from the manufacturer, each one pays the same amount for delivery. These fees are simply added on at the retail level. An interesting fact is that most dealers will order vehicles from the manufacturer with borrowed funds whereby they are responsible to pay interest on those loans.
Floorplan is the term used in the industry to describe such financing to dealers. If a vehicle sells quickly, there will be less interest to pay, thereby reducing expenses so the dealer makes a bigger profit. What is commonly referred to as holdback is where the dealer gets a rebate from the manufacturer after the vehicle sells. In addition to the above charges, there could be advertising fees added onto the invoice price. These fees can come directly from the dealership or from a regional dealer group. After having pointed out all these various added charges and fees, the consumer has to figure out a way to purchase a brand new vehicle below the wholesale cost. The consumer should always be prepared to act and act quickly when opportunities arise, such as with a slowdown of sales. Car manufacturers will do all in their power to push out vehicles sitting on dealers’ lots because they end up losing more money. It is simple math that a dealer will not order new vehicles if his lot is full. Therefore, in order to be profitable and move their inventory along, the manufacturers provide incentives to both dealers and consumers. We have all heard of the various incentives they offer, like zero percent financing, low lease rates, rebates, etc. The smart consumer will jump at the opportunity when it arises, but they must be prepared to do so when these special programs are available because they may not last long. They are created and offered only to entice buyers when new car sales are slow, and when these programs are not available, buyers are usually unable to purchase below the invoice price.