Learning The New Car Wholesale Cost
January 27th, 2012
To make a profit, new car dealers buy vehicles at (lower) wholesale prices and sell them at (higher) retail prices. Specifically, they buy cars at the new car invoice price and resell them to the public at close to the sticker price. So car shoppers who want the best deal must first discover the new car invoice prices to make sure they are not overpaying. Although it may seem like a mystical figure to most, it could be uncovered. When a client does some comparison shopping they will see that there is a often a big difference between dealerships’ asking and selling prices. Because this difference exists, one must search for the wholesale cost in order to save money. The wholesale cost the dealer pays to the manufacturer is the same across the board, meaning that Dealer A pays the same price as Dealer B for the same vehicle. However, there are further costs added to the new car invoice price that the dealer must pay, such as the transportation and delivery fee. However, it makes no difference where a dealer is located because those delivery and transportation fees are the same across the board. Another added cost to brand new cars is the interest charges on the loans that the dealer obtains directly from the manufacturer.
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. Dealer advertising is another charge that is tacked onto the invoice, whether these are direct advertising campaigns from the dealer or from a regional organization of dealers. Now that all that is said and done, you have to figure out how to buy a new car below the invoice price. To be a smart consumer means to take advantage of situations that arise, such as slow car sales. Manufacturers do not appreciate a huge inventory sitting idle on a lot because it means a reduction of orders. So the manufacturers usually step in to provide incentives in order to push more sales. These incentives come in a variety of ways, such as rebates, interest free loans, reduced lease rates and other deals under this umbrella. New car dealers can only have these special sales when the manufacturer steps in. Therefore, a consumer cannot expect to purchase below the invoice price if incentives are not in place. They are expected at some time throughout each year, and they have expiration dates. When one ends, a new program may begin in order to do away with the old and bring in the new.