Unfortunately, some dealerships don't stop at simply MSRP. I've seen too many ADP/ADM (Additional Dealer Profit / Additional Market Value) stickers over the years (though I haven't paid them myself), on high-demand / low-supply vehicles, particularly when they were new or just introduced. Good examples were the Honda CRX, Mazda Miata, Nissan 350Z, Toyota MR2, Plymouth Prowler, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chevy Camaro SS, Shelby Mustang, 2-seat Ford Thunderbird, and the Dodge Charger / Challenger Hellcats.

 

When I've seen complaints about BMW Training and MACO fees, the one thing I rarely see, is people who are willing to walk away. Once you get your customers into that frame of mind, they pay. And I love the tactic--doesn't show online, doesn't show on the window sticker. Majority of buyers don't know what it is, how would they, unless they join a forum and are on it a long time prior to a purchase. But they are "legit" fees that appear on the dealer invoice screen, because the dealer "is" being charged for it. WHAM!! That nice deal you worked out just went up in proverbial flames.

speaking of 350Z, I was sitting in one when it first came back, and sales approached, what are you here for? "Oil change [$14.99 back then]." Sales says we can have you leave in this, why take your old car home (it was like 1 1/2 y.o.)? And it was I think $4k over sticker....

 

Yes you can negotiate on anything you want really. However most small items are not worth the time and effort and many places jsut don't negotiate back with you.

 

Thought I would throw this in for a laugh, my wife's cousin's boy had a 2 y.o. b-day party at a place that was a buffet for adults. The grandmother, "negotiated" that they could take a LOT of food home with them and asked for all kinds of containers (It's different if you had paid for the food, this was to take more off the buffet). She by the way is a banker on Wall St. and so I believe they have very thick skin and not afraid to squeeze vendors and retailers alike. The parents shook their heads gee my mom is even going to talk them into food off of a buffet....

Anyhow, back to the topic with cars, really, nothing is off limits. You can ask for the salesperson's watch if you want, to be thrown in, and it's up to him and his manager or her, if they want to. They can always tell you nice day, and walk away.

 

Back to the "no haggle" pricing, my first encounter was via an email from the local dealership inviting me to buy a brand new LC500.....

The wording in the email says "no hassle" (as opposed to "haggle") which then listed out the long version of all of the options on the particular car being presented. I did not see any reference to "Lexus Plus" in the communication but there were implications that similar pricing extended to their CPO lineup.

The "bottom line" of the "no hassle" price was just over $113K plus fees (taxes and license) so "out the door" price for this car would be over $120K in my state. This for a "base" price of $92K.

I am not seeing the attraction.... Maybe a moot point for the first year of the LC500 as they will be highly sought after and many are spoken for before they even reach the dealerships.....

 

Here is the list of Lexus Plus Dealerships (scroll to the bottom of the page), It doesn't show any in CA unless it hasn't been updated. Maybe your dealer is using some elements of Plus in their approach? Interesting concept.

https://www.lexus.com/lexusplus/

 

My dealer isn't Lexus Plus but they advertise a discounted price on every vehicle in inventory, they hang tags on the rearview mirrors also. You can negotiate further and they'll beat deals, but even if you pay that price its usually not bad.

Their LC's are marked up $300 from MSRP. Random lol.

 

Hey man that extra 0.27% profit makes all the difference!

 

On such a high volume vehicle too! LOL

 

fake discounts courtesy of fake msrp's, a trick that is older than dirt.

 

Yep, all just moving money around!

 

Not sure how you can have a "fake" MSRP. The Manufacturer List, by Federal law, is clearly printed on the bottom of the price-sticker. That law was enacted, decades ago, for that very reason...to keep dealerships from trying to hide or juggle around what the retail price was. Of course, the official MSRP on the sticker doesn't take into accounts such things as manufacturer-rebates, dealer-discounts from manufacturer end-of-month incentives, repeat-customer-discounts (such as Kia's), active-duty-military discounts, employee-pricing for the public (Ford and GM tried that several years ago), and other discounts off list. Nor, of course, does it include dealer-gouging (sometimes with an ADP/ADM second-sticker) on high-demand/low-supply vehicles (just try and buy a Shelby Mustang at list, for example).




Now....one thing I personally would like to see printed on each sticker (and why Ralph Nader, with all of the other new-car consumer-benefits he brought about over the years, didn't push for this long ago, beats me) , is to have the invoice/dealer-cost clearly printed on each sticker, in addition to the current figures. That can easily be done, since each new car is built to a specific set of factory/dealer figures that are in effect on the day that that vehicle is built, and those figures could easily be printed with the others.


It might look somewhat like this:

Base Price: XXXXX

Options: XXXXX

Factory Rebate: (If applicable): XXXXX

Factory Invoice / Dealer Cost: XXXXX

(The repeat-customer and military discount could be left off, since it doesn't apply to all buyers)

Manufacturer List Price: XXXXX


That would definitely make it more difficult for the dealership to play games.

And any extra charges (such as dealer-accessories or the additional markup on high-demand vehicles) would be, as they are now, on second sticker.

 

c.r.e.a.m.

 

Lexus Expands its One-Price, No-Haggle Program (photos)
by Bassem Girgis

 

I cannot find the article now. But apparently the number #1 Lexus dealer by volume in the United States is going to turn into a Lexus Plus dealer. They move 8000 Lexus units per year.