Consumer Reports New Car Price Service

[Supermobile]

I've seen a lot of discussion on the boards here regarding pricing and often it sounds like the person doing the post thinks that dealer invoice price is a good price. Dealer invoice price is the MAXIMUM amount the dealer pays the manufacturer for a vehicle. Given manufacturers use of dealer incentives and holdbacks, it is no longer your bottom line when vehicles are in good supply.

I ordered the Consumer Reports new car price service which is very helpful.
You might want to do what I did: go to www.consumerreports.org and order their new car price report which gives the best estimate of what the dealer actually pays of the vehicle. It is $12, and gives the retail price, the invoice price and what consumer reports calls the Consumer Reports Wholesale price - The price to start with when negotiating.

Here is what it includes:

A personalized 10-20 page New Car Price Report which includes:

The new Consumer Reports Wholesale Price, which includes current national rebates, unadvertised dealer incentives, and holdbacks.
The Dealer Invoice price (Provided by the manufacturer to the dealer).
The Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (What the dealer wants you to pay).
Invoice and MSRP prices for all factory-installed options and packages.
Current national rebates, unadvertised dealer incentives, and holdbacks.
Consumer Reports equipment recommendations.
Latest safety ratings based on Consumer Reports analysis.
Advice on how to use this information to negotiate your best deal.
I got the report for the 2002 model. I am waiting for the 2003 report and I will order it too.

Supermobile

 

[Blueruck]

Another good source of free information is http://www.edmunds.com/

 

[bfron]

I used the report and got my AV for 4% over wholesale which was $33,804.28.

 

[flynhigh]

Used the General Motors Supplier Discount and got mine for $30,333

It was nice, no haggling, just give me the employee price +4%.

 

[Blueruck]

Blueruck was sad after he bought his AV - I didn't realize I could get a supplier deal through my current employer...

I could have used those $'s for mod's

 

[jackalanche]

I used the fact that the owner of the Chevy dealership had recently married one of my step-sisters to obtain a lovely discount , but the CR info route has been of good use to me in other new car purchase transactions . . .

I have one unmarried sister left, btw, for any other nice car company man who wants to present a family discount as dowry.

 

[gstreak]

Supermobile-

It's killing me. What do you think is the wholesale price on a 2002 Avalanche, any model? I can go from there on the model that I am getting (2500 4x4).

BTW, it appears that the invoice of most if not all of the options is 86% of sticker.