Dealer add-ons and markups: what to push back on

On a new car, most of the gap between a good deal and a bad one comes from two things the dealer controls: markups above the sticker price, and extras added to the bill.

Markups

Some dealers add a line called "market adjustment" or "additional dealer markup" on top of MSRP. You'll see it most on models in short supply. It's the dealer's own charge and goes straight to the dealer. Ask for it to come off. If they won't, ask other dealers, who may sell the same car without it.

Add-ons

These are extras the dealer puts on the car or folds into the price. The usual ones:

• window tint
• paint, fabric or ceramic coatings
• the VIN etched into the windows
• nitrogen in the tires
• wheel locks and door edge guards
• "protection packages" that bundle several of these together

Dealers often say an add-on is already installed and can't come off. You can still ask them to drop the charge, or find the same car at a dealer that doesn't add it. If you do want something like tint, compare the dealer's price with what an independent shop would charge.

What you can't negotiate

The destination charge, sales tax and registration fees are the same wherever you buy, so there's no point arguing over them.

Pushing back

Get an itemized out-the-door price before you visit. Go through it line by line and ask about anything you didn't request. And get quotes from more than one dealer for the same car. A competing written offer gives you something concrete to point to.