Hyperdrive
Car MSRPs Soar Over $41,000 and Then Dealers Mark Up Prices More
- Automakers have pivoted to selling higher-priced models
- Dealers add their own hikes on top of manufacturer increases
Customers at a Ford dealership in Richmond, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
For decades, transactions in U.S. car dealerships went something like this: A couple walks into a showroom, expresses interest in buying a sedan, the sales rep says, great, our MSRP is $26,000, and the two sides sit down to negotiate the price lower until they settle on a level both can accept.
The MSRP, or sticker price, typically set the ceiling.