Is this a good deal on a 2007 Legacy SE?

[David]

I was offered this deal on a 2007 Legacy Special Edition:

MSRP: $22,735.00
SALE PRICE: $20,977.00
REBATE: $ 750.00
TITLE FEE: $ 10.00
LICENSE FEE: $ 29.50
PROCESSING FEE : $ 99.00
ONLINE DMV FEE: $ 10.00
FOG KIT / SPLASH GRD: $ 425.00
TAXES: $ 687.83
______________________________________
TOTAL DUE $21,488.33

The salesman agreed to wave the processing fee and I also found out the car
has auto-dimming mirror/compass free of charge. Do you think this is a good
deal or should I try to do better?

 

[David]

I was offered this deal on a 2007 Legacy Special Edition:

MSRP: $22,735.00
SALE PRICE: $20,977.00
REBATE: $ 750.00
TITLE FEE: $ 10.00
LICENSE FEE: $ 29.50
PROCESSING FEE : $ 99.00
ONLINE DMV FEE: $ 10.00
FOG KIT / SPLASH GRD: $ 425.00
TAXES: $ 687.83
______________________________________
TOTAL DUE $21,488.33

The salesman agreed to wave the processing fee and I also found out the car
has auto-dimming mirror/compass free of charge. Do you think this is a good
deal or should I try to do better?

Is it *possible* to pay less? I guess it often is. Looks reasonable to
me though. Especially the tax part. Where do you live?

 

[David]

Is it *possible* to pay less? I guess it often is. Looks reasonable to
me though. Especially the tax part. Where do you live?

I live in southern Virginia.

 

[Ralph E Lindberg]

I was offered this deal on a 2007 Legacy Special Edition:

MSRP: $22,735.00
SALE PRICE: $20,977.00
REBATE: $ 750.00
TITLE FEE: $ 10.00
LICENSE FEE: $ 29.50
PROCESSING FEE : $ 99.00
ONLINE DMV FEE: $ 10.00
FOG KIT / SPLASH GRD: $ 425.00
TAXES: $ 687.83
______________________________________
TOTAL DUE $21,488.33

The salesman agreed to wave the processing fee and I also found out the car
has auto-dimming mirror/compass free of charge. Do you think this is a good
deal or should I try to do better?

A regional dealer is a "no dicker sticker" type, and that looks close
to their standard deal

--

 

[David]

to their standard deal

What does "no dicker sticker" mean?

 

[Ralph E Lindberg]

What does "no dicker sticker" mean?

The price posted on the car, is the price you pay. Similar to how Saturn
sells. They reduced the sales staff to a minimum. They say they are
making more money then before

--

 

[David]

The price posted on the car, is the price you pay. Similar to how Saturn
sells. They reduced the sales staff to a minimum. They say they are
making more money then before

I bought the car today for an even better price. Another dealer called me
and offered about $900 lower and my local dealer matched it. My total out
the door cost is $20,500 (including tax, title, etc) which is about $1,000
less than invoice. Do you think I did well?

 

[David]

I think you can rest easy knowing you did quite well. Any time you're
under invoice, and there are no factory to dealer incentives involved,
and you don't get roped into any dealer installed options or
undercoating or such, you're eating into the dealer's holdback money
(3% for Subaru's at least back in 01) that they'll get from the
factory upon sale, and you're typically into "good deal" territory.

The dealer I bought from made 1.9% profit ($492) on my car. Started
at invoice+$50 thanks to my credit union's membership in
carquotes.com, then I had them throw in a car top carrier (dealer cost
of $292), and settled there. Had 2 dealers beating on each other for
it, and when I got to the point where one dealer wouldn't go for it, I
also had some comfort that I was in good deal territory.

What do you mean by "roped into dealer installed options?" The car they got
for me will have to have the fog lights and splash guards installed at the
dealership, but they said they wouldn't charge me for that. Also, what is
"undercoating?"

 

[Todd H.]

I bought the car today for an even better price. Another dealer called me
and offered about $900 lower and my local dealer matched it. My total out
the door cost is $20,500 (including tax, title, etc) which is about $1,000
less than invoice. Do you think I did well?

I think you can rest easy knowing you did quite well. Any time you're
under invoice, and there are no factory to dealer incentives involved,
and you don't get roped into any dealer installed options or
undercoating or such, you're eating into the dealer's holdback money
(3% for Subaru's at least back in 01) that they'll get from the
factory upon sale, and you're typically into "good deal" territory.

The dealer I bought from made 1.9% profit ($492) on my car. Started
at invoice+$50 thanks to my credit union's membership in
carquotes.com, then I had them throw in a car top carrier (dealer cost
of $292), and settled there. Had 2 dealers beating on each other for
it, and when I got to the point where one dealer wouldn't go for it, I
also had some comfort that I was in good deal territory.

 

[Todd H.]

What do you mean by "roped into dealer installed options?" The car they got
for me will have to have the fog lights and splash guards installed at the
dealership, but they said they wouldn't charge me for that.
Cool.

Also, what is "undercoating?"

Dealer side rust proofing, generally regarded as high profit margin
and quite unnecessary.