Help, help: Which One is the REAL Invoice Price?

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ElementSeeker - 29 Jan 2005 21:49 GMT

I'm ready to buy, with no trade-in, a new Honda Element 4wd EX
automatic. I can do it all cash; don't need to finance this time.

I've read of the "services" that offer to get you a car for a fee over
invoice, but am wary.

The "Invoice Price" for the identical vehicle is quoted quite
differently by websites:

- Kelley Blue Book $20,584.14

- Edmunds $21, 725

- and a nearby dealer, Autowest.

Are we surprised that the dealer is the highest?

But the others are high too, at least an Autotrader search shows a
specific car (with vin) offered for sale by a dealer in my area for
$20,505. And then I searched NADA, which says that the MSRP is
$20,165, including $515 destination charge. They list "N/A" in the
place for the Element invoice price.

According to what II understand, there are no incentives on Elements at
present. This car has no options once the specs above are set, so the
price differences are not a matter of equipment.

HOW CAN I FIND THE REAL INVOICE PRICE, ????
i.e., what the dealer paid the manufacturer for the car? That is
what I would like to offer dealers in my area, understanding that
they'll make some money on the sale from holdbacks.

Thanks for any insights,
ELEMENT SEEKER, ready to buy

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RabanJr - 30 Jan 2005 20:42 GMT

> I'm ready to buy, with no trade-in, a new Honda Element 4wd EX
> automatic. I can do it all cash; don't need to finance this time.
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> Thanks for any insights,
> ELEMENT SEEKER, ready to buy

$20,069 not including Frieght

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Dick - 30 Jan 2005 21:07 GMT

>> The "Invoice Price" for the identical vehicle is quoted quite
>> differently by websites:
>>
>> - Kelley Blue Book $20,584.14
>>
>> - Edmunds $21, 725

>> Thanks for any insights,
>> ELEMENT SEEKER, ready to buy
>
>$20,069 not including Frieght

The Edmunds price of $21,725 is not the invoice price, but the MSRP
which is the price on the window sticker. They are showing the
invoice price not available at this time. I have purchased several
new cars using Edmunds as a guide. When they do list the invoice
price, I have found them to be right to the penny with the dealer's
invoice.

Dick

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RabanJr - 30 Jan 2005 20:44 GMT

$20,069 Plus Freight

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Jason Wells - 30 Jan 2005 23:02 GMT

> HOW CAN I FIND THE REAL INVOICE PRICE, ????
> i.e., what the dealer paid the manufacturer for the car? That is
> what I would like to offer dealers in my area, understanding that
> they'll make some money on the sale from holdbacks.

Doesn't Edmunds have a disclaimer that invoice prices can vary per
dealership? It may not be possible to know the exact invoice...

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Dave - 31 Jan 2005 11:49 GMT

>> HOW CAN I FIND THE REAL INVOICE PRICE, ????
>> i.e., what the dealer paid the manufacturer for the car? That is
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>Doesn't Edmunds have a disclaimer that invoice prices can vary per
>dealership? It may not be possible to know the exact invoice...

Generally Edmunds, KBB, Consumerguide.com all have the same, and
"official" (in so far as that goes) invoice price. Once in a
while they disagree. And that may be due to manufacturers
changing the price. Lately these adjustments occur once, up to
a few times, throughout the model year.

And on top of that, there is typically an additional 2-3%
holdback. But a dealer may get different kinds of incentives time
to time that are not published. So depending on car, even invoice
(or even inv-holdback) isn't necessarily the greatest deal you can
work. And, of course, depending on model popularity.

Good luck!

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