Hunter · cars and light trucks
The dealer says the price is firm: where you can still save
A firm selling price is one number. The deal is several. Fees, add-ons, the loan, the trade-in, and a service contract can still change after the vehicle price stops. This page does not tell you to buy or to pass. It is a list of what else to put in writing so you can compare whole deals.
On a new car, U.S. News says invoice is generally 5% to 10% less than the MSRP, and describes it as the lowest price the dealer might sell you the car for. That is a reference, not a requirement to discount. Edmunds says that for new cars, look at True Market Value — the average price paid, not including taxes and fees — and start at least 2–3% below the TMV. For used cars, use its appraisal tool and start with $500 above the Trade-In value. If the selling price will not move, those figures still help you judge it. They do not require a yes.
Start with the out-the-door total
The FTC says to get the out-the-door price in writing before you visit, and before you talk about financing. That figure is the total before financing, including taxes and fees. A written out-the-door price lets you compare offers on an apples-to-apples basis. Consumer Reports says to get an itemized out-the-door price in writing.
Ask for the selling price, each dealer charge, tax, title, registration, and every add-on on its own line. A monthly payment is not that quote. If the desk says the advertised price will not change, still ask for the sheet. A firm vehicle price with unnamed fees is not a finished deal. How to send the request is in how to negotiate a car price at a dealership.
Fees
Consumer Reports says you can often avoid other fees or negotiate them down, and that some states cap the fees dealers can charge. This page does not list those caps. They are not the same in every state. A documentation line, a prep line, or a delivery line is still worth a question when the vehicle price is stuck. Ask what the line covers. If they say a fee cannot move, ask whether another part of the quote can, then compare totals. A closer look is in dealer fees you shouldn't pay.
Not legal or financial advice; rules vary by state.
Add-ons
Consumer Reports says that if you didn't ask for an add-on, you don't have to pay for it, even if the car already has it. Paint protection, etching, nitrogen, and a package already on the car are still a conversation. Ask for each product on its own line, and for a revised out-the-door total without the ones you do not want. The FTC treats these products as optional. They are not free, and it is fine to say no.
Financing
Get a loan offer before you sit down. The FTC says to get pre-approved, and to negotiate the APR and the terms for payment with the dealer, just as you would negotiate the price of the car. The CFPB says interest rates through a dealer are generally higher because the rate they offer is their buy rate plus additional interest that compensates them for handling the financing. Arranging the loan yourself tends to be the cheaper option because you avoid that markup.
Consumer Reports says to get preapproved for a loan from a bank or credit union. If the dealer can beat the interest rate you walked in with, take that rate. Compare the APR, the length of the loan, and the total of payments. A smaller monthly amount can still cost more if the loan runs longer.
The trade-in
Keep the trade-in off the vehicle price. Consumer Reports says to get quotes from online used-car retailers and other dealers, then sell where the best offer is. A richer trade number can hide a higher price, or a stack of fees, on the car you are buying. Write the out-the-door total and the trade offer on separate lines so you can see each one.
That Edmunds figure — $500 above Trade-In value — is a starting point for a used car you are buying, not a quote for the car you are selling. Keep the two numbers separate. Do not blend them into one monthly payment.
Service contracts and extended warranties
A service contract is optional. The FTC says these contracts can be expensive, and that the company behind one may be the manufacturer, the dealer, or an independent company. Bought separately, a service contract is not a warranty under federal law.
Edmunds says dealers mark extended warranties up from the wholesale cost, and that this markup leaves room for negotiation. Get quotes from at least two sources. Ask for an itemized cost of the contract, not a payment that folds it into the car.
Consumer Reports says an extended warranty can easily add $2,000 or more. Consumer Reports also says prices on warranties and protection plans are negotiable, and that most dealers will let you buy them after you purchase the car. You can leave the finance office without one and decide later. On extended warranties, Consumer Reports says to buy from a company with a long history, such as through an automaker. Read who pays for repairs, what is excluded, and the deductible before you add one.
Cancellation and refunds
There is no federal three-day right to cancel a car purchase. The FTC says federal law does not require dealers to give you three days to cancel the deal and return the car. A service contract is a different document. Its cancellation terms vary by contract and by state.
A Virginia notice for service-contract buyers says to ask about any prorated refunds or fees that may apply. Ask that wherever you shop. If the car is financed, also ask whether a refund is paid to you or sent to the lender. One state's form is not your contract. Read the one you would actually sign.
Compare whole deals
Line the written quotes up: the same kind of vehicle, the out-the-door total, the APR and term if you are financing, the trade offer, and whether a service contract is included. The FTC's apples-to-apples comparison is the whole sheet, not the advertised price alone. A firm price with a short fee list can cost less than a discount that comes with extra products. How to tell if a car's price is fair covers the ask itself.
Lines you can use
These lines use the labeled sample: a 2022 midsize SUV listed at $48,900, with a fair value of $44,700 and an opening of about $42,900. That opening is about 4 percent below the example fair value. Hunter's offer plan opens about 4% below its comps-based fair value. The dollars are an example. They are not a live listing, and they are not instructions to accept or reject a car.
The selling price may be firm. I still need the out-the-door total in writing, with every fee and add-on on its own line. On this example I would have opened near $42,900, about 4 percent below a $44,700 fair-value estimate. If the vehicle price will not move, please show the full total anyway. I did not ask for that add-on. Please show the total without it. I am pre-approved. What APR and term can you put in writing, and what is the total of payments? Please quote the trade-in by itself. I am comparing it with offers from other dealers and from online used-car retailers. I may look at a service contract later. Please give me the vehicle total without one, and an itemized price if I want a quote now. What are the cancellation terms, including any prorated refunds or fees that may apply? If the car is financed, is a refund paid to me or sent to the lender?
Save the reply. If a new line appears at signing, ask which number changed before you sign. The decision stays yours.
How Hunter helps
A firm price is easier to judge when the rest of the deal is on one page: the out-the-door total, a starting offer, the questions above, and the fees that should not sneak in.
Hunter does not tell you to buy or not to buy. One free preview scan per account shows car details, how the asking price compares to fair value, and recalls. A one-time $19 Deal Pass — 30 days, up to 25 full reports, with a full refund if you email within 7 days — unlocks the Walk-in offer plan, a negotiation script, comparable listings, and dealer questions and red flags. There is no subscription. Payments are not live yet, so create a free account opens signup, not a checkout. The offer is spelled out on pricing. Example prices in this guide match the labeled sample, which is not a live listing.