Out-the-door is the only number
Price, fees, add-ons, tax and title, all in. Dealer quotes only compare fairly as out-the-door totals.
The out-the-door price is everything you pay to drive the car away: the vehicle price plus every fee, add-on, tax and registration charge. It's the only number that compares two dealers fairly, because anything less can be moved from one line to another.
An itemized quote usually has these parts:
- Vehicle price, the number most ads show
- Doc fee, for processing paperwork; some states cap it, others don't
- Dealer add-ons, such as window etching, nitrogen tires or protection packages
- Sales tax, set by your state and often your county
- Title and registration, the state's charges to put the car in your name
Here's why the total matters. Dealer A lists the car at $30,500, with a $499 doc fee and $1,295 in add-ons, for $32,294 before tax and title. Dealer B lists the same car at $31,200, with a $150 doc fee and no add-ons, for $31,350. Dealer B's vehicle price was $700 higher, and its deal is $944 lower.
Dealers often won't remove a doc fee, but they can lower the vehicle price to offset it. Add-ons are worth questioning one by one. Taxes and state fees are what they are.
When you request quotes, ask for every line in writing. The quote tracker adds them up and ranks dealers by the total, so you're always comparing the same thing.
Where it fits in the method
- Stage 3: Leave one square open: price, as an out-the-door total
- Stage 5: Make dealers compete in writing