There seems to be some confusion on new car pricing. Some posters have quoted that they paid $xxx "below invoice", when I suspect they mean "below MSRP".
I know that for most part, I'm singing to the choir here but in an effort to clarify things a bit let me point out that MSRP, the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, is not the same as Invoice. The MSRP is the factory sticker price as seen on the window sticker.
Dealer "added value" pricing [sic] would be over MSRP. There's a dealer in Vancouver, WA who marks TDIs up $9000 - that's no typo, nine grand! :eek I know there's more demand out here on the left coast but that's ridiculous!
Invoice pricing is the price the factory bills or invoices the dealer for the car - thus the term. Simplistically, it's the dealer's cost though it doesn't take into account any hidden incentives which lower the dealer's actual cost. See
http://www.essortment.com/home/msrpbaseprice_szmh.htm
It's not common to see OTD pricing below invoice on VWs, especially TDIs though it's not unheard of. If there are dealers who routinely do that, please share that information. I'm sure we'd all be happy to do business there.
We have a 2011 Golf TDI on order from J.P. at Mankato Motors in Mankato, MN. Why you ask would we travel 1700 miles to get a few bucks off? Three reasons: No local dealer will sell below MSRP and they say they can't place a factory order. Plus we'd be going that way anyway since we plan to give our 2001 to our daughter in Madison, WI. Mankato has factory ordered us a car equipped exactly the way we want it with an attractive out-the-door price as follows:
2011 Golf TDI 4-door in Shark Blue Metallic
DSG Transmission - SWMBO's Xmas present ;o)
Sunroof
Xenon Headlights with AFS
RNS 315 Navigation
Cold Weather Package
Protection Kit
Bluetooth 9W7
MSRP: $28,545;
OTD Price: $27,334 - $850 tax credit = $26,484
Availability: mid-December - a great time for a cross-country trip, no?
Cheers