Car Buyers Are Paying More Than Sticker Price

'Suggested' Retail Price, Indeed

If you've been car shopping lately, you have a lot to be mad about. Thanks to high demand and inventory shortages that snowballed during the pandemic, new-car buyers paid above sticker price in a staggering 82.2% of purchases in January 2022, up from 2.8% of the time in January 2021, according to Edmunds. Even worse, the average price of a new car in last month was $728 more than the manufacturer suggested retail price, or MSRP, compared with $2,152 less in January 2021. The problem is so acute that GM and Ford are even threatening to withhold inventory from dealers who are selling vehicles for more than the sticker price. Read on for a more detailed breakdown of price premiums by brand, and for the handful of vehicles you may actually still be able to get at a discount — if you're lucky.

Chrysler

Average markup: $460

The average MSRP of a Chrysler in January was $47,779, but buyers paid an average transaction price of $48,239, according to Edmunds.

yocamon/istockphoto

Subaru

Average markup: $592

The average MSRP of a Subaru in January was $34,164, but buyers paid an average of $34,756.

Chevrolet

Average markup: $625

The average MSRP of a Chevy in January was $47,728, but buyers paid an average of $48,353.

GMC and Buick Truck and SUV dealership. GMC and Buick are divisions of GM. — jetcityimage/istockphoto

GMC

Average markup: $677

The average MSRP of a GMC in January was $58,749, but buyers paid an average of $59,426.

Fiat

Average markup: $718

The average MSRP of a Fiat in January was $29,818, but buyers paid an average of $30,536.

Mercedes-Benz

Average markup: $719

The average MSRP of a Mercedes in January was $67,817, but buyers paid an average of $68,536.

WendellandCarolyn/istockphoto

Dodge

Average markup: $729

The average MSRP of a Dodge in January was $48,498, but buyers paid an average of $49,227.

Infiniti

Average markup: $820

The average MSRP of an Infiniti in January was $53,709, but buyers paid an average of $54,529.

Nissan

Average markup: $904

The average MSRP of a Nissan in January was $32,529, but buyers paid an average of $33,433.

jetcityimage/istockphoto

Toyota

Average markup: $1,015

The average MSRP of a Toyota in January was $37,174, but buyers paid an average of $38,189.

First-person view from a driver's seat of electric vehicle — y_carfan/istockphoto

Jaguar

Average markup: $1,109

The average MSRP of a Jaguar in January was $66,828, but buyers paid an average of $67,937.

Audi

Average markup: $1,325

The average MSRP of an Audi in January was $60,965, but buyers paid an average of $62,290.

Hyundai

Average markup: $1,498

The average MSRP of a Hyundai in January was $33,545, but buyers paid an average of $35,043.

Honda

Average markup: $1,508

The average MSRP of a Honda in January was $32,440, but buyers paid an average of $33,948.

Genesis

Average markup: $1,603

The average MSRP of a Genesis in January was $59,933, but buyers paid an average of $61,536.

Acura

Average markup: $1,701

The average MSRP of an Acura in January was $49,316, but buyers paid an average of $51,017.

tomeng/istockphoto

Porsche

Average markup: $1,721

The average MSRP of a Porsche in January was $103,590, but buyers paid an average of $105,311.

Kia Motors Dealership — shaunl/istockphoto

Kia

Average markup: $2,289

The average MSRP of a Kia in January was $32,218, but buyers paid an average of $34,507.

Land Rover

Average markup: $2,565

The average MSRP of a Land Rover in January was $87,457, but buyers paid an average of $90,022.

Cadillac

Average markup: $4,048

Ouch. Cadillacs are pricey enough as it is, with an average MSRP of $76,914. But buyers paid an average of $80,692 in January, making this the most marked-up type of vehicle, according to Edmunds.

Volkswagen Cars and SUV Dealership. VW is Among the World's Largest Car Manufacturers VII — jetcityimage/istockphoto

Other Notable Cars Selling Above Sticker Price

Though they didn't make the top 20, other notable car brands are still selling for above sticker price, according to Edmunds:

Volkswagen: $428 above sticker
Jeep: $353
Mazda: $312
Lexus: $235
Mitsubishi: $207
Ford: $163
Buick: $17

Volvo XC cars outside the local dealership. — Luca Piccini Basile/istockphoto

Cars Still Selling Below Sticker Price

Believe it or not, there are still a few makes of vehicles that you can get below sticker price ... maybe. According to Edmunds, here's how much less than MSRP these types of cars went for, on average, in January: