Quick question about a dealer trading
 

So I've flat out told this dealer I'm paying fair market value (in my area, $27.3k for a Limited manual) or walking out on this deal. They don't have the one I want on the lot, so they'll need to trade with another dealer either in Mississippi or Alabama (I'm in Louisiana). They've said if they can manage to get the one in Mississippi, it'll probably cost $300-400 for transportation here. It seems fair that I should probably pay for that, but I just wanted to check in first. Should I try to get them to split it or is paying the delivery associated with dealer trading completely normal? Keep in mind that not including that delivery cost

I worked at a dealership for 11 years, and I don't remember us charging to trade with another dealer. Or at least, we may have tried to but if someone said they weren't going to pay it we weren't going to loose a sale over it. The only way I could see them charging you to dealer trade is if they're trailering the car to you rather than sending a driver to pick it up. Little more work involved with using a trailer, and even then I would bet they'd waive it if you really made a stink over it.

It sounds like they're really trying to get you to buy one that's already on their lot. No harm in that, as it's easier for them, but if you're buying a new car make sure you get the one you want.

I ended up doing a factory order on mine because: 1, I've always wanted to factory order a car and get exactly what I want and nothing I don't. And 2, while they offered to get one from another dealership, I'd prefer the car to have as few miles on it as possible so that I know how it's broken in.

Of course, it helped that my dealership hadn't had a BRZ on their lot in years, so it wasn't like they were trying to get me to buy inventory they already had! ;)

This is pretty standard and IMO, fair. That said, many times the car is in transit to the other dealer, and not on their lot. If that's the case, and the car can be re-routed, then you shouldn't be charged that fee. That said, when I got mine, the exact car I wanted was in transit to a dealer 200 miles away. However, that dealer didn't want to give up the car because that color and model was more desirable to him than a replacement would be. In the end, I ordered mine from the factory. It did take 7 weeks to deliver the car, but that was fine with me... Good luck...

Three years ago....

My new car came from a dealership over 200 miles away. It was trailered to my local dealership (dealer trade)...so miles would not be added to car. Car came with 9 miles on odometer.

No cost to me, as the buyer for these fees.

They do it all the time, they stated, for customers, as I live in a smallish town.

We all know this model is not a priority for any new car dealer, to be kept in stock in a variety of colors.

Why not just make a day of it and take your Business to the other dealer. Take a buddy.

I skipped the dealer trade after the 'fun' experience on my second BRZ. Called the other dealer directly, struck a better deal over the phone. They even trailered the car across the state to me. Did the paperwork in my drive.

When I bought mine in New Orleans (Metairie), I remember that the salesman said if I needed the car right away he could try to find what I wanted at another dealer, but that then it would be a matter of whether they could make a deal to get the other dealer to give up the car. He said the other dealer would want to get paid for it too and seemed to imply that I could get a better deal if I just ordered it and waited.

I was already planning on ordering anyway, so I didn't pursue it further. It wouldn't surprise me if they worked out an inter-dealer deal like that using a "transportation" fee to get the other dealer paid. It does seem reasonable for a dealer with a car already taking space on his lot to make some money from it rather than just giving the sale away to someone else.

FWIW, In my experience, it seems you can often get a better deal with a vehicle already on the lot than one they get from another dealer (especially if that one has been sitting there a long time.) I just purchased another-nother new car and the dealer closest to me had a different model car in my second favorite color (red) with an optional Recaro package, which was like $2,500 or something, and an STI short shift kit among other options. I told them I did not want to pay for the Recaro package and instead I just wanted a WR blue base model (without the Recaro package and its remote keyless access and push-button start.) They found a model in the specs I wanted at a dealer like 70-ish miles away. They said they could get that car for me, but then offered the one on their lot with the Recaro package to me for the pricing of the one without this package. Needless to say I took them up on the offer.

The money to transport the vehicle sounds reasonable if they are going to send it on a trailer, but the question I would have is whether or not you would get a better deal at that other dealer? Do any other dealers in your area have a car in the configuration you want? (or, a car in the configuration you want + options you do not necessarily want to pay for?)

IMO, at least where I am at, $27,3 for a Limited 6-speed is pretty reasonable, provided it has the Performance Package. With that said, I think you may still be able to get the car for a bit less.