Well, I was hoping to post the actual Microsoft Excel spreadsheet here for other people to use, but I found that I can only post images...

In any case, I found that when I am shopping for a car, it helps me to do up a spreadsheet like this one that includes everything... Dealer Invoice prices, and MSRP... all the options... Taxes, licensing fees... etc. I hate to get a price on a car and in my head add the tax and then when we write up everything I get a surprise...

I like to also use it to figure out what options I want and how that affects the real bottom line...

I also show the dealer profit. I have three major sets of columns. The first column is a "min" column... what I consider a Minimum equipment configuration for me... The second is a "May Have" set of numbers which is what I would like the car to have. The third is a fully loaded configuration. The way the spreadsheet works is pretty simple... I put a 1 in the appropriate row and column if that configuration is to have that option... I just backspace over it to remove it... I put in the percentages for the sales tax, dealer markup, and licensing fees... All other accessories are also added up for a bottom line out the door price.

This spreadsheet has helped me more in the past when I went to a dealership expecting to buy something off the lot, but I have found it pretty helpful just experiment with option possibilities...

I don't know why salesmen don't make up these spreadsheets for themselves... I have never seen a sales guy who can whip up these numbers as quickly or as easily as I can once I have a sheet prepared... I think it would help them also... they could add in all kinds of costs, etc... figure out what it will cost them to keep the car on the lot another month, what it has cost them so far, etc... If I were a salesperson, I would definitely do this for myself... but then again, as you've noticed, I usually know more about the cars when I step on a lot than they salesperson himself... it's a shame, but it's usually true... (Please note that this does not mean that I get the best deal always... I just know when they are trying to rape me...)

In any case, if anyone knows how I can post an excel spreadsheet, I'd be happy to... or if you're really interested, I suppose I could e-mail you a copy...

-NavNut

 

good approach and good info. thanks for sharing.

regarding "I don't know why salesmen don't make up these spreadsheets for themselves...", i think they do have those numbers in their heads but just hope that the potential customers are not as prepared as many of the educated consumers like yourself. i remember in the good old days i used to hate dealing with car sales persons as much as hate going to dental office knowing they will try to get as much out from you as possible.

today i don't think that has changed. they are just doing that in a more grand and higher tech way with the help of the Internet. and would also require a lot more coordination between the car makers and the dealerships.

 

This is a really useful spreadsheet. Wish I had had it when I was working the numbers.

 

You have the wood wheel MSRP at $500. I thought it was ~$700. That's the price I was quoted and what I've seen in other messages. Am I missing something?

 

YIKES! Someone have a calculator?

 

I always get my msrp/invoice pricing from several places and they usually correlate... I use www.kbb.com, www.edmunds.com, and www.msnauto.com... for MB I also check the www.mbusa.com site...

The wood steering wheel option is not at all the sites, but I think it's on msn and kbb... kbb seems to be down... Don't know what the deal is, but I am pretty sure the steering wheel is $500/$465 for MSRP/invoice, but I could be wrong... I heard there was some problems with that also...

-NavNut

 

Oh also... all my pricing is for USA bound auto's in US dollars... The spreadsheet is for the E500...

Those might be part of the discrepancies also...

-NavNut