Heading into the historically-hot-car-shopping Labor Day Weekend, buyers may be surprised to find themselves paying over sticker price for some of the most popular vehicles right now, according to a recent report from Autotrader. The laws of supply and demand are clearly at play in the current car-shopping environment, as the global microchip shortage and resulting automaker production delays continue to affect dealer inventories. Several popular, hard-to-find models currently have even harder to find deals, and buyers are paying well over MSRP as a result. After examining the latest data, Autotrader recently named the Toughest Twenty: 20 new vehicles consistently selling above full retail price.
“Many car shoppers are in for a surprise right now – if they can find the model they are looking for at the dealership, they may have to pay more for it than expected,” said Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader. “In these unusual times, Autotrader’s consistent advice for deal-hunting car shoppers is to look for a sedan, hatchback or wagon. On the flip side, SUVs, trucks and even minivans are very popular right now, and they are in low supply. Chances are high that shoppers will have to pay more for the exact vehicle they want.”
While some vehicles on Autotrader’s Toughest Twenty list hail from luxury automakers for which buyers may expect to pay a premium, most of the vehicles are from mainstream/non-luxury manufacturers. Retail prices on these vehicles can range from under $15,000 to well over $100,000, so the possibility of paying above sticker price is an equal opportunity regardless of budget or spending power.
Autotrader’s Toughest Twenty: 20 New Vehicles Consistently Selling Above Full Retail Price
| Rank | Vehicle | Vehicle Category | Average Transaction Price |
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz G-Class | Luxury SUV | 118% of MSRP |
| 2 | Kia Telluride | Midsize SUV | 108% of MSRP |
| 3 | Kia Carnival | Minivan | 107% of MSRP |
| 4 | Hyundai Palisade | Midsize SUV | 105% of MSRP |
| 5 | Honda Ridgeline | Midsize Truck | 105% of MSRP |
| 6 | Land Rover Defender | Luxury SUV | 105% of MSRP |
| 7 | Honda CR-V | Compact SUV | 105% of MSRP |
| 8 | Cadillac Escalade | Luxury SUV | 104% of MSRP |
| 9 | Nissan Versa | Subcompact Car | 103% of MSRP |
| 10 | Honda Odyssey | Minivan | 103% of MSRP |
| 11 | Land Rover Range Rover Sport | Luxury SUV | 103% of MSRP |
| 12 | Nissan Kicks | Subcompact SUV | 103% of MSRP |
| 13 | Subaru WRX | Compact Car | 102% of MSRP |
| 14 | Ford Bronco | Midsize SUV | 102% of MSRP |
| 15 | Chevrolet Corvette | Sports Car | 102% of MSRP |
| 16 | Toyota Tacoma | Midsize Truck | 102% of MSRP |
| 17 | Toyota Tundra | Full-Size Truck | 101% of MSRP |
| 18 | Jeep Wrangler | Midsize SUV | 101% of MSRP |
| 19 | GMC Yukon XL | Full-Size SUV | 101% of MSRP |
| 20 | Chevrolet Bolt EUV | Electric Crossover | 100.5% of MSRP |
To create the list of the Toughest Twenty, Autotrader examined Average Transaction Prices (ATP) to measure the pricing increases. ATP is a measure of the selling price in a deal versus the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). The vehicles listed also have very low incentives, which usually is a sign that the vehicle is in high demand. In addition, nearly every vehicle listed has a low “days supply” – essentially, the number of days an average dealership could keep selling a given model without running out, assuming no new shipments are coming. Most vehicles on the list have less than a 30 days supply, except the Nissan Versa, Nissan Kicks, Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Bolt.
For more information and advice from Autotrader on vehicle supply and related pricing, visit https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/these-vehicles-are-selling-for-over-sticker-price.
