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THE SECRET REASON WHY CAR PRICES KEEP GOING UP | Episode 951

THE SECRET REASON WHY CAR PRICES KEEP GOING UP | Episode 951

CarEdge Live Oct 27, 2025 36 min
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About this episode

Car prices are on the rise, and the hosts uncover a hidden factor: significant increases in destination charges. Over the past four years, these fees have surged by an average of 27%, allowing manufacturers to inflate total prices without altering base MSRPs. The discussion also touches on the impact of a potential chip shortage on production and Volkswagen's alarming projected cash shortfall. With insights on negotiating tactics and market conditions, this episode provides valuable information for anyone considering a vehicle purchase.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

year-end carbine

"...today's show folks brought to you by us, caredge.com. We've got a limited offer going on right now. Year-end carbine, things are starting to heat up."

Year-end carbine is a time when car dealerships try to sell as many cars as possible before the year ends, often offering special deals and discounts. It's a good time to buy a car if you're looking for a bargain.

Term

destination fees

"...the thing that we were going to talk about, destination fees increasing significantly, automotive news pulled together, all of the data."

Destination fees are extra costs that you pay when buying a car, which cover the shipping of the car from the factory to the dealership. They can change depending on how far the car has to travel.

Term

destination charge

"...the total MSRP of the vehicle could go up by five, six, seven, eight hundred dollars based on the fact that the destination charge went up significantly."

The destination charge is an extra fee that you pay when buying a car, which covers the cost of getting the car from where it's made to the dealership.

Term

MSRP

"...you can keep your MSRP, your base MSRP on the vehicle with, say, a small or no cost increase..."

MSRP is the price that car makers suggest you should pay for a car. It's like a starting point, but the final price can be higher due to extra fees.

Term

tariffs

"...hide the cost of tariffs without saying it's the cost of tariffs."

Tariffs are extra taxes that the government charges on goods coming from other countries. They can make cars more expensive to buy.

Term

insurance

"...maintenance costs for vehicles and insurance."

Car insurance is something you pay for to protect your car. If you get into an accident or if your car gets stolen, insurance helps cover the costs.

Term

maintenance costs

"...we do know that maintenance costs for vehicles and insurance."

Maintenance costs are the money you spend to take care of your car, like getting oil changes or fixing things that break.

Brand

Stellantis

"but other brands, particularly Stellantis, we've seen increases in destination charges in the last four or five years."

Stellantis is a big car company that makes many different brands of cars, like Jeep and Chrysler.

Brand

Hyundai

"For instance, Hyundai has gone up 29.4%. Porsche, 47.8%."

Hyundai is a car company from South Korea that makes many different types of cars.

Car

Porsche 294 Porsche

"Yeah, that's the industry average. If you scroll up, you'll see some brands are well below that, but other brands, particularly Stellantis, we've seen increases in destination charges in the last four or five years. For instance, Hyundai has gone up 29.4%. Porsche, 47.8%. Stellantis, 34.8%. Subaru, 31.4%. Those are significantly above the industry average. Ford and GM, 39% for both of them. And we're talking about now the average destination charge for Ford being almost $2,000. Over at Stellantis to your point, Ed, the average destination charge $2,120."

The Porsche 914 is a classic sports car that was made a long time ago, and it's known for being fun to drive. It's special because it was one of the more affordable ways to own a Porsche back then.

Term

masking

"But they can show statistically that the base MSRP did not go up all that much. Jerry says it best. It's masking."

Masking is when companies hide the real price increase by showing extra charges separately, so it looks like the main price didn't go up much.

Term

pickup trucks

"Now, a lot of the most popular vehicles that folks are out there buying from those domestics are pickup trucks."

Pickup trucks are a type of vehicle that has a big open area in the back for carrying things. They are often used for work and can carry heavy loads.

Term

negotiable

"Sure. It's, it's not as if you can negotiate the destination charge."

Negotiable means that you can talk about changing the price or fees when buying a car. Some things, like the destination charge, you can't change.

Car

Toyota Sequoia Capstone

"In this case on this particular vehicle, what was it? This was a Sequoia capstone. Holy cow, an expensive Toyota."

The Toyota Sequoia Capstone is a fancy version of the Sequoia SUV. It's bigger and comes with more luxury features than the regular models.

Term

EV

"...We're talking the EV capital of the United States, California. There are more EVs sold in California than anywhere..."

An EV is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas. They are better for the environment because they don't produce exhaust fumes like regular cars do.

Term

delivery processing and handling fee

"Just want to be very clear that $81,043 below it, you're going to negotiate that. That's the MSRP of the vehicle."

This fee is what you pay for getting the car delivered to the dealership and getting it ready for you to buy. It's usually added to the car's price.

Brand

Mercedes-Benz

"...look at BMW, look at Mercedes Benz."

Mercedes-Benz is another luxury car brand from Germany, famous for its stylish and high-quality vehicles.

Brand

BMW

"...look at BMW, look at Mercedes Benz."

BMW is a car brand from Germany that makes luxury cars with a focus on performance and quality.

Concept

mass market brands

"...destination charges haven't increased anywhere near what mass market brands have increased."

Mass market brands are car companies that make a lot of cars for everyday people, usually at lower prices than luxury brands.

Brand

Ford

"...just like a masking profits. Now the justification for in the case of if I'm Ford or Chevrolet or Ram..."

Ford is a well-known car company that makes many types of vehicles, including popular trucks and SUVs. They have been around for a long time and are a big name in the automotive industry.

Brand

Chevrolet

"...just like a masking profits. Now the justification for in the case of if I'm Ford or Chevrolet or Ram..."

Chevrolet, or Chevy, is a popular car brand that makes many different kinds of vehicles, from cars to trucks. They are one of the top-selling brands in the U.S.

Brand

Ram

"...just like a masking profits. Now the justification for in the case of if I'm Ford or Chevrolet or Ram..."

Ram is a brand that focuses on making trucks and vans. They are known for their strong and reliable vehicles, especially in the pickup truck category.

Term

OEMs

"It's not clear a sign as ever that they're doing this in response to tariffs. But this has been a growing area of concern for consumers for a long time because the OEMs just keep the original manufacturers, the automakers, just keep increasing it more and more."

OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer. It's the company that makes the original parts for cars, like Ford or Toyota.

Term

chip shortage

"All right, let's switch gears, Pops. Let's talk a little bit on the chip shortage front. Unfortunately, we are a few weeks away from feeling some ramifications of the next Sparia outage."

The chip shortage means there aren't enough computer chips available for car manufacturers to use in their vehicles. This can slow down production and make it harder to find certain cars at dealerships.

Term

semiconductor chips

"That's what we're keeping our eyes on, is will new car prices go back up because these semiconductor chips are not being produced and that will ultimately impact the amount of new vehicles that are being produced."

Semiconductor chips are tiny electronic parts that help cars run their computers and other technology. If there aren't enough of them, car manufacturers can't make as many cars.

Car

Volkswagen Jetta

"What's their most popular? A Jetta?"

The Volkswagen Jetta is a small car that is well-liked for being reliable and good on gas. It's a popular option for people looking for an affordable sedan.

Car

Volkswagen Tiguan

"...sed on inventory, it looks like here would be the Tiguan. The Tiguan is going to be the one they have the ..."

The Volkswagen Tiguan is a small SUV that is great for families because it has a lot of space inside and is easy to drive. People like it because it has modern features and is considered safe.

Term

dealer invoice price

"The dealer invoice price is $30,687. The dealer discount should be between $2,500 and $3,200."

The dealer invoice price is what the car dealer pays to get the car from the manufacturer. It's usually less than the price you see in the showroom.

Term

dealer discount

"The dealer discount should be between $2,500 and $3,200."

A dealer discount is when the car dealer lowers the price of the car to help sell it faster. This can happen if they have a lot of cars in stock.

Term

inventory supply

"1046 days supply of inventory. Dealers in the San Diego area have only sold eight of these vehicles in the last 45 days."

Inventory supply is how many cars a dealer has available to sell. If there are a lot of cars, it might mean they aren't selling quickly.

Car

Volkswagen Id Buzz

"You want to look at what, the ID for the ID buzz."

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a new electric van that looks like the old VW buses. It's designed to be fun and practical for families or groups.

Car

Volkswagen ID.4

"You want to look at what, the ID for the ID buzz."

The Volkswagen ID.4 is a new electric SUV from Volkswagen. It's designed to be environmentally friendly and offers a different driving experience compared to traditional gas cars.

Car

Volkswagen Bust

"...our kind contribution, Matthew. Nobody wants the Volkswagen bust. I see what he did there."

The Volkswagen Bus is a famous old van that many people recognize because it looks different and has a lot of space inside. It's loved by many for its fun design and is often seen in movies about road trips.

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