The car model we finally settled on we did searches all over the four state area and ultimately looked for cars over a lot of the United States. We found a few of the specific models we were looking for (Subaru Uncharted GT model) but never found one with both the exterior color and interior color she wanted. So never got into any serious negotiations with any of the other dealers although I had a couple that contacted me several times. We would not have been against flying somewhere and driving a vehicle home. She actually did that with her Toyota Spyder. Toyota chose to only supply that particular model in the blue color for the States of Florida and maybe a few other costal states which I don't remember for sure. We found her one in Florida, got her a plane ticket to Florida and she drove it home.

But I digress again. The few 2026 models she found were no better colors than the local one our local dealer had or had the wrong interior color. No habanero orange exterior color in captivity at all that we could find. There were actually very few of that specific model left at any dealer anywhere in any color. So it was down to either choosing a color she was not all that fond of or pre order a 2027 just like she wanted and wait an unknown number of months till both the 2027 year model came out and whatever time it took Subaru to come up with it, get it on a boat from Japan and get it here. She ultimately decided she could live with the black car the local dealer had. There also probably would not be the same sale incentives to buy if we ordered a 2027 so likely would be a few thousand dollars more for the same car. I told her either way was fine with me. She ultimately decided she wanted the local black one.

But what my long winded explanation is getting at in response to you was that the other dealers all had addons to the sticker price to jack the selling price up. Several dealer addons above list price. The local dealer on the one we eventually bought was list price with only a couple of factory addons (like all weather liners for the trunk and where your feet go and splash guards on the wheel fenders) but no dealer jack up price addons. I liked that about our local dealer. Plus 1500 off sticker price that I never knew and never asked if that was a factory end of year model discount or just a dealer discount. It was just that amount off list price. Wife and I hem hawed around about three days and wife had already decided she wanted it. Dealer called and said if we would come in he would make us a special deal and ended up taking about another grand off. So we drove it home. No other dealers came even close to offering the same price although in reality I never got interested enough with any of them to get down to brass tacks. I never tried to Jew on any of them or do a deal. The local dealer wanted our business and made us an offer I thought if not great but at least was an ok deal. There just weren't that many of that model car around for the dealers to get too aggressive was my thinking. It was two or three days before the end of July and I wondered if our local dealer wanted maybe to make a sales quota for that month or something but I never ask. It was getting to year end model close out time also.

I don't claim we got the best deal in the world but we got one good enough for me and I think all parties were happy in the end. So it worked out. The only thing Carolynn compromised on was she ended up with a black car and the habanero orange would have been her preferred. She actually thinks black cars look really sharp. It is just they show every spec of dust or dirt if you don't keep them spotless. It had the lighter colored interior she wanted and otherwise all the equipment. We are happy with it so far. The only thing it doesn't have that our Venza does that she will miss is the kick open tailgate. We got used to using that and we have it on all our other cars. Just not offered at all on this particular compact vehicle, which was kind of odd to me it being the top of the line model. But it is what it is.

More than you ever wanted to know. I know what you are talking about dealers putting addons on the sticker. Stuff that adds several hundred dollars to the selling price but probably are minimal cost to the dealer. I am familiar with that high margin sales technique. We had none of those on this car fortunately.