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The picture is bleak for American automotive consumers, as the average price paid for new vehicles continued to grow higher than MSRP in 2022. That despite people already paying high prices in 2021, and manufacturers continuing to suggest higher and higher prices over the last 12 months.

A new study from iSeeCars, an online used vehicle marketplace, found that MSRPs rose 7.6 percent over the last year. The average price of a new car, as seen on a manufacturer’s website, rose from $38,707 in February 2022 to $42,608 in February 2023.

Read: Vanishing Sub-$25K Models, Surge Of $60K-Plus Cars Is Leading To An Affordability Crisis

Even so, the price consumers actually paid for their new cars was higher still. The average dealer listing rose by 6.5 percent in the last 12 months, up from $42,551 to $45,996. On average, then, car buyers are spending 8.8 percent more than MSRP, which is 7.6 percent higher than in early 2022.

Top 10 Over MSRP
Rank Model Avg MSRP Avg Price % Difference
1 Genesis GV70 $44,299 $56,476 27.5%
2 Jeep Wrangler $35,827 $44,396 23.9%
3 Mercedes GLB $41,061 $50,452 22.9%
4 Porsche Taycan $100,169 $122,940 22.7%
5 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited $45,386 $55,347 21.9%
6 Cadillac CT4-V $57,737 $69,904 21.1%
7 Genesis GV80 $56,388 $68,240 21.0%
8 Porsche Macan $61,589 $74,275 20.6%
9 Cadillac CT5 $41,870 $50,383 20.3%
10 Lexus RX 350h $49,339 $59,347 20.3%
National Average $41,637 $45,296 8.8%
New Cars Priced Highest Over MSRP, February 2023 – iSeeCars Study

Fortunately, that’s just an average, and some vehicles can still be had for the amount that the manufacturer suggests, or less. The Chevrolet Silverado is the best deal in February, in comparison to its MSRP, because buyers paid an average of $50,116 for the truck – 1.9 percent less than Chevy’s suggested price of $51,103.

The Volkswagen Arteon and the Cadillac Lyriq also saw customers paying less than MSRP (0.4 percent less, to be precise), while most buyers got an Infiniti QX80 for exactly what the brand suggested it was worth.

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In terms of vehicles to avoid, meanwhile, none demanded prices higher above MSRP than the Genesis GV70. The Korean crossover had an average listing of $56,476, which is 27.5 percent higher than its MSRP of $44,299.

Top 10 Nearest MSRP
Rank Model Avg MSRP Avg Price Price – MSRP % Difference
1 Chevy Silverado $51,103 $50,116 -1.9%
2 VW Arteon $45,827 $45,648 -0.4%
3 Cadillac LYRIQ $61,795 $61,575 -0.4%
4 INFINITI QX80 $81,656 $81,666 0.0%
5 GMC Sierra $61,644 $62,175 0.9%
6 Chevrolet Malibu $27,597 $27,887 1.1%
7 Ford F-150 (hybrid) $84,400 $85,791 1.6%
8 Chevy Traverse $43,832 $44,697 2.0%
9 Buick Envision $38,658 $39,487 2.1%
10 Mazda CX-9 $42,288 $43,248 2.3%
National Average $41,637 $45,296 8.8%
New Cars Priced Below/Closest to MSRP, February 2023 – iSeeCars Study

Of the vehicles that cost the most over MSRP, the majority were luxury vehicles, such as the Mercedes GLB, the Porsche Taycan, and the Cadillac CT4-V. As ever, though, Jeep customers were willing to pay well over asking (23.9 percent) for the Wrangler.

The good news for consumers is that the market seems to be calming. Dealer demands peaked between May and August, with averages prices at around 10 percent over MSRP, but have fallen slowly since then to 8.8 percent in early 2023.

“The difference between dealer pricing and MSRP should continue to fall as the supply chain improves, though getting back to MSRP for most models may not happen this year,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCar’s executive analyst.

Avg Dealer Pricing VS MSRP
Month Avg MSRP Avg Price % Difference
Feb 2022 $38,707 $42,551 9.9%
Mar 2022 $38,716 $42,572 10.0%
Apr 2022 $38,992 $42,869 9.9%
May 2022 $39,336 $43,297 10.1%
Jun 2022 $39,712 $43,717 10.1%
Jul 2022 $40,239 $44,347 10.2%
Aug 2022 $40,352 $44,375 10.0%
Sep 2022 $40,077 $44,020 9.8%
Oct 2022 $40,448 $44,346 9.6%
Nov 2022 $40,434 $44,263 9.5%
Dec 2022 $41,608 $45,428 9.2%
Jan 2023 $41,771 $45,466 8.8%
Feb 2023 $41,637 $45,296 8.8%
Monthly Average Dealer Price versus Average MSRP of New Cars – iSeeCars Study