ATLANTA, Aug. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 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

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.

For more information and news from Autotrader, visit press.autotrader.com, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Autotrader_com (or @Autotrader_com), Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/autotrader_com/ (or @autotrader_com), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/autotrader/, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/autotrader-com.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market car shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered car shopper looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing and retailing solutions allow consumers to build their deal online, and guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com. 

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company's more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader^®, Dealer.com^®, Dealertrack^®, Dickinson Fleet Services, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, NextGear Capital^®, VinSolutions^®, vAuto^® and Xtime^®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

SOURCE Autotrader