What Is an Out-the-Door Car Price?
Out-the-door price is the complete purchase price after taxes and charges, before using your down payment or net trade equity.
OTD formula
A practical OTD total starts with the negotiated vehicle price, adds taxable and non-taxable products, dealer-controlled charges, sales/use tax, title and registration, then subtracts applicable rebates or credits.
What OTD does not mean
It is not the monthly payment, amount financed or cash due after a trade. Those figures depend on equity, down payment and loan terms.
How to request it
Ask for a written buyer's order showing the vehicle selling price and every additional line. Avoid negotiating from a monthly-payment target because a longer term can make a more expensive deal appear cheaper.
When two OTD quotes are not comparable
Make sure both quotes use the same vehicle, tax location, trade assumptions, incentives and included products. Compare trade value separately when dealers have valued the old vehicle differently.
Rates and fees can change. State-specific calculators identify their source date and separate fixed source-backed amounts from user-entered or location-dependent estimates.
Review official sources