What’s the Real Price? A Consumer’s Guide to Shopping Smarter in Today’s Car Market
By Karl Chevrolet | New Canaan, Connecticut — Serving Families Since 1927
You did everything right. You researched makes and models, set a budget, and started comparing prices online. You found a vehicle rated a “Great Deal” on CarGurus. You drove to the dealership, ready to buy — only to learn the actual price was thousands more than what was advertised.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And it’s not your fault.
Today’s online car-shopping tools are more powerful than ever. But here’s what most consumers don’t realize: they’re also more easily manipulated than ever. At Karl Chevrolet, we talk to shoppers every week who are frustrated, confused, and feeling misled — not by us, but by an online marketplace that often rewards the wrong behavior.
This post is the first in a series designed to pull back the curtain on how car pricing really works today, and to give you the tools you need to make truly informed comparisons. We believe that educated consumers make the best decisions — and that honest dealerships have nothing to hide.
Here’s what we’ll be covering:
The “Great Deal” That Isn’t: How Online Ratings Can Be Misleading
Sites like CarGurus offer a genuinely useful concept — a deal rating system that compares a vehicle’s listed price against the current market average and labels it anywhere from “Great Deal” to “Overpriced.” In theory, it’s a quick way to spot value.
In practice, the system has a significant blind spot: it can only see the listed price. It can’t read the fine print.
Some dealers list their vehicles at an artificially low price with a buried disclaimer — something like “price assumes 30% down payment” or “price includes rebates you may not qualify for.” The rating algorithm treats that deflated number as the real price and awards a “Great Deal” badge. Meanwhile, dealerships that list their honest, no-asterisk price get penalized with “High Price” or “Overpriced” labels — even when their actual out-the-door cost is the same or lower.
The result? The entire dataset gets skewed. Consumers who think they’re comparison shopping are actually comparing apples to asterisks.
Coming soon: A deeper dive into how these rating systems work, how they’re being gamed, and exactly what to look for before you trust a deal badge. (Link to Post 3)
The Fee Most Shoppers Never Think to Compare
Here’s a question most car buyers never think to ask before they start negotiating: “What is your dealer conveyance fee?”
Every dealership in Connecticut charges a conveyance fee — sometimes called a doc fee or processing fee — to cover the administrative costs of preparing paperwork, processing registrations, and closing the sale. Connecticut is one of the states that does not cap this fee, and the range is staggering.
According to a Connecticut General Assembly study from way back in 2016, the average conveyance fee among new-car dealers was $405 — but that was over a decade ago. Today, fees of $799, $899, and $995 are common, and some dealers in the region charge well over $1,000. On a $35,000 vehicle, the difference between a $489 fee and a $1,200 fee is $711 — real money that most shoppers never account for when comparing “prices” across dealerships.
At Karl Chevrolet, our conveyance fee is $489 — one of the lowest you’ll find among new-car dealers in the state. It’s another way we try to deliver genuine value, not just on paper, but at the register.
Coming soon: A detailed look at Connecticut’s conveyance fee landscape — what the law says, how fees vary, and how to factor this into your shopping. (Link to Post 4)
How We Price Our Vehicles — and Why It’s Different
Transparency shouldn’t be a differentiator. But in today’s market, it is.
Every pre-owned vehicle at Karl Chevrolet is priced using two reference points: the current market retail value as provided by Kelley Blue Book and/or JD Power, and our sale price — which is almost always lower than retail. We display both so you can see exactly where you stand and make your own informed decision. Whenever possible, we include the added value of a factory-backed Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle warranty.
We don’t inflate a price to create room for negotiation theater. We don’t bury conditions in fine print. We start with trusted, third-party data and work from there.
Coming soon: How to use Kelley Blue Book and JD Power tools yourself, what “current market retail value” actually means, and how to verify any dealer’s pricing claims. (Link to Post 5)
Why Our Prices End in “27”
If you’ve browsed our inventory, you may have noticed something unusual. While most dealerships price their vehicles at $39,995 or $39,999, at Karl Chevrolet, you’ll see prices like $39,927.
It’s not a typo. It’s a tradition.
Karl Chevrolet was founded in 1927. For us, ending every price in “27” is a small way of connecting our nearly century-long legacy to every transaction we make today. It’s a reminder — to us and to our customers — of the values this business was built on: honesty, fairness, and a handshake that means something.
And it’s not just symbolic. On most vehicles, that “27” ending saves you roughly $70 compared to the industry-standard “95” or “99” pricing. It may not sound like much, but to us, every dollar counts — and if we can save you a little, we do it with a smile.
Coming soon: The full story behind the founding of Karl Chevrolet and how three generations have maintained a commitment to fair dealing. (Link to Post 6)
When Integrity Makes Headlines
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the automotive industry faced an unprecedented inventory shortage. New vehicles were scarce, and demand far outstripped supply. Many dealerships responded by adding “market adjustment” premiums of $5,000, $10,000, or more above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
Karl Chevrolet made a different choice. We honored MSRP pricing for every customer, on every vehicle. Not because it was easy — it wasn’t — but because it was the right thing to do.
In 2022, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, one of the nation’s most respected financial publications, took notice. In a feature article titled “Fair Deals in a Tough Market,” they profiled Karl Chevrolet and our decision to put our customers’ interests above short-term profit.
As we said then, and as we’ll say now: when you live and work in a small town, it’s not all about profit. It’s about relationships. And relationships are built on trust.
The Value of Knowing Your Vehicle’s History
When you’re shopping for a pre-owned vehicle, the price on the windshield is only part of the story. What happened to that vehicle before it landed on the lot matters just as much — maybe more.
That’s why every pre-owned vehicle at Karl Chevrolet comes with a Carfax vehicle history report. And here’s something that adds even more peace of mind: many of our pre-owned vehicles were originally sold new right here at our dealership and have been serviced by our own certified technicians throughout their lives. That means the Carfax report isn’t just a generic history — it’s a rich, detailed service record from a team you can actually talk to.
Our commitment to transparency and service quality is reflected in our ratings. Karl Chevrolet has been consistently recognized with the Carfax Top-Rated Dealer Award, with a 4.8-star rating from verified customers and nearly 1,900 area consumers who have bookmarked us as their preferred dealer on Carfax.
Coming soon: A consumer’s guide to reading a Carfax report, what the key indicators mean, and why a vehicle’s service history can be just as important as its price. (Link to Post 8)
Your Checklist: How to Really Compare Dealers
Before you make your next vehicle purchase, arm yourself with these questions — they’ll tell you more about a dealer’s character than any deal badge ever could:
- What is the full, out-the-door price? Ask for it in writing. No conditions, no assumptions, no asterisks. And if they won’t put it in writing, that should be all you need to know.
- What is your dealer conveyance fee? In Connecticut, this fee is required to be disclosed and is negotiable by law. Ask before you negotiate the vehicle price.
- Does the advertised price assume a down payment, trade-in, or rebate? If any condition is attached to the listed price, the “deal” isn’t what it appears to be.
- How do you determine your pricing? Look for dealers who benchmark against trusted third-party sources like Kelley Blue Book or JD Power — not just their own internal math.
- Does the vehicle come with a Carfax history report? And can you review it before committing?
- Did this dealership charge premiums during the pandemic? It’s a revealing question. How a business behaves under pressure tells you everything about its values.
Coming soon: A printable, take-it-to-the-dealership version of this checklist with space for notes. (Link to Post 7)
The Karl Chevrolet Promise
We’ve been in New Canaan since 1927 — three generations of one family, serving our neighbors and community. We’ve never believed in gimmicks, fine print, or taking advantage of a tough market. We believe the best customer is an informed customer, and the best price is an honest one.
Whether you’re shopping online or walking into a showroom, we hope this series helps you see through the noise and find the value you deserve. And if your research leads you to 261 Elm Street in New Canaan, we think you’ll like what you find.
Have a question about car pricing or your next vehicle purchase? We’re always happy to help — even if you’re just looking for guidance. Reach out to us at karlchevy.com or call us at (203) 966-9508.
This is the first post in our “Shop Smarter” series. New posts publish weekly — bookmark this page and check back as we add links to each in-depth guide.
The Full Series:
- ✅ What’s the Real Price? A Consumer’s Guide (You’re reading it)
- 📄 Since 1927: The Karl Chevrolet Story (coming soon)
- 📄 Why That “Great Deal” Badge Might Not Be So Great (coming soon)
- 📄 The Fee Most Shoppers Never Compare: Dealer Conveyance Fees in CT (coming soon)
- 📄 Kelley Blue Book, JD Power, and the Real Market Value (coming soon)
- 📄 Every Dollar Counts: The Story Behind Our “$27” Pricing (coming soon)
- 📄 Your Out-the-Door Checklist: How to Really Compare Dealers (coming soon)
- 📄 What Your Carfax Report Is Really Telling You (coming soon)