If You Know Their Rules ...
You Can Play Their Games

Back-end Gross: The profit the dealership makes from the sale of add-ons like insurance and rustproofing.

Loan Value The amount of money that a lending institution will lend a buyer against the purchase of a used car. Usually the loan value is figured at 80 to 85 percent of the book value, but it can vary according to the vehicle and the applicant's loan history.

The Monroney Sticker The price sticker on the car is called the Monroney, after the senator who introduced legislation in the late fifties to require that each car have a label detailing the price and identifying the car by make, model, and identification number. Know that it is against the law for this label to be removed prior to the sale and delivery to the customer. What this does is prevent the dealer from changing the price on a given car to reflect an increase in factory pricing.

MSRP or List Price The manufacturer's suggested retail price. This is the price that appears on the paper form displayed on the rear side window. It is also referred to in the industry as the Monroney sticker.
"Packs" Extra profit added to the invoice by dealers. This is particularly prevalent when the dealer knows that a certain car is hot and in demand.

Payment Buyers People who are mainly concerned with the amount of their monthly payments.

Retail Price This is another way of expressing the MSRP.
System Selling or Track Selling A system designed by the dealership to control the customer and to hand him or her off from one person to another to assure maximum dealership productivity. Avoid these stores.