Window sticker (MSRP)
The manufacturer's suggested retail price. It's a starting point set by the automaker — not a floor, and almost never the best you can do on an in-stock car.
What dealer invoice pricing really means
The number on the window is rarely what the dealer paid. Knowing the spread between sticker, invoice, and a fair out-the-door price is the single biggest lever you have at the table.
Dealer invoice
Roughly what the dealership was billed by the manufacturer — often about 8% under sticker on mainstream models. Dealers still earn holdback and incentives below invoice, so it's a fair anchor, not a hard limit.
Target out-the-door
Vehicle price plus only the unavoidable costs — documentation fee, tax, title. Negotiate the out-the-door number so surprise add-ons can't inflate the total after you've agreed.
Worked example
A real sample listing from the CarMatch.AI catalog, broken down the way you'd present it at the dealership.
NEW
View this listing2019 Toyota RAV4 Base
Houston Toyota Center · Houston, TX
- Window sticker
- $18,000
- Est. dealer invoice
- $16,560
- Target out-the-door
- $19,120
Manufacturer's suggested price
~8% under sticker
Vehicle + fees + tax/title
Out-the-door breakdown
- Negotiated vehicle price (~2% over invoice)$16,891
- Documentation fee$699
- Est. tax, title & registration$1,530
- Target out-the-door$19,120
- Estimated savings vs. sticker + fees$1,109
Figures are illustrative estimates on synthetic catalog data. Actual invoice, fees, and tax vary by region, trim, and current incentives. Use the out-the-door total as your negotiation anchor.