I'm sorry but you don't understand how dealerships work. You seem to think the only amount of money they make is the difference between their price from the fac

I'm sorry but you don't understand how dealerships work. You seem to think the only amount of money they make is the difference between their price from the factory and the final price you pay on the invoice. I agree this number is small but that is not where the profit comes from. They make far more from the financing which today sees people getting 7 year loans to pay for a $65K SUV. They also make a ton from selling extended warranties and other add-ons, and they push this stuff aggressively (sadly). Additionally, they make quite a bit from reselling used cars. There is a lot of obfuscation in how much you get in rebates and knock-downs versus your car's "trade-in" value. The "real" acquisition cost of a used car is far lower than you might think. (One trip to a dealer's car auction will set you straight.) The markup on a used car can be far more than a new. They could sometimes make 25% or more plus they are still going to sell a lot of people extended warranties since the factory one is almost expired. Additionally, parts and service make quite a lot since, as you point out, upper middle class people "trust" the dealership and pay 3x the cost for most vehicle services. (Source: my dad has been selling cars for over 40 years)