Without access to the dealer's financials, how do you know what their profit/loss even is? There are many variables like land/rent costs, local wages, etc. that

Without access to the dealer's financials, how do you know what their profit/loss even is? There are many variables like land/rent costs, local wages, etc. that could have a dramatic effect on profitability between seemingly similar dealers. Also, having recently purchased a new car, I noticed that every dealer specced them slightly different, so you couldn't easily compare the vehicles one to one. Something as simple as the color of paint changed the price by hundreds of dollars. Not an insurmountable detail if you are careful, but you really have to do your homework. Not to mention that it becomes a massive time sink. Given a typical programmer's hourly pay, in many cases it would be more economical to pay out more money and get back to work than spend that time looking for the savings. So, I do agree that shopping around can net you a better deal, but for all the effort required, I question if it is worth it. I'm going to very sad if I can't buy my next car online (and I hope it will drive itself to my door).