by Gabrielle DeSantis

You have probably heard the phrase Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) before, but do you know what it means? This term, along with sticker price, invoice price, and recommended retail price, is thrown around a lot in the car buying process. This is especially important when supply is low, and demand is high, much like right now with the supply chain issues.

What is the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price?

The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price is the price that the manufacturer has suggested the item be sold for. It is also sometimes called the list price, according to Investopedia. Though you probably hear this most often concerning cars, most high-end goods have an MSRP.

The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price was designed to be sure prices remained level from location to location and store to store. It also makes it easier for stores to know how to price an item. If an item, such as a car is in high demand, stores can increase the price of an item to make extra money. Conversely, stores may cut prices to move inventory.

This term also has a few different names. The recommended retail price (RRP), sticker price, list price, and even sometimes just the suggested retail price.

Why is the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price different from the invoice?

RELATED: How to Get a Good Deal Amid Used Car Price Spikes

There are a few differences between the MSRP and the invoice. Car and Driver covers the differences between the two. While both terms cover the price of the car, it is good to know the difference, especially if you are in the market to purchase a car.

The MSRP, as covered, is the price manufacturers suggest dealerships sell the car at. Most of the time, you will see this price in ads and commercials. This does not mean that the price you see quoted in the MSRP is the price you will pay. The MSRP is often the starting price for negotiations between a dealer and a buyer. If the vehicle is in demand, you might pay the full MSRP. If not, you can probably negotiate for a lower price.

The market price for a car has other things factored in, like options and incentives. This could be dealer-added upgrades or even dealer discounts. The market value fluctuates because it depends on so many factors.

The invoice price is what the dealer paid to the manufacturer. If the dealership can sell it for more than the invoice price, the excess is a profit.

The Kia Telluride is a good example of this

RELATED: Is the Kia Telluride SUV Worth the Money?

The 2021 Kia Telluride SUV has taken the automotive market by storm. While there is a semiconductor chip shortage impacting production, the Telluride is even harder to find. Car dealerships have been raising prices to make up for the demand.

Due to this, one dealership in Montana raised the Telluride price by about $25,000 over MSRP. This included a high-level trim and some other options as well. You won’t be able to test drive the vehicle or order another one right now, either. Someone bought the $78,000 Telluride, and it appears the dealer only has one left.

The post What is the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most well-known cars on the market, and the 2021 Wrangler is no exception. With that being said, the Wrangler also has plenty of trims and configurations, and it can be hard to know how to pick between them all. Here’s a look at how to find the best 2021 Jeep Wrangler trim for you.

What 2021 Jeep Wrangler trim levels are there?

While some automakers have decided to reduce the number of trims and options on their cars, Jeep hasn’t done that, especially for the 2021 Jeep Wrangler. Indeed, as Edmunds wrote, while there are a handful of trim levels for the Wrangler, there are in fact another handful of sub-trims for a few of those trim levels.

It can get confusing pretty quickly, but the long and short of it is that the cheapest option for the 2021 Wrangler is the Sport trim, which costs almost $35,000 MSRP, while the most expensive option is the Unlimited Rubicon 392, which costs almost $78,000 MSRP. But of course, there are also over 20 different configurations in between those two price points.

For example, there’s the Islander, which costs $41,000 MSRP, the Unlimited Willys, which costs $46,000 MSRP, and the Rubicon, which costs $50,000 MSRP, just to name a few. Rather than try to compare and contrast all of those trims, it can be helpful to just look at what trims other people love already.

The Sport S model

According to Car and Driver, the best trim to buy may be the Sport S trim. It’s one of the more affordable trims, as it’s also one of the more basic ones. Edmunds wrote that the Sport S trim should cost about $39,000 MSRP, which is a roughly $4,000 premium on the standard Wrangler. The affordability of the Sport S trim is one reason why Car and Driver picked this trim, but there’s more.

Car and Driver wanted to stay close to the Jeep Wrangler’s “simple roots,” but without being too cheap and bare-bones. That’s exactly where the Sport S excels, as it’s as simple as Car and Driver wanted, but it also had a few creature comforts that made it a car that’s actually comfortable to drive in.

For example, the Sport S trim adds power windows and a leather steering wheel, just to name a few things. Car and Driver also recommended choosing the slightly more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, as well as getting the Technology package.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Another great pick, based on what people are actually buying, is the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon trim, which costs about $58,000 MSRP. This trim is a good choice because it’s actually the most popular trim option right now, according to Edmunds. While it’s not going to be an affordable trim, it’s certainly going to be a powerful and practical trim. 

The Unlimited Rubicon is simply the Rubicon trim but with four doors instead of two doors. This size increase is a big deal for multiple reasons, but one of them is the fact that several engine options are only available for the four-door version of the Wrangler.

On top of that, the Rubicon is already one of the most capable trims for off-roading, so adding on an exclusive engine to it will make it excel at its job even more.

In particular, Edmunds said that the Rubicon trim adds things like heavy-duty front and rear axles, electronic locking front and rear differentials, rock rails, and more. That being said, all of these great additions will end up slowing the Rubicon down a bit, according to Car and Driver.

RELATED: The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Is the Worst Best 2-Row SUV on This Consumer Reports List

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