Volume bonuses? There are hardly any cars to sell right now. What 'volume bonuses?' We normally have about 160 new vehicles. Last month the most we had at one time was maybe 7. Right now there are 2. Mazda has a tiny market up compared to most brands, especially US ones like Ford/GM. And holdback is only 1% (it's 3% for most US brands). Hyundai dealers in my area adding $4-$6000 market adjustments to make up for lack of inventory. I think dealers in my state can only charge $150 for the doc fee. My dealer group has even cancelled employee discounts on vehicle purchases until further notice.
It takes a certain amount of cash flow to make payroll for all the different depts and keep the lights on. If in normal times that took selling 100 cars/month at $X.XX profit, now, with only 20 cars/month available, each one of those needs to bring in more.
But yeah, unfortunately in these market conditions, MSRP (or even MSRP+a discounted addendum) is considered a fair deal
Nothing you say surprises me from the outside looking in. You didn't even mention trade values.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, KBB's midpoint trade value for my vehicle in my zip code, specified as excellent condition with 12,100 miles is $30,824, up $3,000 in just the last 2 months. That's more than MSRP for a new one identically equipped (no options or dealer add-ons except AWD and Soul Red). Even if I knocked it down to good condition, the trade value midpoint is $29,286, still $3,000 more than I paid for it before tax and title with 4,000 miles on the OD 16 months ago with certified warranty extension, no financing or ups or extras--nada--less a $3,500 trade credit on a 2006 Accord.
Using the same KBB parameters in excellent condition back on 12/31/20, 11 months newer with 5,000 fewer miles, that midpoint trade value was $21,947. This picture is more or less consistent with Bureau of Labor Statistics findings that the average used car price is up 40% this year through November.
Would a dealer see as much profit on the trade resale of my vehicle now compared to 11 months ago, paying up to or over current MSRP for that trade now? I don't think so.
The moral of the story is if one has a late model, low mileage trade the deal could be very favorable to the buyer compared to 11 months ago even paying substantially over MSRP or having $2,000 worth of unwanted stuff tagged on with a side sticker. Low value trade or no trade? I'd wait 6 - 12 months if the current vehicle can stand it.
Something else I mentioned previously: If one has a car coming off a 2 or 3 year lease, check the buyout cost in the contract relative to its used trade value. That could be the best deal you'll ever see. Even paying the sales tax on the buyout, you might be able to flip it for substantial profit, to the dealer in one sit down perhaps, whether or not you buy or lease a new one at the same time. If one just turns in the lease without checking that buyout cost, several $1,000s might left on the table.
As for taking personal affront at that $2,000 side sticker, are we capitalists or are we not? Market dislocations in one thing or another at one time or another comes with the territory. If you have lived through the oil embargo and hyperinflation in the 70's or old enough to have experienced the impact of the Great Recession, you may not know what I'm talking about. In this situation, on the subject of dealer profitability, it is desperate times requiring desperate capitalist measures.