10 Easiest New Vehicles to Buy Below Dealer Cost
Not every vehicle sells itself. Some models sit on lots for weeks, giving buyers real leverage to negotiate prices well below what the dealer paid. Here are the 10 easiest new vehicles to purchase below dealer invoice in 2025.
By Trapizo Editorial • 8 min read
Every vehicle has two prices: the MSRP on the window sticker, and the invoice price — what the dealer actually paid the manufacturer. Most buyers don't realize that on the right vehicles, in the right market conditions, you can negotiate a deal that lands *below* that invoice price. How? Dealer holdback, manufacturer-to-dealer incentives, and slow-moving inventory all combine to give savvy buyers real leverage.
The vehicles on this list share common traits: they're overstocked, face stiff segment competition, carry generous dealer incentives, or have simply lost momentum in a market that has moved on. That's your opportunity. Here are the 10 easiest new vehicles to buy below dealer cost right now — along with exactly why and how to do it.
1. 2025 Chevrolet Trax
GM has flooded the market with the redesigned Trax, producing far more units than the segment can absorb. Dealers are sitting on 90+ day supplies in many markets, which means the holdback (around $640 per unit) barely covers their floor-plan interest costs. Factory cash incentives of $1,500–$2,500 are commonly stacked on top, making this one of the easiest sub-invoice deals available on a new vehicle.
Buyer Tip: Search for Trax units that have been on the lot 60+ days — most dealer management systems timestamp inventory, and salespeople will confirm if asked directly. Use that aging inventory as your primary leverage point, not the sticker price.
2. 2025 Ford Escape
The Escape has been steadily losing ground to the Bronco Sport, Edge successor, and import competitors for three years running. Ford has responded with sustained conquest cash and dealer incentives that can reach $3,000 or more in slower-moving regions. Dealers frequently receive additional 'stair-step' bonuses for hitting monthly volume targets, which means end-of-month timing dramatically improves your position.
Buyer Tip: Visit on the last 3 days of the month or quarter. A dealer needing one more unit to hit a volume bonus tier will often absorb a below-invoice deal rather than miss the bonus entirely — which can be worth $50,000+ to them.
3. 2025 Jeep Compass
Stellantis has faced well-publicized inventory and quality challenges, and the Compass has borne the brunt of it. The segment is crowded, the Compass design is aging, and dealers are being pressured to move units. Manufacturer-to-dealer cash (not consumer cash) regularly reaches $2,500–$4,000, meaning a dealer can sell at invoice and still clear a profit — which gives you room to push further.
Buyer Tip: Ask the dealer to show you their 'dealer net' on the deal. Some will share it, and it immediately reveals how much margin remains after factory cash is applied. If they won't show you, a competing dealer in the same region almost certainly will.
4. 2025 Nissan Rogue
Despite being Nissan's best-selling model, the Rogue faces intense competition from the RAV4, CR-V, and Tucson — and Nissan has historically used aggressive incentive programs to stay competitive. The combination of 2–3% dealer holdback plus routine $2,000–$3,500 in factory-to-dealer cash means there is substantial money between what the dealer paid and what they need to clear a profit.
Buyer Tip: Get quotes from at least 3 Nissan dealers simultaneously via email. The Rogue is commoditized enough that dealers will engage in competitive pricing wars, and a $500 gap between quotes is common. Use the lowest written quote to push the others further.
5. 2025 Dodge Hornet
The Hornet launched with significant fanfare but has underdelivered on sales expectations. Stellantis has responded with some of the most aggressive dealer incentives in the compact crossover segment — sometimes exceeding $4,000 per unit. Dealers are aware the vehicle has an image problem and are often willing to take thin deals just to move metal and maintain their allocation.
Buyer Tip: The Hornet's plug-in hybrid (PHEV) trim often has additional federal tax credit eligibility, but many buyers don't realize this must be claimed on their own taxes, not at the point of sale. Use this complexity to negotiate the deal on the base price alone, then claim the credit separately.
6. 2025 Volkswagen Taos
VW's smallest SUV has struggled to find a clear audience in the U.S. market, where buyers tend to prefer either a larger footprint or a lower price point. VW dealers operate on smaller volume than Detroit brands, which makes each unsold unit more costly. Corporate-to-dealer support programs are consistently applied in slow-moving markets, and VW's dealer margins are wide enough to allow meaningful negotiation even without announced incentives.
Buyer Tip: VW dealers are concentrated in metro areas, which means a buyer willing to drive 60–90 minutes to a suburban or rural dealer often finds a more negotiation-friendly environment than urban flagship stores, where foot traffic reduces urgency.
7. 2025 Buick Encore GX
Buick is quietly one of the best-negotiated brands in America, largely because it occupies an awkward middle ground — more expensive than mainstream GM brands, less prestigious than true luxury. The Encore GX competes in a segment defined by much stronger nameplates and relies heavily on incentive programs to stay competitive. GM's holdback on Buick models is among the highest in the industry at around 3%, leaving substantial hidden margin.
Buyer Tip: Buick dealers frequently receive below-invoice pricing authority to close deals without management approval, particularly near the end of model year cycles. The 2025 model year creates extra motivation to clear lots — ask specifically about remaining 2025 units versus any 2026 arrivals.
8. 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz pioneered a new vehicle category but hasn't attracted the sustained volume needed to build negotiating confidence in dealers. It's too small for truck buyers and too unusual for traditional SUV buyers, which means it ages on lots. Hyundai's dealer markup days are largely over, and the brand has shifted to supporting dealers with back-end cash to move slow inventory — especially in regions where pickup culture doesn't naturally favor a compact sport truck.
Buyer Tip: The Santa Cruz's dual audience (truck fans and SUV crossover shoppers) means it's often marketed poorly on dealer lots. If a salesperson is unfamiliar with its bed dimensions or towing capacity, you're likely dealing with a unit that's been overlooked — a good sign for your negotiating position.
9. 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi occupies the bottom tier of brand perception in the U.S. market, which means dealers lean heavily on price to close every deal. The Outlander is objectively a competitive mid-size SUV, but Mitsubishi's brand equity hasn't recovered to the point where buyers will pay a premium. Dealer incentives from Mitsubishi Motors regularly reach $3,000–$5,000, making sub-invoice deals not just possible but routine. This is the brand where the biggest discounts hide in plain sight.
Buyer Tip: Mitsubishi's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty is the strongest in the industry and is a legitimate value differentiator that most buyers don't factor into the comparison. Use this to justify the purchase to yourself — you're not just getting the lowest price, you're also getting the longest coverage.
10. 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV
The Blazer EV launched with well-publicized software issues that required a production halt in early 2024, and the resulting trust deficit has made buyers cautious. GM has responded with substantial incentive programs — often $5,000+ in dealer cash — to push inventory. The federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500 (income limits apply) can be applied at point of sale on qualified purchases, meaning some buyers can land a Blazer EV $10,000–$13,000 below MSRP when all incentives are stacked. No vehicle on this list has higher sub-invoice potential.
Buyer Tip: Verify federal EV tax credit eligibility before you negotiate — the Blazer EV's qualification depends on battery sourcing rules that can change quarterly. Visit fueleconomy.gov for current eligibility status. Once confirmed, use the credit as a separate line item in negotiation rather than bundling it into a confusing 'out-the-door' number.
The common thread across every vehicle on this list: inventory surplus, brand headwinds, or manufacturer-funded incentives that dealers can pass through to motivated buyers. The tools for getting there are always the same — get multiple written quotes, time your purchase near month or quarter end, identify aged inventory, and ask directly about dealer cash that isn't advertised to consumers.
Ready to submit your offer on any of these? Browse live inventory on Trapizo, set the price you'd actually pay, and let sellers find you.