Hidden fees might be one of the last things you want when car shopping. The good news is that the shopping process is a lot more transparent than it used to be, but the bad news is that there are still some fees you can’t avoid. Destination charges are one of them. Automakers apply the charges to cover their shipping expenses when moving cars to dealers, but some companies charge way less than others. Consumer Reports recently ranked the new vehicles with the most expensive destination fees, and also the most affordable, to help buyers make more informed choices.
Interestingly, the vehicles with the most affordable destination charges come from three luxury brands. Mini and its parent company, BMW, have the cheapest, at $995, with Audi not far behind at $1,095.
The ten most affordable destination charges include:
- All Mini models: $995
- All BMW models: $995
- Buick Envista: $1,095
- Chevrolet Malibu and Trax: $1,095
- Honda Accord and Civic: $1,095
- Toyota Cars Only: $1,095
- Nissan Altima/Sentra/Versa: $1,115
- Subaru BRZ/Impreza/Legacy: $1,120
Of course, some automakers charge much higher fees than the ones seen for the models on this list. The Ford F-150 Lightning comes with a $2,095 destination charge, while the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer have $2,000 tacked on at the bottom line.
While these vehicles have the cheapest destination charges, some would love to see them go away altogether or, at the very least, become more transparent. Consumer Reports and many others have called for requirements that the fees be disclosed with the price of the vehicle.
Others have questioned whether the fees are being applied fairly, asking if they truly align with automakers’ logistics costs. CR research from 2021 suggests they are not, finding that the fees have increased at more than 2.5 times the rate of inflation. The publication noted that destination charges can be another way to increase automaker profit. It said it would prominently display destination charges on all pricing information for new vehicles on its site.
