The best place to buy a new car in Arizona is the store that gives you the lowest out-the-door price for the car you want, in writing, and because Arizona charges sales tax at the selling dealership's city rate, the store's city is part of that number.
Arizona's combined vehicle tax runs from 7.8% in Chandler to 8.7% in Tucson and 9.1% in Phoenix, doc fees are uncapped, and every store's savings are its own. The Model Black shows participating dealerships' cars with the full number for your ZIP code, priced as cash, finance, or lease, before you visit. Here is how to use that to choose.
The rate that matters is the store's: Arizona charges sales tax at the selling dealership's city whether you pick up or the dealer delivers in-state. A Gilbert buyer at a Chandler store pays 7.8%; the same buyer at a Phoenix store pays 9.1%.
| Area | What you find there | Combined tax rate |
|---|---|---|
| Chandler and Gilbert (Autoplex, Loop 202) | Luxury and volume brands clustered off the 202 | 7.8% Chandler, 8.3% Gilbert |
| Scottsdale (Airpark, Frank Lloyd Wright corridor) | Luxury concentration; Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Lexus | 8% |
| Mesa (Superstition Freeway) | Big-store selection along US 60 | 8.3% |
| Phoenix (Camelback Road, I-17, Bell Road) | Most brands have several stores here | 9.1% |
| Tempe | Central; within 20 minutes of every dealer row | 8.1% |
| Avondale and Goodyear (I-10 auto mall) | A dozen brands in two exits | 8.8% |
| Tucson (Auto Mall on Wetmore, Broadway) | Southern Arizona's hub | 8.7% |
None of them, and all of them: the rate comes from the lender, not the store. Dealers submit your application to the same banks, credit unions, and captive lenders, and each lender prices by credit tier and term. Where stores differ is the participation they add on top of the buy rate, whether they show the captive lender's program, and how they structure the deal.
The way to compare financing across dealers is to compare the payment on the same car, same term, same down, same credit tier, with the taxes and fees for your city. The Model Black shows that payment on every new car from a participating dealership, and dealers have the option to include dealer participation on the example rates shown, so the payment on the page is built the way the dealership writes the deal.
The Model Black's trade-in tool gives a value range from market comps by VIN, and you can apply it to any car on the platform. If you are also buying, the trade credit reduces your sales tax; if you are only selling, get written offers from more than one buyer and take the best one.
The one that gives you the lowest written out-the-door price on the car you want, for your city's tax rate, with financing you can compare on the same terms. The Model Black shows participating dealerships' cars with that full number so the comparison is on paper before you visit.
Among the Phoenix-area cities, Chandler at 7.8% combined. Arizona charges the selling dealership's city rate, so buying from a Chandler store applies 7.8% wherever in Arizona you live.
It depends on the dealership: some deliver locally and some ship out of state. Each car shows whether it can come to you, and any delivery or shipping charge is priced for your address and shown on the car, under fees, before you sign.