You can buy a new car without dealership pressure by getting the complete price, taxes, fees, and monthly payment before you visit, and by keeping the dealer out of the conversation until you decide.
The Model Black does exactly that: every new car in participating dealerships' inventory is shown as a cash price, a finance payment, and a lease payment with estimated taxes and fees for your ZIP code, no credit pull, and no dealership sees your name or contact details until you send your deal. The dealership then sells you the car and completes the purchase directly with you. Below are the other ways people avoid the showroom, and what each one trades away.
Each of these removes some part of the traditional visit. The differences are in who sets the price, whether you see the whole number, and who talks to you.
| Route | Who sets the price | Full out-the-door number up front | Who contacts you |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Model Black | The participating dealership, published per car | Yes: cash, finance, and lease with your ZIP's taxes and fees | No one until you send your deal; then the dealership, directly |
| Direct-sale EV brands | The manufacturer, fixed | Mostly; taxes and fees are estimated at order | The brand's advisors |
| Online used retailers (Carvana, CarMax) | The retailer, fixed | Yes for used inventory; new cars are not their business | Their sales team |
| Buying programs (Costco Auto, AAA) | Pre-arranged dealer pricing | Sometimes; the dealer still writes the final numbers | A dealer contact assigned by the program |
| A car broker or concierge | Negotiated for you, usually for a fee | Depends on the broker | The broker |
Showroom pressure works because you are missing information: what the car really costs after taxes and fees, what your payment will be, and what the store would accept. Every technique, from the four-square worksheet to "what payment were you hoping for," depends on that gap.
Close the gap and the pressure has nothing to push on. When you already know the out-the-door price, the finance payment at your credit range, and the lease payment on the same car, the conversation at the store is a confirmation, not a negotiation. That is why The Model Black leads with the complete number instead of a starting point.
Direct-sale brands limit you to their lineup. Used-car retailers do not sell new cars. Buying programs and brokers still route you to a dealer contact, and a broker fee is money that could have gone toward the car. The Model Black shows franchise-dealer inventory, priced on the manufacturer's lease and finance programs where one is in effect for the car and the dealership chooses to show it, and the dealership sells you the car directly.
On The Model Black, yes, until you decide. Pricing, taxes, fees, payments, and the trade-in value all happen without the dealer. When you send your deal, the dealership completes the purchase directly with you, and you sign with the dealership: at the dealership, through a mobile notary at your door, or remotely, as it offers.
The price is the participating dealership's own published price for that car, with any savings it publishes already applied. There is no haggling because the number is the number; you can compare it against any other store's out-the-door quote in writing.
Not in the price of the car: the price shown is the dealership's own published price. Creating an account to see pricing is complimentary, and a White Level or Black Level membership includes an introduction to the participating dealership you choose, so you can complete your purchase directly with them. The full list of what each level includes is coming soon. What you avoid is the add-on and payment-packing conversation that happens when the full number is hidden.
Where the dealership offers them, yes. A lease is priced on the manufacturer's lease program while one is in effect for that car, and is a market-based estimate otherwise. A finance rate is an estimate for your credit range, term, and vehicle, built on Rateous risk-based pricing and current market rates, and including the selling dealership's financing participation where it applies. It is not an offer from any lender; the lender sets your actual APR.
Not before you choose one. No dealership sees your name or contact details until you send a deal, and then only the dealership you chose receives them, to complete the purchase with you. Until then, our AI Concierge answers your questions.