The 10 cars with the least expensive destination charges

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.

See also A Warning to Hurricane Ian Policyholders About Loss Mitigation Versus Loss Prevention—A Sue and Labor Clause Analysis Can an insured recover costs to prevent a loss under a property insurance policy? If a loss occurs, can an insured recover the costs to reduce or mitigate damage from further damage? The answer is to read the full policy terms to make this determination. Generally, property insurance policies have terms which follow maritime and inland marine forms which require the policyholder to take steps to reduce or mitigate a previous loss and usually pay costs to do so. It is much less likely that a policy will reimburse fully for the costs to prevent a loss from occurring—but read the policy carefully. This issue involving a sue and labor provision was discussed by the Florida Supreme Court. Following prior case precedent interpreting the sue and labor clause, the court explained that: “An insured has the duty to exercise the care of a prudent, uninsured owner to protect insured property so as to minimize or prevent the loss for which the insurer would be liable. The purpose of the sue and labor clause is to reimburse the insured for those expenditures which are made primarily for the benefit of the insurer to reduce or eliminate a covered loss.” Did the sue and labor also pay for costs to prevent a loss? Not in that policy: “…Zurich correctly contends that the Sue and Labor clause in the Swire-Zurich policy is specifically applicable only after an actual loss has occurred or is occurring. Because Swire was acting to prevent a potential collapse of the building, and no actual loss had occurred, the $ 4.5 million expended by Swire is not recoverable under the policy’s Sue and Labor clause. …the policy’s Sue and Labor clause applies only in the case of an actual, covered loss. Any other conclusion would result in the Sue and Labor clause becoming the primary coverage provision of this contract without regard to the content of the contract or the coverage it was designed to provide. The reasoning suggested by Swire is certainly logical, to the effect that the preventive measures may have conferred a benefit upon the insurance company. If the Sue and Labor clause had been worded differently or if it had included language concerning the prevention of loss, the conclusion may have been different.” Hurricane Ian victims should be aware of property insurance provisions which require a policyholder to repair and take action to prevent further loss or damage. With soon to be Hurricane Nicole about to strike Florida, these provisions are important duties. Policies may also provide benefits to take these emergency and temporary repairs before the winds and rains of Hurricane Nicole cause further damage. Thought For The Day “You can never protect yourself 100%. What you do is protect yourself as much as possible and mitigate risk to an acceptable degree. You can never remove all risk.” Kevin Mitnick

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.