WHat price do you pay with a reservation?

You can't avoid destination fee - thats fixed, and the same for everyone in the country. Around $1100 or so.

And you obviously can't avoid DMV fees/taxes.

Some dealers have "admin fee" or some such. Sometimes you can talk them out of it. Sometimes not. A couple hundred at most.

Thats all you should pay. Some dealers are unscrupulous and try and add VIN etching or other such, but you can usually tell them to not do this.

The elephant in the room is ADM. For reserved cars being delivered, there should be none. For cancelled reservations that you buy off the lot, you are at the mercy of the dealer.

 

You should plan on simply paying MSRP as the "starting point."

However ... AVOID SURPRISES ... find out NOW EXACTLY many $$$ you'll be paying (and/or financing) at closing.

Do your own research. Find out how much taxes, title, and license are REALLY collected within your jurisdiction (as if you were doing it all yourself in-person).

Obtain a hardcopy of the draft charge itemization from the "Finance Guy" and don't be afraid to QUESTION EVERYTHING. (it IS your money after-all)

Afterward you should see the SAME NUMBERS at closing.

Car dealers -- even the "up-standing" ones -- are masters at slipping-in additional charges, fees, and "pass-thru's" - possibly camouflaged as legit-sounding "taxes" and "fees" - when they are REALLY just a way to "pad" their own profit margin.

Remember, just because the dealer has to pay "something" to do business (e.g. business tax) ... does NOT mean that he MUST pass-on that cost directly to YOU.

 

Our local VW dealer wanted thousands extra as “market adjustment” for an ID4 they were getting, but eventually agreed to use MSRP for the car I had on reservation with VW. So after a year and a half wait that’s what happened.
I had given up on a couple Ionic5 reservations because those dealers wanted thousands extra even with a reservation. I fail to understand their position: they lost out on a profitable easy sale, but that’s the reality we face.
My suggestion: talk to one or more dealers, you may find a reasonable one. Do that asking early, when you can still change your designated dealer.