A vehicle's sticker price is only the starting point when it comes to figuring out its purchase price. Taxes, the title, and other costs will all lead to a higher cost than what is printed. A variety of options might be available, and you'll have to pay more if you want to enjoy any of them.

One cost that might catch a buyer off guard is a vehicle destination charge. Doug DeMuro, writing for the automotive site AutoTrader, says this fee is included separately from other vehicle costs. It can also add several hundred dollars to the final price.

The destination charge refers to the expense of getting your new vehicle from the factory to the dealership. Nick Palermo, also writing for AutoTrader, says it falls to the buyers to cover these transportation expenses, which typically include car carriers or trains. The destination charge only covers transportation within the United States, as foreign automakers tend to cover the costs of shipping vehicles overseas in their prices.

Certain factors can ramp up the destination charge. It will likely cost more to move a vehicle from one point to another if it is large or heavy. Luxury vehicles may be given a protective wrapping or transported in a closed truck; either method will cost more than the usual transportation.

You might think you'll be able to pay less if you live near the auto plant or close enough that the vehicle doesn't have to travel far to get to you. However, the destination charge is actually based on an equalized rate calculated by the manufacturers. This way, buyers whose vehicle has to be delivered a long distance do not have to pay a prohibitively high cost.

The auto value resource Kelley Blue Book says automakers typically use the same freight pool to deliver vehicles to dealerships. As a result, destination charges are usually comparable among different companies.

Unlike some other costs on a new vehicle, a buyer generally cannot negotiate the destination charge. This fee must be included separately as a direct cost to the consumer rather than part of the overhead costs involved in making a vehicle available to buyers.

The automotive site Edmunds.com says a destination charge is subject to tax. For this reason, it is applied to the final price of the vehicle before the sales tax is calculated.

DeMuro says destination charges got their start as a consumer protection initiative. Some dealers added an exorbitantly high delivery fee to the sticker price, netting additional profit while claiming that the charge was to cover a vehicle's transportation. Complaints about this practice led to a federal mandate for manufacturers to charge a uniform destination charge for each model and list it separately from the vehicle's price.

Though this standard prevents buyers from getting duped by an arbitrary delivery charge, it can still lead to a surprise impact on your bank account. If you don't anticipate the delivery charge as part of your budget, you'll be dismayed to see a good portion of your down payment going toward this cost instead of the principal.

When setting a budget to buy a new vehicle, plan to add between $800 and $1,000 to the listed price. This step will ensure that you account for the destination charge when determining which model is within your price range.

Kelley Blue Book says that while it was once possible to eliminate the destination charge by traveling to the manufacturer to pick up your vehicle directly, this practice ceased once equalized freight rates were established. However, some automakers still offer certain perks for buyers who wish to combine their vehicle purchase with a vacation.

Corvette says those buying a new Stingray can choose to take ownership of the vehicle at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This option includes personalized wall and vehicle plaques as well as an exclusive tour of the assembly plant.

Other automakers allow you to pick up a vehicle at a European plant. BMW's European delivery program invites buyers to take ownership of their vehicle in Munich, Germany. The price in this program includes all shipping costs, a tour of BMW's factory and museum, and two weeks of European road insurance and registration to let you take the vehicle for a spin on the autobahn.

Mercedes-Benz offers a similar program for European delivery, saying the trip could give a discount of up to 7 percent off the vehicle's cost. Buyers also travel to Germany for a tour of the Sindelfingen factory, museum tour, complimentary night's stay in a Stuttgart hotel, and 15 days of European road insurance. The destination charge is waived if you choose this option.