Both out of state deals were negotiated beforehand, with the dealership understanding that I was brining a check for exactly that amount and emails from the sales manager stating so. In the Neons case, it was MSRP plus tax tag and title, not a dime more. For the Jeep, I actually had cushion, but they didn't need to know that
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
The Neon, simply couldn't get one anywhere in the country besides FL and CA at the time. The didn't ship them anywhere else the first four months or so. The Jeep, that combination of options just couldn't be had any closer than Ohio given it was after the end of that model year, and three or more months before we could hope to get one from the new model year. In each case, the travel added maybe $300 or so to the deal.
You would be amazed at how accommodating dealerships will be for travelers. In Ohio, they sent a guy to pick me up a the airport, a 30 minute drive away. I get crazy when people say "I couldn't get a better deal, no local dealership would work with me.". So they spend a few thousand that $200 in airfare could have saved them.