Can chrome wheels really be worth $4,000?

Dear Terry,
I'm looking at a new 2007 Dodge Charger and the car I want on the lot has a very expensive set of chrome wheels that the dealer added. He's claiming they're worth $4,000 and won't deal down that part of the price. Is this standard? And if I decide to take the car -- it looks really hot with these wheels -- are the added rims worth the cost?
-- Hot Rod

Dear Hot,
Dealers have taken note of the big market in custom wheels for new cars and, logically, want a piece of the action. A set of custom wheels and high-performance tires can run as much as $20,000 -- just ask almost any NBA star.

So $4,000 by comparison looks good. But do some homework. Get the brand of the wheels and tires and check out Web sites such as TireRack to see what you could buy the set for.

Usually, it's possible to buy more cheaply in the aftermarket. The dealer is almost always going to charge more. So tell the dealer to find you the same car but leave off the fancy wheels. You can add them later.

Lastly, if you do add new wheels and tires, tell your insurance company. If the car is stolen or stripped, it will only replace the wheels that came on the car from the factory.