Nissan Sentra Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Karen_S · March 2004

For current Pricing information, go to 2015 Nissan Sentra Prices Paid

pathy04 · March 2004

I owned Toyota and leased hondas for most part of my driving career :-). UNTIL i bought my First Nissan, a Pathfinder SE4x4 in 2001. It was the best vehicle i ever owned. I was carried away buy Pathfiner's quality and BOUGHT my second car from Nissan a SENTRA GXE 03

This is almost a disaster, the service engine soon came twice and each time some compoents needed replacement (though in warranty)

Overall all Nissan Dealers/ salesperson are not pleasent to deal with. Thats Why Nissan is still behind Honda & Toyota

I want to know what other Sentra owners have to comment.

-Thanks

alpha01 · April 2004

"Overall all Nissan Dealers/ salesperson are not pleasent to deal with. Thats Why Nissan is still behind Honda & Toyota"

Unless you have been to ALL Nissan dealers, you are not on ground to make this statement as you have presented it. Additionally, the surveys conducted by Consumer Reports AND JD Powers overwhelmingly indicate that sales satisfaction for Honda, Toyota, AND Nissan all lag the industry average by a significant degree.

My 2003 Sentra 2.5LE has been flawless in its first 14 months and 22,500 miles. It has had two recalls, which I saw as an inconvenience, but Id rather something be detected and corrected at no cost to me prior to becoming an issue. Of course, 10-15 recalls is excessive (reference the Focus, BMW X5, Mercedes ML, etc), and I would find this an unacceptable representation of design and build quality.

The Sentra, as is currently, has been eclipsed by newer more modern designs such as the Mazda 3, the Corolla, etc. However, it is still a very acceptable offering in this class despite is age and its anachronistic appearance in the Nissan lineup. I purchased mine because it had the right safety features (ABS and side airbags with head protection), the right power (165 hp), the right MPG (average 25-26), and the right price $14,500 before TTL. The deals are better now, enough to offset the slightly below class average depreciation, and a 2.5S can be had for $13,500.

So thats my commentary. Any questions?
~alpha

pathy04 · April 2004

Hmm... i guess i'm not lucky

I had purchased my Pathfinder in CA,i went to atleast 10 dealerships before picking one(thats just because of price and trade-in on my Camry)

I moved over to TN and purchased sentra, there are only 4to5 dealerships in Nashville and 2 other were extremly rude and the others were average

On my Honda and Toyota i had been to an average of 10 dearlships and right from reception to final deals were pleasent

Anyway i don not have any complanits on my Pathy and its the best vehicle i'v owned

occupant1 · May 2004

Rebate in the first quarter of 2004 was $2500. Now down to $2000. So the MSRP of a Sentra 1.8 (not S), 5-speed, with typical equipment, is more like $12,400. How low can they go?

sescaugust · June 2004

I purchased my Sentra 98 XE, manual in October 2002 for 5800 USD . It had 65,500 miles on it and was owned by 2 people before me.

I drive it to Detroit almost twice a month(900 miles round trip) and i have put 28000 miles in 19 months. It gives me excellent mileage ( close to 38 on the highway) and has not troubled me or betrayed my trust !!!

I give it regular oil changes and maintain all the check up schedules. I have only spent money to change rear brakes till now.

I recommend Sentra as an alternative to the more overrated Civic and Corolla.

nolanissan · June 2004

I just purchased two Nissan vehicles (Sentra and Xterra) from a dealership here in New Orleans. We got a good price on them, without question (for the two cars together, we paid about $1100 less than Edmunds TMV), but I was still seriously annoyed when we had arrived at an agreement about EVERYTHING, we were ready to sign documents, and suddenly a $395 (per vehicle) "consumer services" fee showed up on the bill. I hate -- let me say that again -- I ***HATE*** having charges suddenly appear on a bill after I've agreed on a price. Despite the good deal we were getting, I almost walked out of the dealership, simply out of principle. I think that they knew I was ready to walk out, because they at least knocked $100 off each $395 fee, bringing it down to "only" a $590 add-on between the two cars, instead of nearly $800.

This otherwise inexplicable charge was explained to us as a contract that the dealership has with Enterprise Rent-a-Car whereby, if my vehicle is in the shop for more than four hours, I get a free rental car for the duration of the repair. You can get a hell of a lot of rental car time for $800. I was basically told that the contract was "already paid for," and that there was no choice, that it was part of every car they sell. Worse, it's only valid for the first year we own the cars. Basically, it feels to me like a scam, especially being added on at the very last minute like that.

The only thing that kept me from walking out of the dealership was the fact that we've been shopping for almost a year. My car has almost 200,000 miles on it, and my wife has a new job, so we need two cars. We've sat in literally dozens off dealerships, spent countless hours with sales managers trying to bully us, we've had nearly every trick in the book tried on us, and we're utterly exhausted by it at this point. If I had not been 99.9% convinced that we were getting a really good price for good vehicles, at a time when we really need them, I would have simply walked away and never gone back.

Does anybody out there have any experience with these kinds of last-minute add-on "consumer services"? Is there any truth to this "we've already paid for it, everybody has to have it" argument, or did they basically just jack up the price $600 over what they had agreed on? Given the prices we got, I hate to make an official complaint about this dealership, but it really annoys me, just on principle. If I sell somebody an apple for $1, they get to the cash register and when the money is in their hand I say "oh, there's also a $0.10 pesticide fee," then I really wasn't honest about my original price.

Thoughts?

(For reference, here's what we got: Sentra 1.8S Manual, road trip package, floor mats/trunk mat, microfilter. Edmunds TMV after rebates: $12,065. Our final price: $11,302. Xterra XE, V6, Manual, World Championship package, Protection package, autodimming EC mirror, floor mats w/o subwoofer, body side molding, splash guards, microfilter. Edmunds TMV after rebates: 19,047. Our final price: $18,709. Total TMV minus our total price = $1101. So, it has nothing to do with getting "ripped off," it's just the principle of adding on a totally unnecessary and unwanted charge AFTER negotiations have been completed.)

lalloyadav · June 2004

Bought Nissan sentra 1.8S Auto 2004 for 12,400 drive out. Extras were carpet mets and splash Guard.
The price includes 5% sales tax.
Was it a good price??

way · August 2004

Sounds like a good deal. I went to a nissan dealer yesterday and had an offer of 12,000 from them before tax. So you bought yours at around 11,700 before tax? Which state are you in?

johndagolfer · August 2004

I need help deciding if this is a good deal from a dealer.

2000 XE I think, 49k miles, Manual Transmission, looks pretty good, drives pretty well

The asking price is 7400. I am thinking about offering 5 to 5.5K since taxes and used car fees are high

Thanks,

John

radford · August 2004

The Nissan sentras seemed like a good deal since they seem decent and since a new version is in the works , they are offering a 2500 rebate.

I look up the MSRP and the model someone I know wants. It comes out to 13,000 or so after rebate. I can see the inventory and MSRP prices
and the usual info at the local dealer websites.
However When I call up they tell me all the cheaper cars are sold and that they can get me another sort of close to the one I wanted but they sell their cars at $4000+MSRP !!!!! Come on! Thats over 19000 for a Sentra that everywhere else in the nation they are trying to get rid of. They even claimed they arent sure about the rebates ! But after 30 min he calls me back with the "good news" it does apply so its "only $16,700 net !!!

When I went to get the Mazda6 here - the first car I bought in Hawaii , no place would even touch MSRP except one and then after they promised a hassle free sale at the price agreed upon they added $600 for essentially a box of wax and carwash detergent.

saltynuts · August 2004

Guys,

I just purchased a base, stickshift Sentra for $11,653 out the door (including TT&L and everything else). Has air, radio, floormats, mudguards, and I think that is it. No pw/pl/anti-locks/anything else.

Any idea how I did?

Thanks.

radford · August 2004

That doesnt seem bad at least seeing the prices at the region Im in. Hawaii - price gouging heaven. Maybe they just dont have the traffic so they have to have ridiculous prices but getting a car at MSRP is like --- WOW.

That was after rebate right? If its before rebate its spectacular.

saltynuts · September 2004

Definately after rebate.

guccigirl04 · September 2004

NEVER dare to go to this dealership! it would be like feeding yourself to the wolves!

my husband and i had a terrible experience from them. they ripped us off BIG time!

we paid $8,000 more for a 2003 nissan sentra gxe a/t. had an apr of 22% from their own finacing co. we already gave them a $6,000 at that and our credit scores were already >670. good thing we have an account with a credit union so we had it refinanced after 3 gruelling months and had the interest down to 6%. (thank God!)

they did start with the infamous 4 sq worksheet. we tried bargaining for a lower monthly pmt bec. we told them we couldn't afford to pay much, but it didn't stop them for cold bloodedly victimizing us. the salesman who sold us the car even had the gall to tell us to give him a great feedback.

i guess my husband and i had the WORST car dealer experience. i hope no one would have to go through what we had. it was always a nightmare going there to have the regular maintenance. the past keeps coming back.

at least now, since we've learned our lesson the hard way with these salesmen, we'll just buy our next car through the internet, it's safer and easier.

dougd7 · October 2004

Went car shopping for my oldest daughter who will be attending community college (30 mile commute) in the spring. She currently drives a 89 Civic that has over 331K miles. Wife and I decided she should have a new vehicle. The Civic is getting up and mileage with some expensive repairs/maintenance due soon.

Visited several dealerships but ended up purchasing a 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE with 30K miles for $10,459.31 OTD including TTL. We put $800 down and are financing the balance for $250/month. Overall I was pleased with the deal considering our credit isn't great but not bad either.

Kirstie_H · October 2004

Since your message did not concern pricing, I moved it to our regular Nissan Sentra discussion.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

nw1997 · December 2004

Hello Everyone,

We were just offered a 2000 Sentra GXE, Automatic with 30K original miles. The previous owner had the windows tinted and installed a K-9 Passive Alarm. The vehicle was never in an accident, no rust, two minor door dings. The dealership had various recalls done, for example, various engine sensors and all four steel rims are new. Current owner had the front rotors replaced this year along with new breaks. We plan to purchase the vehicle mainly for commuting a 180 mile daily commute. Can someone offer their opinion on this vehicle? The vehicle is being sold for 6k.

Thanks for the input.

mindy · December 2004

I asked around for quote on the Internet and negotiated through emails. The final out the door price including $2,500 cash reabet and $500 recent graduate rebate was $13,000. As you know, it has power door&window and cruise control as well as ABS & Side Airbags. Compared to Civic LX which costs up to $15,800, I think it's pretty good deal.

Last night, I got an email from another dealer that they will beat any price in writing by $200. They actually did and I got 2005 Sentra 1.8s Auto with ABS and Side Airbags for out the door price $12,800.

It's Virginia and sale tax is 3%.

geoman993 · December 2004

Hi,

Just got a Brand new 2005 nissan sentra special edition- automatic. Special edition has the SE-R body with 6 disc Cd changer and nine speaker stereo system, Power window, AC, and 16 Alloy Wheel. Got the car over the weekend for 11980. Wondering if that is a good deal. Got the car in Southern Calfornia.

darknessja · December 2004

wow, that's an amazing deal, is this the 1.8 or 1.8s?

i just closed a deal on a 1.8 s with the special edition package, auto, 6 disc changer, 16 alloy wheels, power everything and rear spoiler for 13200 in boston, ma. 13200 is including the 2000 rebate

geoman993 · December 2004

Hi,

That was the 1.8s with the special edition package.

darknessja · December 2004

amazing

how u do know how u were able to get such an amazing deal?

i had the manager let me look at the invoice which includes the holdback amount, the amount was roughly 426, i was able to negotiate it so the dealer kept 200 of it

the price u have is well well below invoice even with the holdback, just curious

geoman993 · December 2004

Hi,

They had it as a advertisment for that price. THey also has two 1.8s with Automatic for 9980. I like the look of the special edition better even through it was a bit more. THe only thing is we were not able to get the special APR for that price. I had to get a loan from my Credit Union to get a better rate.

Kirstie_H · December 2004

Hi geoman993 - please don't hit refresh to check for new messages. That re-posts your message in duplicate, triplicate, and quadruplicate!! Just use the "recent msgs" link to check for responses. Thanks.

kirstie_h

Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

yanksfan · December 2004

I'm going to be looking at getting one in the next week or two. I live in CT and I've checked the TMV pricing for this model. I'm looking for loaded, with the ABS/TC and Audio package, not the special V Spec brake package. Any idea what I should expect, anything lower than TMV?

spotdelivery · January 2005

Just buoght a new 2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S yesterday. Did pretty good. $11,888 plus tags, tax, etc. We shopped at Nissan of Tracy in Central California. They were completely awesome, helpful, and honest, which about floored me. Quick backround....

Went in October to Heritage Ford in Modesto. Wanted a 2003 Ford Taurus SE. Nice car, wanted Thirteen something for it. Dad talked them down to 11,500. He was cosigner and they placed him as primary on the financing and came back with a 3.9% for 60 months. Not bad. Took SPOT DELIVERY!!! Bad choice because in California they have that "rescind" clause deal. Anyway, next day we are told we have to redo contract that the bank wouldn't accept it with Dad as primary so they had to switch us around. I knew it was going to be bad, but it was 14.9% bad and the car had to go back. We probably should've have demanded proof of rejection, because we NEVER received a denial in the mail or in person. I think it's Fraud to lie abut financing. Anyway, because we had talked them down 2 grand, I guess they figured out they could make up the difference on the car by getting a kickback on the difference from a regular bank. Scums.

So, I was devestated and disguisted that I couldn't even have a co-signer with a decent rate even if they have perfect credit.

Enter Nissan of Tracy!!! We had negotiated ahead of time and there was absolutely NO pressure. Not to mention it was submitted to "CUDL" and we got a 4.29% with dad as primary. They say that CU will report to CRA's. Anyone out there that can confirm this???? I had purchased a 1998 Saturn SL2 when they had the "no haggle" slogan. There was more pressure at Saturn than at Nissan.

I was up front on our objectives in that it was for rebuilding credit and that mine was in the dirt, that we wanted the most for the least amount of money, and they never..not one time..applied pressure except to sell a extended warranty, which we didn't take. But hey, can't blame the FM, lol. Honestly, just being treated fairly was so appreciated that I would highly recommend the dealer. They received one of those Customer Service Excellence Awards from Nissan, and I can see why now. If I buy a Nissan again, I'd return there.

Also, inquired as to my score, because now they have t disclose it. In October, 2004 I was only 520, but last night I was 560. How fast can I expect to see my score creep up with on time payments? Any guesses??? I'm dying to know. I want a house next hear and have to make 620 because, as we all know here, it's a numbers game,lol

Can't wait to hear what everyone says!!!

Kirstie_H · January 2005

You might check out our Smart Shopper board, where we've got numerous discussions about finance & credit. Some of our members who have expertise in this area hang out on that board.

Sounds like you are on the road to improving your credit - congratulations on a responsible rebuilding effort!

kirstie_h

Roving Host

Host, Smart Shopper & Future Vehicles discussions

creoleboi · January 2005

Hello, im currently in the market for a new car and ive narrowed my choices to an 2005 nissan sentra 1.8s and the corolla s..but i noticed when searching on msn/auto site under the review section it showed that sentra had major problems with its engine from 2000, 2001, and 2002..so im wondering if i should reconsider buying a sentra even though its cheaper than the corolla s based on siginificant engine problems.

Sylvia · January 2005

Your best bet is to read and then ask questions in the Nissan Sentra discussion about their experience with the vehicle.

That way we can keep this discussion about the actual prices paid & buying experiences.

Thanks!

smellinger · April 2005

My 16 yr old daughter wants to purchase a '93 Sentra, automatic, 2 dr., 99k miles. Any recommendations on that car?

Kirstie_H · April 2005

Most of the conversation in our pricing discussions centers around new vehicle purchases. You might visit our topic about Purchasing Used Vehicles to get more feedback on pricing, or our regular Nissan Sentra discussion to talk to those who own this car about reliability.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions

scoic · April 2005

You got a great deal. I should have done more homework. I even went through a friend of a friend and paid $15,000 for mine. I love it but when I see what prices others are paying for it I really get annoyed. Atlantic Nissan near Babylon NY.

j2thomas · June 2005

Spent the day with my SIL and she had her heart set on the Ford Focus, $19K sticker and $16K out the door price with my xplan and their $2500 rebate. Sun roof, heated seats, spoiler, alloys, auto, cruise, (no ABS or side air bags). Disappointed with the ride, interior, price and dealer nonsense. Earlier in the week she tried another dealer and a very similar car but the dealer wouldn't budge off $16.5K.

We then tried a similarly optioned Nissan Sentra - 1.8 S, special package with sunroof, ABS and side airbags, cabin filter, flaps, mats (all the Ford goodies except heated seats and mirrors), for an out the door price of $15.5K, (includes tax, title, doc and $2500 rebate). The dealer was great to work with and she loves the car. The Nissan is much cheaper to insure, gets better gas mileage and less depreciation. We had a very productive morning.

wgd9891 · June 2005

Dealer quoted me 13,500 for 1.8 S Nissan Sentra. Additonal 800 bucks for Special Edition Package. I work at their place in the parts section. I think they are not giving me a good rate and possible trying to rip me off. I live in Towson, Maryland, what do you guys have to say about his price.

Thank you.

blackcurls · August 2005

2005 Sentra 1.8s Special Edition
11,888
out the door 13200

Good car, nice ride, good fuel economy,

GET THE CAR!

blackcurls · August 2005

2005 Sentra 1.8s Special Edition
11,888
out the door 13200

Good car, nice ride, good fuel economy,

GET THE CAR!

marklar · August 2005

I'd love to see the 1.8s SE go for 11,888 around me. In receiving quotes the past few days, the lowest I have received (automatic, SE) is 13,500 after the $2500 rebate. This is in the South Jersey area.

akshayroy · September 2005

Can you tell me what dealership is 1.8 SE for 13,500?? is that out the door?? I got a 1.8S 2005 quoted for 13,560 in Central Jersey OTD. Obviously a 1.8SE for 13,500 OTD is awesome. Thanks for your help.

amao · November 2005

I am in South Jersey and one of the quotes I received is:
2006 sentra 1.8S Automatic with ABS/side airbag package, floor mats, special edition package, splash guards, and a power sunroof for $15,661 plus tax and tag. Is this a good deal or not?

erniel · December 2005

I bought my daughter a brand new 2006 Nissan Sentra on 11/28/05 from Sheehy Nissan in Annapolis, Maryland. Included 1.8 Special Edition Package (Included Audio & Sport Appearance). Automatic trans, Carpeted floor mats and trunk mats, In-cabin microfilter. Vehicle list price was 17,205.00... I got the vehicle on the road for 13,588.60 included 2000.00 rebate. Hope this helps.

chuck16 · December 2005

I just purchased a 2006 Sentra 1.8 S automatic with Special Edition package + floormats. Paid 11,500 that included the $2K cashback. Consumer Reports suggested $11900, so I think I got a good deal. Purchased in Dallas at Urban Nissan.

new_sentra · December 2005

Hi Every body,

I am in the market for new nissan sentra and qualify for
first graduate rebate $500. But as I understand it has to
be financed through nissan dealer (or NMAC). Is that
true?

I have pre-approved loan and I would like to use that.
Now does that mean I can not get first graduate rebate?

Also, can I re-finance the loan from another party
after getting the loan through NMAC; or say pay it off
completely before the stipulated period?
In that case are there pre-payment charges? How much?

Thanks in advance to all who can give some feedback.

satndish · December 2005

Just got a 2006 sentra 1.8S Special Edition around central jersey area. Sticker listed for $17,315. I got the car with tag, registration and tax(6%) for $15250(that's after $2,000 rebate) out the door. I hope I got a good deal. :confuse:

jdb4 · February 2006

$15,800 'out the door' for 2006 1.8S Speical Edition with Moonroof and SAB/ABS in Annapolis, MD area. Good price or can I do better?

sandman46 · February 2006

Awesome price there especially with the moonroof and all. Did you have a trade in also?

The Sandman

jdb4 · February 2006

No trade in. Actually another dealer lowered the price by another $200.

tthota · February 2006

It seems like $14700 take home is the target price, for a 1.8s SE with floor/trunk mats, mud guards and interior filter. What do you guys think?

Anybody paid less than this? by how much?

How many mpg do you get with the car?

jdb4 · February 2006

This is in Maryland.

1.8 S SE with floor/trunk mats, mud guards and interior filter = $14,250 including taxes(5%), title and freight

1.8 S SE with floor/trunk mats, mud guards,interior filter, SAB/ABS and Moonroof = $15,647 including taxes(5%), title and freight

tthota · February 2006

I paid $14700 including title and 6.75% tax, + \epsilon ($45) for license plates.

The trip computer shows 33mpg in average, while I drive mostly to go to work: 17.5 mile total one way including three pieces of 4 mile stretch highways.

Wind direction seems to make a 2 mpg difference.

I am still trying to figure out if the number is accurate. Hope to know other's experience.

rm083085 · February 2006

If you use financing elsewhere you can not get the $500 but if you finance with NMAC you can also use College Connection which will give you tier one credit

Nissan Sentra Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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