2008 Nissan Altima Coupe

altimachick

buying experiences link
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0a54e5.ef06fa3/1074

tokyodrift

there wasn't even a sticker on it yet ... it had just come in! Only 3 on the lot .. and the others were 3.5s.

P.S. thanks for the link altimachick

arthwerks

Yes you are correct. That car without leather should be around $23,525. Ask the manager to see the sticker. Nissan ships every car with a sticker on it. Maybe they are trying to hide something.

thenebean

damn skippy pat!

-thene :P

thenebean

tokyo,

if you aren't in a rush, wait a couple of months for the tizzy to die down. you'll be able to get them at a good price then.

-thene

tokyodrift

Thene,

I am in somewhat of a rush ... i swapped cars with my parents since my MX-6 was old and couldn't handle the mileage with my new commute to work. I'm sure they would let me slide a couple of months.

When do you think they'll start dealing fair prices... september? or later?

Thanks

thenebean

tokyo,

i couldn't tell you for sure. used to work at a nissan dealer, but havent for about 2 years now. While I am a nissan fan, i don't think the coupe will stay hot for more than a couple of months. I would look around at the inventory dealers have within a driving distance of you (100 miles or so) and see if there are any that have a larger amount. try calling around, offering what you would like to pay, tell them you are serious and that the first dealer to meet your price gets your business. you won't really know what price you can get until you start asking.

good luck! the altima coupe is a pretty car

-thene

black00

Has anybody been able to buy the new Altima Coupe via Nissan's VPP and get the nice slight below invoice price?
I know that dealer participation is optional and I'll certainly ask the dealers in my area, but I'd like to get the collective wisdom on this first.

thenebean

don't think you'll see dealers allowing VPP pricing until the craze dies down a bit. you never know unless you ask though...

i used to work at a nissan store that also had a ford store as well - and being the internet person for both stores, i also sold a few fords. i had someone come in who wanted a Mustang (when they had just come out) at the X Plan price (Ford's VPP) and the owner let him have it at that price. so you never know unless you ask!

-thene

arthwerks

Good afternoon ladies and gents. Got a reply for 2 questions. First, Altima Coupes could be in short supply for a little longer than expected. The reason for this is that Nissan is planning a big hoopla event introducing the Coupe. They haven't done this yet because of the short supply. People seem to be scarfing up the better equipped ones and leaving the base models on the lot. Here in Baton Rouge, we have sold eight and have two on the lot right now. The other two area dealers have not done as well. Since the ones with all the goodies have sold the best, they are the hardest to find. If you could be flexible on an option here or there, you should find them. Nissan sold 25,935 Altimas for the month of June. They did include the coupe numbers in this figure. This is compared to 14,174 sold last June. If your dealer wants to charge over sticker, come see me in Baton Rouge. Now, as far as the VPP goes, I have heard that some dealers honored the VPP price with pre-sold orders of the coupe but, I have not heard of anyone getting that price since the release. I can't say that they are not doing it, I have just not heard about it. By the way, VPP is usually about $200 behind invoice. Hope this helps.

dynot

Interesting. I just got back from a dealer and to my surprise they told me that it should take a week or two to get what I want...niagra gray premium package.

In fact, they had a black one in their showroom that was available if I wanted by Friday of this week. They're suppose to get back to me tomorrow to let me know if they can find the grey or silver. If not, I'll go with the black.

Now being the ever suspicious guy that I am, it crossed my mind that this could be a ploy to get me to give a down-payment only to tell me that 1) they can't find either of my first two choices, and 2) the black was sold after I left. They would figure I wouldn't go through the trouble of asking for my money back.

I only suspect this because all I've heard is that they're so scarce and suddenly this dealer not only has one readily available but can get me my choice of color within a week.

Is it possible there is an ample supply out there now?

jd10013

Is it possible there is an ample supply out there now?

I very much doubt it. nissan has (i think) 1500 NA dealerships. its going to take awhile to get everybody stocked up. on top of that, the coupe is selling like crazy. the two dealerships closest to me don't even have one yet. at least none for the public to buy. there are some on the lots, but their pre-sold.

oldfarmer50

"...People seem to be scarfing up the better equipped ones and leaving the base models..."

Is that typical? I was looking for a base coupe from Mitsu but all I could find at dealers were loaded ones. I assumed this was because there was more profit in the bells and whistles. But from what you are saying maybe this is how people like their cars.

arthwerks

Mornin' folks. Never did I say that you couldn't find a coupe on a lot. I have three on my lot right now. As it stands right now, there are 15 coupes on the road in Baton Rouge, LA. What we have noticed is this. The people that are coming to buy, want the loaded ones. These are the people that had the money, or sparkling credit, and wanted the loaded vehicle. Also, the value is great. You can get a 2.5S with everything but Nav and foglights for a sticker of $26,975. A sedan with the connection package has a sticker of $26,325 give or take a hundred. A lot of things that are optional on the sedan are standard on the coupe. A 3.5SE with everything but Nav (foglights and sunroof are standard) is $29,475. The same car in a sedan would be $29,185. Couple all this with the fact that base 2.5S coupes come with hub caps, you can see why the more loaded ones are selling quicker. The base models will be a good switch car where someone will buy one because they can't quite afford the one they really want. We have actually done a couple of dealer trades ourselves but, we trade coupe for coupe. Mainly just a color thing. Typically, you will see people buy the loaded ones when a model first comes out. This will settle down a bit after they have been out awhile. Another thing to remember. Nissans, Toyotas, and Hondas tend to have a better resale value later on so bells and whistles on these cars could make them be worth a little more.

dante54

I thought I'd comment on my experience today in Indiana. Went in and bought a new 3.5SE with everything but nav for $29,200. Tried to use the VPP discount but they didn’t accept it although they did tell me I got the "only discount they have given on the coupe" because of the VPP. I waited for quite a while until they found a black one to trade with another dealership. The salesman told me they had a hard time finding any dealership willing to trade, not sure if it's true but I will be getting my new black coupe next week! Hope this helps anyone searching in the Midwest.

maximafan

The problem is that the current model Accord really does look outdated next to the current model Altima. That's just the way it is with cars, for the most part. People have to like
what they've got parked in their driveway.
For now, advantage '07 Altima.

ksphere

hard top or rag top? Im hearing some rumblings on the blogs.

greanpea68

I sell Nissan's in the Boston area. I haven't heard of a convertible yet.

The coupe is very difficult to get in this region also. And dealers aren't swapping them here either.

natenj1971

Finally saw a silver 2.5 coupe base model with hubcaps on the road tonight. The driver was a woman, 30-35yo.

I sat in a red loaded (w/o navi) 3.5 coupe at a dealer month ago. Was told it was the only one on the lot.

I guess inventory is still low. I thought I'd see more of them by now.

oldfarmer50

Wow. This board is slowing down after only 227 posts? Maybe the new Altima coupe isn't as hot as I thought.

madmanmoo

That was on my mind too, lol. But then again, maybe the folks who buy coupes are big into nerding it out on the computer like me. I'm betting on that, because they are still screaming off our lot. :surprise:

-Moo

arthwerks

No slow down in Coupe sales here either. One customer got mad the other day because the car had to go through the PDI process when it came off the truck before they could take it home. We can't keep 3.5SE models on our lot at all.
Hey, Moo. Twenty Titans sold so far this month and still counting. Average number of days from wholesale to retail on Coupes for us is four. Our district is averaging thirteen. We seem to be selling them quickly. In some ways we have to. We are in the middle of construction, we have sold 110 new to date and only have 224 new on our lot. Basically we don't have any where to put them! :shades:

Art

madmanmoo

Ha! That's awesome, Art. We can't keep any 3.5 SEs either. We've got 2 2.5S models in the premium package.

Azure blue seems to be a hard sell though. :sick:

-Moo

greanpea68

Azure blue seems to be a hard sell though

I agree it is a wierd blue. We located one to show a customer and he didn't like it so we had to change colors to silver.

No problems selling them here either. I think you were right anyone buying them isn't really into coming onto Edmunds to say hey I just the coupe sticker. When we start discounting them I'm sure you will see everyone posting about them. :shades:

vasabresfan29

I still do not have my Coupe. It has been 2 months since ordering, last we heard it is being delivered next month, but we have heard this before. We ordered a 2.5 with everything (literally). We keep being told their is a delay in the Navi, any dealers having a problem getting their ordered coupes or are we getting the run around.

madmanmoo

That's a tough one without seeing their actual inventory, but I doubt you're getting the runaround. There are not many Navi coupes available.

Do you need a car immediately?

-Moo

novaguy200

Hey Moo...when do you expect them (especially the fully loaded coupes) to be somewhat available? Looking to buy a new car around the end of the year...still waiting to see what the new Accord is like, but if availability of both is scarce, might consider other options. Thx! (Also, one stat has me a little worried...I'm 6'5, and the headroom is listed at 37.2...hopefully that won't be an issue...used to driving with 39...)

flightnurse

hey Moo, I know this isn't the Nissan Rouge thread, but have you heard when Nissan is releasing them ?

Tony

madmanmoo

Hi nova,

I think by the end of the year we SHOULD have them available. I obviously can't predict the market, but historically Nissan has not held off on production like Honda has.

I think that around December would be a great time to check out both the new Nissan coupe and the new Honda Accord. Happy shopping!

-Moo

madmanmoo

Hi Tony,

Funny that you should mention that. I actually just saw my first one yesterday. In person!

Our area director swung by with a pre-production model. I gotta tell ya, it looks awesome! I think this is gonna be a real contendor in the small SUV market.

The real release for the vehicle will be in September. I can't wait! Finally something to compete with the CR-V and the Rav4. I don't think we'll put a huge dent in CR-V sales (most loyal Honda market), but I know we're gonna give Toyota a good run.

Keep your eyes peeled!

-Moo

oldfarmer50

Does the new coupe have variable valve timing in both the 3.5L and the 2.5L?

greanpea68

Oldfarmer,

Yes it is Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS).

Hope that is helpful,

Gp

kaya1

Moo,

What is the lead time on ordering a 3.5SE w/ Navi in the color of your choice? We were told they aren't making coupes w/ Navi for sometime, but this might of been a sales ploy by the dealer. Kinda strange to see a lot of their marketing around the tech package if this is actualy the case. :confuse:

oldfarmer50

August Road and Track has an interesting article where they compare the Altima coupe and the Mitsu Eclipse...they seem to like the Eclipse better :confuse:

victrolajazz

"August Road and Track has an interesting article where they compare the Altima coupe and the Mitsu Eclipse...they seem to like the Eclipse better"

I read that and I think the numbers for the Altima were lower on all acceleration runs, 'tho. Can't remember what the likes/dislikes were--probably had something to do with position of HVAC controls or some other irrelevant thing--a lot of testers seem to use such observations to establish they like one make over another one... I do remember them saying the interior was rather plain--but I'm conjuring all this up from memory, so I might be wrong. T'wouldn't be the first time nor last...

madmanmoo

Well, if you were told they weren't making coupes w/ Navi..... that's just not true. We've already received 2 coupes with Navi and promptly sold them both. I'm not sure what to tell you, kaya1.

There main goal IS to sell a car. The question is, can you wait for it and deal with them as well?

-Moo

natenj1971

I'm almost as tall as you Nova and I fit with plenty of head room. Could even see under the rear view mirror with no problem (once I lowered the seat as far down as it would go).

greanpea68

What is the lead time on ordering a 3.5SE w/ Navi in the color of your choice? We were told they aren't making coupes w/ Navi for sometime, but this might of been a sales ploy by the dealer. Kinda strange to see a lot of their marketing around the tech package if this is actualy the case.

You might be looking at a smaller dealer. They might not be getting any. We have one here also. The problem is Nissan isn't flooding the market with them right now and dealers aren't trading right now unless it's a good trade.

kaya1

We actually got lucky and bought one off the lot in late June, even got the color of our choice. I check inventory now and then online in So Cal and a 3.5 w/ Navi are few and far between. I have yet to see another Slate our color of choice.

The reason I brought up the question is at the time of purchase the dealer (one of the biggest in the area) said they were having supply and demand issue w/ the Navi and they would be tuff to get. We needed to trade our other car before it hit 100K miles which would of been before the end of the summer, so we bought the car. :shades:

I am just curious how long would it of taken us to pre-order the Coupe to spec? We ended up paying a slight mark-up, thus just seeing how long we would of waited to save a couple $. Don't get me wrong we like the car a lot and is well worth the $.

Why would Nissan not flod the market when there is high demand. You would think they would do everything to beat the Honda Accord Coupe to the punch. Competition will only drive the price down on the Nissan Coupe. :confuse:

Question to Nissan Reps what is the lead time on a 3.5 Slate Coupe w/ the prem and Tech packages?.....thanks

jd10013

Why would Nissan not flod the market when there is high demand

my guess would be, they simply don't have the spare capacity to meet demand. especially with the sedan selling so well. to expand a plant would not be a good financial descion, as demand could drop. But, if demand stays high for awhile, I suspect they might.

greanpea68

You would think they would do everything to beat the Honda Accord Coupe to the punch.

Honda will do the same thing. Honda is well known for not flooding the market... I'll explain next...

Competition will only drive the price down on the Nissan Coupe.

That is where you are wrong. It doesn't hurt Nissan. By not flooding the market you have a supply and demand issue. Honda didn't flood the market with their cars for years and thatwas one of the ways they were able to charge all the money for their cars. Where the demand is high and supply is low. Now dealers are getting sticker if not more than sticker because the car is in such demand.

I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your coupe it is a really awesome car that looks good and drives great!

As i have said before some dealers don't even have them on their lot.

If you were to order one you would be waiting till September/October....

joshman9

Actually, I ordered a dark slate fully- loaded 3.5 w/ navi and everything about three and a half weeks ago and my dealer said it would be here by beggining to mid Augest. I hope it's true!

victrolajazz

"Can't remember what the likes/dislikes were--probably had something to do with position of HVAC controls or some other irrelevant thing--a lot of testers seem to use such observations to establish they like one make over another one... I do remember them saying the interior was rather plain--but I'm conjuring all this up from memory"

I'm replying to myself--I re-read the article and all the numbers for the Altima were better then the Mitsu. It WAS stuff such as the dashboard and interior that they took off of the Altima, which I think is nonsense. A thing I especially like about the Coupe is the semi-boattail rear-end.

oldfarmer50

"...I especially like about the coupe is the semi-boattail rear-end..."

I agree. That's the best side of this car. I don't care for the front though. The article said the same thing. They call it "bulbous".

victrolajazz

"I don't care for the front though. The article said the same thing. They call it "bulbous"."

I don't know why Nissan went to the expense of designing a completely different front end for the coupe just for the sake of being different when there's nothing wrong with the sedan's front clip--in fact it's really nicer looking than the coupes. Traditionally, coupes have always had the same front clip as their sedan counterparts--it's the part behind the doors that's different.

vasabresfan29

I got an email from teh dealer yesterday stating they now have a Vin # for my Coupe and a delivery date of 8/31. I will believe it when I actually have the car though.

rachelmarie

I was able to purchase my coupe with the VPP discount! They tried to tell me I couldn't but I argued with them until they finally entered the claim number and TA DA!! It worked. So definitly don't always trust them if they say it isn't valid on the 08 model. Although I do believe it isn't valid on the 2008 G38 coupe. I bought mine (2.5s, nothing added on except floor mats) on June 20th for around 23000 drive out price, that includs extended warranty another $600 add on, in addition to the dealer add on crap of the paint protectant for $1150 or something like that. I absolutely love it and would do it again! I have gotten an unbelievable amount on compliments on my car!

rachelmarie

Also I ended up saving about $2000 with the VPP, you just have to know how to talk your way into getting the most amount of money off...get your ducks in a row before you go in ready to buy!

pat

I hope everyone here will share your purchase experiences over in our new Dealer Ratings & Reviews feature!

kaya1

I think getting a deal has a lot to do w/ the model, options, color of choice, and were you live. If you live in So Cal and want a 3.5SE w/ prem and tech packages expect to pay for a car of the lot; that is if you can find one, not to mention the color of choice. You probally can get a better deal by per-order.

I saw a guy the other day in a bank parking lot fogging up my windows, and he ordered the same car it will take between 10-12 weeks. I am not sure how much he paid, but I am sure he got a better deal then me. Needless to say he was the jealous one