Nissan Altima Hybrid Prices Paid and Buying Experience
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Seems like dealers in California are really dealing on the hybrids, but in Jersey I couldn't get anywhere close to what people are getting in Cali.
I got it for around $375 under invoice plus $125 dealer fee.
So I paid $24,899 plus $125 dealer fee. I didn't put out the door because that will vary by state.
I had shopped around on Altimas, but not the hybrid, so I probably wasn't as ready to haggle on a hybrid as I should have been.
The car is nice though.
What's nice is that besides the Federal TAX credit, Pennsylvania will send you a check for $500 if you buy a hybrid. I am sure other states have a similar program. Just wanted to call your attention to the state program as I think many are not aware and they are not promoted well by many states.
Good deal u think?
they started saying they wouldnt sell at MSRP, but rather $2,000 above MSRP. I was shocked, but after 5 hours we got the deal above.
What do you think? thanks.
I was surprised to see this car discounted so early in the it's new model year.
Blue NAH w/ blonde interior
Technology package
Floor mats
Tax, registration, etc, brought it to a total of $33,941. I financed the full amount and received the special 0.7% APR financing, which means that over the course of the 3-year loan, I will pay a whopping $378 in interest. Between the low financing and the tax credit, the effective total price of the car for me was about $29,800, which I feel is more than a fair price for car I received.
I had a pretty good experience with Carsdirect, although I would recommend knowing exactly which car you want when you go to them, as they are more brokers than salespeople. I put the specs I wanted into their website and was contacted within a day. They found the exact car I wanted, set up the financing and gave me the dealer (Antioch Nissan) contact information.
I had a couple minor mishaps with the dealer, but these were, as I said, minor. First, the original email from Carsdirect listed an expected delivery date of last Saturday; I received the car yesterday (Tuesday). The extra 3 days' wait was unbearable only because I wanted my car, but 3 days in the grand scheme of things is nothing. I also asked Carsdirect to put the title under my parents' house instead of my apartment (in case I move), which meant I had to take delivery at their house. Somewhere the lines got crossed and the title ended up listing my apartment, which not only means I had to scramble back to the apt when they showed up (since I was at the house), but I also have to get the address on the title changed at whatever point I move. A minor annoyance.
I also had to be relatively persistent with the dealer, in particular, in terms of calling to make sure of the delivery time, etc.
Overall, I was pretty happy with the price and experience, and would recommend to anyone looking to buy.
A few weeks later, my rep calls and says that they stopped making the 07's but that there was an 07 built in the color and options I wanted except it did have a sunroof. I told them go ahead, I will take the sunroof and was told it was the quickest way and still keep the low finance rate.
Today July 27, more than a month alter, I am told, for the first time, that Nissan had refused the original order and that they could not get the car that was in the pool they told me about earlier and that they would now have to order it as an 08 that would be delivered in the middle of September. (June to Sept) Also that they cannot guarantee what incentives or financing rate would be available. I sort of understand that position but still feel that Nissan had slipped and I should not have to pay for their error.
My choices are to go ahead with the order, cancel and get my deposit back or go to a Toyota Camry Hyrid. (I really wanted the Altima Hybrid witht he Tech) Perhaps some of you have been through this before. but I am not inclined to want to buy a car that I don't even know what the price will be or the financing options. Also what was the purpose of putting down a $500 deposit? What did it do? I thought I was smart at the time but I definitely am doubting myself.
I still would like the car but I have no idea what it will cost and they won't tell me even though I asked politely. They know I am frustrated. I check the inventory of dealers as far as 200 miles away and none have a single Altima with a tech package in any color. I am in Pennsylvania and the car is not available here at all. What would you do?
It sounds like you've had the unfortunate experience of finding a dealer that is unscrupulous, stupid, or both. First, explain your position to the dealership. Don't let them weasel out of the situation. Try to be nice, but don't let them push you around. This thing about "Nissan refusing the order" is pure, unadulterated BS. If Nissan didn't process the order, it's because of something the dealership did wrong (like maybe not order the car?).
The first thing I would do is contact Nissan (not the dealer, the corporation). They take a VERY dim view of this kind of stuff, and will definitely talk to the dealership about what they've done. I've seen preliminary pricing on the 08's and they aren't that much higher (maybe 500 bucks). If Nissan asks you what you'd like to do, say, "I want an 08 and 07 prices, like I was promised". They probably won't go for it, but it never hurts to ask. I would also report the dealership to the ASE, and the Better Business Bureau. You could also file a complaint with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (there may also be a New York State agency too) and send copies of the complaint to Nissan (if corporate doesn't respond). This will definitely get their attention.
Above all, I would get my money back from that dealership, and even if you have to drive a good long distance, go find a dealer that knows their models (Tech Package without a sunroof...nice training for the sales guys) and will stand behind what they've promised.
For each complaint, send copies to the owner of the dealership, as well as the sales manager. Hold your ground. Don't accept a lesser offer. Use words like "litigation" "Nissan District Rep" and "broken contractual agreement" (a contract can be just verbal in many states..and money down establishes a contract, whether or not it's written down).
There are still 07 Nissan Altima Hybrids floating around. Have you tried the internet to get a deal that way?
Good luck!
your suggestion to contact Nissan corp is a good one. Thanks
Clay had an attitude I wouldn't send anyone too.
Clay is good as long as you know how much you want to pay and be reasonable about it. If they didn't know you were that far away, they would probably negotiate more.
Clay was an insult.
The only reason why I contacted Clay was the suggestion on this site.
I'll wait a month for 2008 and get my few grand discount and only have to drive one hour from my home.
I'm in the South Bay Area; I got my Tech package NAH (MSRP $32,975) for $31,020 through Carsdirect about a month ago.
Maybe I got lucky, but they had no problem finding the exact car I wanted...
Carsdirect does generally just match up customers with dealers, but they might also have a more effective search ability than what might be publicly available. You never know.
I was making an observation about prices out this way, and how dealerships operate. I think you'll find the dealership behaviors are pretty much universal. At the end of the day, dealerships are BUSINESSES. They need to make money. They'll try to cut you slack on vehicles that they'd like to move, but for vehicles they know they can sell to the next guy walking in the door for full price, they won't show you much love. At the end of the day, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING they do is for the bottom line. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just what it is.
I'm in Northern California, just north of San Francisco. I was lucky, too. We got our NAH for 1000 over invoice. Immediately after we took delivery, the dealership we purchased from said, "MSRP only." We were the last ones to get a 2007 at a discount, at least at this dealership. We checked around and several dealerships in this area are putting "dealer premiums" on the NAH's, usually to the tune of about 1000 over MSRP. Of course they'll come down to MSRP without much arm twisting I would guess, but still, that means you're getting the car for MSRP.
If I'd gotten jerked around by Clay, I would have done the same thing. The power of the wallet is a good thing. I hear there are some upgrades in 2008 that we 2007 owners will be jealous of (HID headlights, LED taillights, etc).
Actually, I'd rather be in Albuquerque.
I think if you'd visit California, (California is A LOT more than LA and SF) you might find areas that are very much like yours, both culturally and economically. Believe it or not, all our women are not 6' tall, wear thong bikinis to PTA meetings, and wannabe movie stars. Believe it or not, we can't all afford homes in the Hollywood Hills..... For instance, I have to park my NAH in the driveway, because my garage is where my butler lives...
We got our NAH with tech package for $500 below MSRP on Memorial Day Weekend. It was one of those that was not listed on the computer and even some of the sales people didn't realize that they had a Tech package NAH on the lot. We felt very lucky to get the $500.
BTW, we love our NAH and the mileage is improving with every tank of gas.
so i assume you got a fresh one and not the banged up one, good decision. i think it's worth the wait to not get a car that was already involved in an accident
let us know how you love your car and you can also go to www.fueleconomy.gov to keep track of your fuel purchases and mileage (i think the number should be higher than the 33 MPG average it is now)
Well, for those that don't have the opportunity to drive an NAH, I can say that it is a far cry from a Prius, even though they share hybrid technology. The Prius has a 1.5 liter engine, and the NAH a 2.5 liter. Of course the NAH gives up gas mileage to the Prius, but having driven both a NAH and a Altima V-6, I can say that the NAH comes somewhere in between a 2.5 and a V-6. It SEEMS very close to a V-6 to me, but maybe that's just wishful thinking. At any rate, it's a fun car to drive, and the central location of the battery gives the car nice balance between front and rear. I wouldn't taunt a Z-car on a twisty road with the thing, but it IS fun and comfortable, and I can "squirt" from lane to lane in the gawdawful SF area traffic with ease.
As we're learning to drive the NAH, we've found ways to tease the car into EV mode at speeds up to 40 MPH. It's a very delicate "dance" however, and any tiny mis-step on the accelerator brings the ICE into play. Oddly enough, in stop-n-go rush hour traffic, I find myself smiling, as I creep forward on electro-motive power. People must think I'm crazy.
It sounds kind of silly, but one thing I wish hybrids would do would be to have an illuminated hybrid badge on the car that lights up whenever the car is in EV mode. That would drive the point home to other drivers that the car is indeed doing good things....;-) Since the cars lack that capability, maybe I'll just use one of those C02 powered horns, like they use at football games..... :shades:
i used to hate traffic so badly when i'm driving on the pike...alas, i don't mind it as much anymore =D
The dealership sounds like an excellent one, and the deal is pretty darned good! We thought we were getting a helluva deal when we got 1000 over invoice. We had to do some arm-twisting to get that, here in NorCal. Anyone who reads this, and can afford it, should definitely get the Tech Package. It really adds a lot to the car's allure. The only thing annoying (which can be turned off) is the voice-guided navigation. I started calling the female voice "Chatty Cathy" because she kept telling me to "keep left at the next freeway intersection". In the Bay Area, there are hundreds of freeway merges. She just wouldn't SHUT UP! The display is large enough that when it changes to guide you past a freeway merge, there's enough activity to attract your attention without Chatty Cathy pestering you. All the other stuff is very nice. Even the moonroof can be opened on the freeway, and, unless there's a bad crosswind or you're following a big, air-roiling truck, it's very quiet....
I am not sure who I believe anymore but I do know there is a definite projection problem at Nissan in figuring what they should produce for sale.