Ordering 2012 model today

[GaslessInSeattle]

The $7500 tax credit and no sales tax here brought it down to the equivalent of under $30 K not $40k, even though I paid as much for the 2011 as you will for the 2012 due to my car being an orphan. My justification was that waiting around would cost me money in depreciation of my previous car and cost in gas. We've saved hundreds in just a few months, looking at around $2k a year... There is not another car on the market that offers that kind of economy! ... And that's not even getting into environmental and political advantages. I don't feel like I bought the first "blue ray", the LEAF is far from a first generation EV, it's got the feel of something more like a third oe forth gen... Very well vetted!
G

I am willing to pay a premium to stop the flow of oil money. 60% of our oil is imported. 100% of our energy is domestic.

I couldn't agree more Spike, and with your other points as well. But here is another way I am looking at it: Nissan is going to build some number of Leafs and deliver them to the US market, and people are climbing over each other to buy them, even at $40k. So does that group of buyers have to include me to further the adoption of this important technology? Do I really need to be among the chumps who pay $1000 for the first blueray player?

I'm trying to make that TCO case work in my mind as I'd really like to buy the car, but I'm not there yet. And I'm OK overpaying some for the irrational component of ownership of what may well be the worlds coolest car, but at $40k it's getting out of control. California buyers got a good deal for sure. Between the MSRP increase, no $5k state credit, even greedier dealers, and concern over the $7500 credit this is looking like a scarier proposition for FL buyers.

 

[Newporttom]

I just got quote from Nissan of the Avenues (in Jax) at $39,998 for SL !! And they add $599 Admin fee on top of that.

I didn't negotiate beforehand..... how easy it it to switch dealers?

 

[spike09]

I just got quote from Nissan of the Avenues (in Jax) at $39,998 for SL !! And they add $599 Admin fee on top of that.

I didn't negotiate beforehand..... how easy it it to switch dealers?

How much extras did you put on the $37,250 price

 

[nogajim]

Shame you're not in Georgia; last I checked they had a $6,000 credit, IIRC.

The credit is $5000 in Georgia. I just applied and hope it goes through!

 

[Newporttom]

I just got quote from Nissan of the Avenues (in Jax) at $39,998 for SL !! And they add $599 Admin fee on top of that.

I didn't negotiate beforehand..... how easy it it to switch dealers?

How much extras did you put on the $37,250 price

Just the floormats $150

 

[spike09]

I just got quote from Nissan of the Avenues (in Jax) at $39,998 for SL !! And they add $599 Admin fee on top of that.

I didn't negotiate beforehand..... how easy it it to switch dealers?

How much extras did you put on the $37,250 price

Just the floormats $150

All you need to do is reject the quote and choose another dealer. You should be able to get MSRP but the $599 Admin fee is going to be real hard to negotiate since all the dealers in Florida charge it.

 

[prolix74]

I just put in my RFQ in Chicago. I used Martin Nissan in Skokie, IL.

I tried to phone them but their leaf specialist is not in till 2pm. Wanted to place my rfq anyway. That dealership has very good reviews and I can always change it later if the deal is bad.

My home assessment is scheduled for 8/31.

I contacted the CS reps this morning and they applied the "fix" for my account. I was then thankfully able to schedule my assessment (8/30 for me!) and put in my order. I chose Glendale Nissan since I had a good experience with buying an Altima from them a few years ago and they were nearby. I will see if they can get back to me soon.

Thanks for the replies and reassurances. My wife and I are getting excited!

 

[TimeHorse]

Finally got my order in this morning. I was surprised to hear from the dealer that their allocation for this month was only 2 cars and next month they only have 4. Anyone else hear allocation numbers for tier 2 dealerships?

Nissan of Chantilly is 3 with 1 taken (me); I'm hopping Gras gets another because the more they order now, the more they get next month.

 

[spike09]

I finally completed my order with Bill Seidle Nissan of Miami. It took them all day and I had to be quite persistent on the phone with several people, including the GM, just to get the quote. It sure don't seem any South Florida dealer understands the process for ordering a Nissan Leaf. I was getting real tired explaining it to them over and over again!

"Yes I have a reservation!"
"Please send me your offer via the Dashboard!"

Good News is they sold it to me at MSRP. There was a standard $820 delivery charge but no dealer fee listed on the "transaction price". The email from Nissan says "Your Nissan LEAF will take approximately 3 - 4 months from your order date to its arrival at your dealer."

 

[LEAFfan]

Shame you're not in Georgia; last I checked they also have a $5,000 credit.

Is that a credit or a rebate? CA's was/is a rebate. If it's a credit, can it be rolled over each year until the full credit is received?

 

[spike09]

Shame you're not in Georgia; last I checked they also have a $5,000 credit.

Is that a credit or a rebate? CA's was/is a rebate. If it's a credit, can it be rolled over each year until the full credit is received?

The Federal Tax EV credit does not roll over.

 

[LEAFfan]

Shame you're not in Georgia; last I checked they also have a $5,000 credit.

Is that a credit or a rebate? CA's was/is a rebate. If it's a credit, can it be rolled over each year until the full credit is received?

The Federal Tax EV credit does not roll over.

The fed tax credit is $7500. I didn't ask about that. I asked about the Georgia $5K credit as posted above by the OP.

Never mind TimeHorse, the website was posted in the 'Georgia' thread and it's a $5K tax credit that can be rolled over each year until all of it is received. That's a great help for Georgians!

 

[TimeHorse]

Never mind TimeHorse, the website was posted in the 'Georgia' thread and it's a $5K tax credit that can be rolled over each year until all of it is received. That's a great help for Georgians!

Glad I could help LEAFfan! No such bonus here but there's supposed to be 0 Car Tax (Personal Property Tax) on a BEV; I'll believe it when I see it but I suppose if true it takes some of the sting out of the commonwealth officially saying a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid is more fuel efficient and better for the environment that a BEV like the Nissan LEAF! >roll<

 

[cperez4909]

That time is finally here. Carlos with Koons Nissan of Falls Church here. I had a total of 5 Allocations this morning. I'm down to two left. We're taking the MSRP pledge at Koons Nissan. Change your Preferred Dealer Information today to get your new Nissan LEAF.

We're ready, charging stations on-line, service department fully operational and LEAF customer only perks. We look forward to being your preferred Nissan LEAF Dealer. Choose Koons Nissan today!

Carlos Perez
Koons Nissan
Sales Manager
703.241.1000

Again, call me naive, but MSRP means MSRP, not MSRP+850.

Well, thats the way many auto majors quote their msrp. So yes, real MSRP = MSRP+destination charges.

Exactly why there is a waiver at the bottom of the order confirmation page saying price doesn't include Destination charges. And I'm not guaranteeing Nissan of Chantilly won't charge me the $850 Destination. It's within their profit margin to waive it and just charge MSRP, so it's not unreasonable for them to do so, but for the East Coast, it's unusual to see any dealer going below MSRP+Destination.

The $1,450 price increase over the 2011 SV Trim w/ Cold Weather Package would still make MSRP $35,200 and with Destination that comes to $36,050, which is pretty close to your sweet spot, and I'd not fault a dealership for offering that. I call that following the MSRP guarantee. The MSRP and Options Guarantees don't include Destination charges and certainly if those are rolled into the price or otherwise waved (which is at the discretion of the Dealership) I call that a better than MSRP deal.

Because that's just the way the business works.

One would hope when the car's made in Smyrna the cost will go down, but there's no guarantee of that.

As it is, my likely scenario is buy the car in November 2011; sell the car maybe in maybe August 2013 by trading it in for a late model year 2013. My depreciation hit will be nasty no matter when I buy a 2013 (and by then maybe another BEV will be on the way that makes me drop the LEAF all together) but certainly by buying a new car, a late model year, in August, you're most likely to get the best discounts if not the best choice. But pimped rides are usually the hardest off the lot so that could work to my advantage. At least that's my tentative plan - I want that 6.6kW charger!!

EDIT: Oh, and I should point out I calculate that I will save about $2,500 - $3,000* per year on gasoline alone. So it won't take long for the LEAF premium to pay for itself, at least for me!

* Assumes c. 24K Miles per year at 136.8kWh per week @ 9.6 to 6.4 cents per kWh and 16 gallons of gasoline per week @ $3.905 per gallon. LEAF assumed to achieve 3.33 mi/kWh vs. current gasoline vehicle at best with 28.5 mpg.

 

[TimeHorse]

That time is finally here. Carlos with Koons Nissan of Falls Church here. I had a total of 5 Allocations this morning. I'm down to two left. We're taking the MSRP pledge at Koons Nissan. Change your Preferred Dealer Information today to get your new Nissan LEAF.

We're ready, charging stations on-line, service department fully operational and LEAF customer only perks. We look forward to being your preferred Nissan LEAF Dealer. Choose Koons Nissan today!

Carlos Perez
Koons Nissan
Sales Manager
703.241.1000

Got it! You're on the list! Sorry for not contacting you first. I have you guys down as one of the 30 or so greater D.C. LEAF Certified Dealerships but as one of the later joining dealership (one of the Sheehey actually dropped out since then as well) but I've been so busy with a backlog of articles I never got around to you guys. But you're more than welcome to send my your best LEAF pitch and I'd be happy to write you up on the website Carlos!

I want to create a post with the current list of Dealership stock so my readers who've yet to order will be able to contact dealers with allocations still to spare and I'll certainly note your 2 there. BTW, well done on the 5 allocations! Thanks again for letting me know and have a wonderful day!

 

[TimeHorse]

That time is finally here. Carlos with Koons Nissan of Falls Church here. I had a total of 5 Allocations this morning. I'm down to two left. We're taking the MSRP pledge at Koons Nissan. Change your Preferred Dealer Information today to get your new Nissan LEAF.

Thanks for the allotment numbers too. Noted!

 

[tretola]

When ordering the LEAF, have any of the dealers wanted you to prequalify for credit approval prior to ordering?

 

[BrendanDolan]

Finally got my order in this morning. I was surprised to hear from the dealer that their allocation for this month was only 2 cars and next month they only have 4. Anyone else hear allocation numbers for tier 2 dealerships?

Sounds about right. Until the plant in Tennessee comes online, they've been spreading the small production capability across the different waves. I'm a Wave 1 dealer, and I used to have allocations that are 10 times what I'm supposed to get this month, as Nissan has to make sure they evenly spread the limited production capability across many states.

Don't be surprised if this negatively impacts dealers abilities to cut discounts too. I need a final confirmation on what my August number is going to be (should update later today), but if it's what I think it is, I'll be back to MSRP also. If I can't sell a volume of cars, I can't do volume pricing.

When ordering the LEAF, have any of the dealers wanted you to prequalify for credit approval prior to ordering?

Don't do that. Smartest thing to do is get pre approved at your local bank/credit union for the best rate, and then see if the dealer CAN find lower. If they say they can, then run credit at their store to see if you can get approved for what they've found. Always, and I mean always, walk into a dealer with your own method of payment for the car.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I finally completed my order with Bill Seidle Nissan of Miami. It took them all day and I had to be quite persistent on the phone with several people, including the GM, just to get the quote. It sure don't seem any South Florida dealer understands the process for ordering a Nissan Leaf. I was getting real tired explaining it to them over and over again!

"Yes I have a reservation!"
"Please send me your offer via the Dashboard!"

Good News is they sold it to me at MSRP. There was a standard $820 delivery charge but no dealer fee listed on the "transaction price". The email from Nissan says "Your Nissan LEAF will take approximately 3 - 4 months from your order date to its arrival at your dealer."

Thanks for letting us know!!! I just called Bill Seidle's and they confirmed they will sell @ MSRP with no dealer service fee. Good chance I'll switch to them.

 

[davewill]

Don't do that. Smartest thing to do is get pre approved at your local bank/credit union for the best rate, and then see if the dealer CAN find lower. If they say they can, then run credit at their store to see if you can get approved for what they've found. Always, and I mean always, walk into a dealer with your own method of payment for the car.

Absolutely the best advice. The LEAF throws a bit of a curve because some people need to lease to take the tax credit, but walking in with financing is rule number one in my book. It short circuits the whole scenario where the dealer tries to negotiate the payment instead of the price. Negotiate the price, solid with all fees on paper, THEN see if the dealer can beat your financing. If they try any funny business on the financing, just go with the outside lender. I even once got three quarters of a point off by going back and forth, My CU gave me one percentage, the dealer's CU beat it by a half percent, my CU topped that by a quarter, and the dealer's CU matched it. That was unusual, though. I let the dealer handle the financing on a match if they've treated me well, (and if they aren't taking me through some lender I've never heard of) since it gives them little more profit on the deal.