To avoid dealer markups, will Leaf be available at Carmax?

[chijayhawker]

I've always enjoyed my car purchasing process at Carmax as I know they do not add bogus dealer add ons or markups. I was hoping that I would be able to purchase the Leaf at Carmax instead of a Nissan dealer, which to this point have shown they are going to try to gouge on price.

[palmermd]

Carmax is a used car dealer. You wont be able to buy one there unless it is a used vehicle.

[planet4ever]

I've always enjoyed my car purchasing process at Carmax as I know they do not add bogus dealer add ons or markups. I was hoping that I would be able to purchase the Leaf at Carmax instead of a Nissan dealer, which to this point have shown they are going to try to gouge on price.

Can you provide some rationale for that accusation? All I have seen is statements that Nissan's lawyers force them to make saying they can't control what the dealers charge, along with several reports from potential buyers here that they have found dealers who promised not to go over MSRP.

[chijayhawker]

Carmax is a used car dealer. You wont be able to buy one there unless it is a used vehicle.

Double check that. They do sell new cars as well.

[chijayhawker]

I've always enjoyed my car purchasing process at Carmax as I know they do not add bogus dealer add ons or markups. I was hoping that I would be able to purchase the Leaf at Carmax instead of a Nissan dealer, which to this point have shown they are going to try to gouge on price.

Can you provide some rationale for that accusation? All I have seen is statements that Nissan's lawyers force them to make saying they can't control what the dealers charge, along with several reports from potential buyers here that they have found dealers who promised not to go over MSRP.

I have already posted before about how the first dealer that I tried to contact, the preferred one from the registration process, started feeding me a line about how the Leaf was going to sell for over $37,000 in Illlinois because of some bizarre notion about emission control rules. The dealer's representative kept claiming that the 32K price was after the Federal tax rebate. So in the end I assumed that he was simply uniformed and was already trying to gouge me.

[redLEAF]

Carmax is a used car dealer. You wont be able to buy one there unless it is a used vehicle.

They sell new Nissan's out of Wash DC/Baltimore area (knew they sold new as there is a mega Carmax just north of the IL/WI border in Kenosha that sells Chevy's and Toyota/Scion)

http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-search/new-cars.html

It's true that they have a hassle free pricing approach, almost bought a used car for my son. We ended up buying a Scion xA locally as the Kenosha store didn't have any left (it was the changeover year between the xA and xD and of course wouldn't save anything with Scion's approach to pricing). This could be good news for the Leafer's out east if Nissan extends LEAF sales to that Carmax location!

Sounds like it's time for the DC/Balt folks to pay Carmax a visit!

[palmermd]

Carmax is a used car dealer. You wont be able to buy one there unless it is a used vehicle.

They sell new Nissan's out of Wash DC/Baltimore area (knew they sold new as there is a mega Carmax just north of the IL/WI border in Kenosha that sells Chevy's and Toyota/Scion)

http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-search/new-cars.html

It's true that they have a hassle free pricing approach, almost bought a used car for my son. We ended up buying a Scion xA locally as the Kenosha store didn't have any left (it was the changeover year between the xA and xD and of course wouldn't save anything with Scion's approach to pricing). This could be good news for the Leafer's out east if Nissan extends LEAF sales to that Carmax location!

Sounds like it's time for the DC/Balt folks to pay Carmax a visit!

The used car dealers can have an auto-broker license to sell a new car. They are really only a broker at that point. They take a commission on connecting you, the buyer, with a new car dealer. Pricing is set from the new car dealer that they purchase from, and they will get a commission. It will all be clearly listed on the purchase agreement, but if the new car dealers are not going to discount the car from MSRP then you will be paying more than MSRP to purchase the car at Carmax.

edit : I followed your link after I wrote this. It looks like the Carmax in DC/Baltimore is a licensed NEW Nissan dealer. That one might be an option. The other locations will probably be with a broker agreement.

Heck with DC as an initial roll-out location, you could purchase the car in Chicago at a Carmax dealer with a broker arrangement to the Carmax in DC and get your car as one of the initial roll-out cars. Could be a way to get the car early in some of the other states. Of course you'll be paying for the broker fees and some shipping to the selling dealership, but you would be able to get the car much sooner.

[LTLFTcomposite]

I have already posted before about how the first dealer that I tried to contact, the preferred one from the registration process, started feeding me a line about how the Leaf was going to sell for over $37,000 in Illlinois because of some bizarre notion about emission control rules. The dealer's representative kept claiming that the 32K price was after the Federal tax rebate. So in the end I assumed that he was simply uniformed and was already trying to gouge me.

One piece of wisdom from my dad has always stuck with me... assume that everything that comes out of a car salesman's mouth is directed to a single goal: Getting you to buy a car today. When you walk into the showroom and start asking about the Leaf, the person you are talking to has absolutely no use for you. Their only hope for extracting value from your presence is to persuade you that you would be better off with something they can sell you today than you would be with some vapor-car. Apparently the psychological tactic that was attempted here was to inflate the price of the future thing in hopes you would lose interest in it. Of course they overlook the fact that a leaf early adopter is far to sophisticated to fall for some "switcheroo" and drive out in a shiny new Altima. But it is entirely possible all the Leaf advertising is bringing a crop of more superficially Leaf-interested buyers in making inquiries... and they are prime fodder for the dealer's sales machine.

[redLEAF]

Carmax is a used car dealer. You wont be able to buy one there unless it is a used vehicle.

They sell new Nissan's out of Wash DC/Baltimore area (knew they sold new as there is a mega Carmax just north of the IL/WI border in Kenosha that sells Chevy's and Toyota/Scion)

http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-search/new-cars.html

It's true that they have a hassle free pricing approach, almost bought a used car for my son. We ended up buying a Scion xA locally as the Kenosha store didn't have any left (it was the changeover year between the xA and xD and of course wouldn't save anything with Scion's approach to pricing). This could be good news for the Leafer's out east if Nissan extends LEAF sales to that Carmax location!

Sounds like it's time for the DC/Balt folks to pay Carmax a visit!

The used car dealers can have an auto-broker license to sell a new car. They are really only a broker at that point. They take a commission on connecting you, the buyer, with a new car dealer. Pricing is set from the new car dealer that they purchase from, and they will get a commission. It will all be clearly listed on the purchase agreement, but if the new car dealers are not going to discount the car from MSRP then you will be paying more than MSRP to purchase the car at Carmax.

edit : I followed your link after I wrote this. It looks like the Carmax in DC/Baltimore is a licensed NEW Nissan dealer. That one might be an option. The other locations will probably be with a broker agreement.

Heck with DC as an initial roll-out location, you could purchase the car in Chicago at a Carmax dealer with a broker arrangement to the Carmax in DC and get your car as one of the initial roll-out cars. Could be a way to get the car early in some of the other states. Of course you'll be paying for the broker fees and some shipping to the selling dealership, but you would be able to get the car much sooner.

At least on the site they say no direct transfers (for new cars) as I would guess it's part of their agreement with the mfg. Besides Carmax there is also AutoNation which when I put in my zip and selected Nissan, it shows dealer stock in Memphis (TN is of course a rollout state) for 'other' Nissan's. AutoNation has 279 total dealer's (24 Nissan) and I would guess that they would find a way to transfer one of these (unless of course Nissan restricts it which is of course quite possible). Plus you have all of the online pure brokerage buying services (carsdirect, etc.) so there may indeed be other possibilities.

[evnow]

Does carmax comeup as a possible dealer for you @ nissan leaf site ? If yes, you can buy thrugh them. Otherwise, you can't.