Cross-Country moving - Ordering for Another State

[qellman32]

Hey all!

I'm setting up to move from Michigan to California, possibly around the time the New Z is shipped (hopefully in 2022).

I'm wondering how to order and if it's better to order in Cali (with no set address yet), or order in Michigan and have the dealership ship the car either from the docks or from the dealership itself? Also, if anybody has shipped cross-country, about how much would that cost?

Nice answers only please, lol. "If you have nothing nice to say..." and all that.
Thanks.

P.S. White Auto w/ Red Interior

 

[Donalex]

First of all, there is no method or infrastructure in place to "order" a car directly from Nissan. You obtain your car directly from the dealer.

So, you're going to have to pay state sales tax on the purchase in your "residence" state. If you buy in MI while you're a resident of CA, you'll pay CA sales tax. Most states are "reciprocal" states meaning the purchase state will charge and then transfer the applicable tax amount to your residence state.

My opinion is that you'll find more cars in CA, but there are probably more buyers there, too.

 

[NissanFreak2021]

If you are planning to get a 2023 model then there is no option to spec out your vehicle and order. You can get on a list for an allotment with a dealership and you can pick between whatever inventory they get when the first batches are released. In my opinion I think your best bet is to try and get an allotment at CA dealerships.

 

[qellman32]

Both of you make sense. So far, I have a $500 deposit at one of my local Nissan/Kia dealerships, and I am "on the list" at a dealership in Fresno, CA, but they haven't taken my deposit yet. I'm thinking of calling a different one in CA and forcing them to take my deposit lol. I'm trying to line things up so that I will have a car ready for me when I move, and not have to drive all the way there.

 

[jdm-rhd]

get the z in cali...they have their own emissions there that wii be installed on all ca cars. from what i understand if you bring a car into the state, you'll have to pay extra to convert it to match their smog regulations.

 

[Donalex]

get the z in cali...they have their own emissions there that wii be installed on all ca cars. from what i understand if you bring a car into the state, you'll have to pay extra to convert it to match their smog regulations.

That's unless the Z is certified in ALL fifty states from the get-go...

 

[qellman32]

I could understand bringing in an older car and having to have emissions changed, but I feel like all modern cars are or at least should be certified for CA. It seems like it would cost the manufacturers more and be less worth it to have differing emissions systems. Plus, doesn't CA's emissions exceed any of the other states' emissions testing?

 

[siggy]

That's unless the Z is certified in ALL fifty states from the get-go...

Is there a new car not certified in all 50 states? Genuinely curious.

 

[NissanFreak2021]

I could understand bringing in an older car and having to have emissions changed, but I feel like all modern cars are or at least should be certified for CA. It seems like it would cost the manufacturers more and be less worth it to have differing emissions systems. Plus, doesn't CA's emissions exceed any of the other states' emissions testing?

All new Nissan vehicles are certified for all US states. Especially considering CA is one of the Z's biggest markets for Nissan. So nothing to worry about there. Just try and get on the allotment list on as many Nissan dealerships there if you want a Z when they first come out.

 

[ceric]

Some C8 owners who bought their Corvettes and brought them into CA themselves had run into problems with CA DMV.
(some, not all)
If they had gone through the courtesy delivery, they would have had no issues.
DMV just gave them headaches to deal with... eventually, no problem, but ... you make the call.
Nissan probably does not have courtesy deliver like Chevrolet does. I am not sure.

If I were you, I would buy a Z from a CA dealer.
Save the potential troubles you might run into, unless you have good incentive to buy from out-of-state.
As Donalex said, you need to pay CA sale tax anyway unless it is 1+ yr old.

 

[qellman32]

Some C8 owners who bought their Corvettes and brought them into CA themselves had run into problems with CA DMV.
(some, not all)
If they had gone through the courtesy delivery, they would have had no issues.
DMV just gave them headaches to deal with... eventually, no problem, but ... you make the call.
Nissan probably does not have courtesy deliver like Chevrolet does. I am not sure.

If I were you, I would buy a Z from a CA dealer.
Save the potential troubles you might run into, unless you have good incentive to buy from out-of-state.
As Donalex said, you need to pay CA sale tax anyway unless it is 1+ yr old.

That's very interesting. The Nissan/Kia dealer that has my deposit said that they have a delivery service (he didn't seem very knowledgeable about it though), but no pricing. I'm not sure if it is a private delivery service or a Nissan courtesy service.

 

[Donalex]

That's very interesting. The Nissan/Kia dealer that has my deposit said that they have a delivery service (he didn't seem very knowledgeable about it though), but no pricing. I'm not sure if it is a private delivery service or a Nissan courtesy service.

There's a new product with Nissan called NissanHOME. It's basically internet based with CARVANA-like delivery. Jalopnik did a story on it and found some stores treated it as a lead service and reverted to doing everything to get the customer to come into the dealer for the fun and games.

 

[takemorepills]

That's very interesting. The Nissan/Kia dealer that has my deposit said that they have a delivery service (he didn't seem very knowledgeable about it though), but no pricing. I'm not sure if it is a private delivery service or a Nissan courtesy service.

That's called "Nissan at Home". You are setup with a dealer who agrees to ship a vehicle to you, but you are also exposed to that dealer's pricing terms. Nissan is really not involved, and if there's a ADM and/or dealer installed accessories, you will still be presented the inflated price.

 

[takemorepills]

Hey all!

I'm setting up to move from Michigan to California, possibly around the time the New Z is shipped (hopefully in 2022).

I'm wondering how to order and if it's better to order in Cali (with no set address yet), or order in Michigan and have the dealership ship the car either from the docks or from the dealership itself? Also, if anybody has shipped cross-country, about how much would that cost?

Nice answers only please, lol. "If you have nothing nice to say..." and all that.
Thanks.

P.S. White Auto w/ Red Interior

There's no such thing as "ordering" a Nissan. Or most vehicles in USA. At best, you are securing an allocation that matches your wants. You make a loose agreement with a dealer to sell you the first Z that matches what you want. You may have to wait, if you want a blue on blue Performance 6MT, and Nissan begins shipping only Sport 9AT in the first deliveries, you just gotta wait until the dealership is notified they'll be getting an allocation that has a blue on blue 6MT.

As for where to buy, consider these things:
CA may receive allocations before MI. You may be able to secure the car you want sooner by choosing CA dealerships.

When buying a car, you must state the registration address. This will be very important for your registration fees and sales tax. These must be charged during the sale.
Consider the tax and registration details for each City.
For me in WA state I need to pay 11% sales tax and nearly $1,000 for first year of registration.

If you buy in one state and soon thereafter move to another state, the new state may not let you finish your first year of out of state registration, and may require re-registering in the new state. Will the previous state refund part of your registration, or do you get the double hucklebuck? Better check!