How to search for a Z

[TitanZ]

Staying patient for maximum buyer leverage coming December 2024 when dealerships typically offer best deals to try to meet any annual sales goals they can. Based on my own research with the various sites including Nissan's inventory search, it looks like dealers sold about 25 new Z's over the Memorial Day weekend which brought the national new/in-transit inventory down to around 1575 cars sitting unsold/in-transit, but now as of June 5th another new batch of Z's showing in-transit through mid-July brings the # of available new 2024 Z's in inventory to around 1715 cars. Wait for 2025 models to start arriving and see how many thousands of dollars you can negotiate below MSRP or just walk-away, dealers have no leverage on selling these cars anymore...they really need you to buy unless they are planning on going out of business.

-Things I've noticed:
--a lot of struggling dealerships seem to be abandoning ship and selling their franchises to the NUCAR conglomerate as I'm seeing a lot of the dealerships being renamed under the NUCAR umbrella now.
--some dealers (especially Florida dealers) are advertising between $5k and $7K off MSRP so that the listing price is the lowest and gets people's attention, but when you read the fine print they've added almost all discounts back in with b.s. protections packages.
--The best deal I'm seeing right now that seems to be legit is for a White Manual Performance w/red int MSRP $55,865 listed for $48,465 plus just a $399 doc fee and then if you have state sales tax. This has been advertised for a couple weeks now Langway Nissan in Rhode Island.

 

[iztrumental]

A white Nismo and a yellow performance manual at Sheehy Nissan Manassas Virginia.

 

[MCN1SMO]

Got a good friend in Virginia who owns a Nissan dealership. He has these 2 Z's for sale and wanted me to help him move them


View attachment 23496

 

[TitanZ]

Car Market in general seems to be in free fall; I wonder if 2024 will go down in history with the most left-over new inventory sitting on lots across the country across all brands? Dealers are trapped with over-priced inventory that they cannot pass on those high prices plus profit to a market unwilling or unable to pay.

Enter the Z with it's niche buyer demographic:

CarEdge- As of today (and since early July) there's still almost 2000 New 2024 Zs sitting on dealer lots or still trickling in:
563 NISMOs;
1,267 Perfs;
124 Sports.
If this year is like last year, the 2025 models should start being advertized for sale within the next couple weeks.

There's some good prices being advertised now, but knowing that these prices will still keep coming down quickly, especially in the used market (used Performance trims in the $42s now), buying now may be a regret when seeing how low the prices go...I think early next year we'll see used Performance trims in the $38s...could be good opportunity to save up cash over next 6-12 months and just buy a cheap used one for cash.

If I had to buy right now, I would look at Bob Rohrman Kenosha Nissan, he's sitting on at least 9 Zs he can't sell and advertising low prices:
Sports: $36,930 and $37,613
Perfs: 2 at $45,398 and 4 at $46372
NISMO: $56,724

 

[MCN1SMO]

VINs seem to be as high as 5800-5900s

 

[TitanZ]

2 NISMOs at Larry Miller Nissan in Denver just price dropped by $30,000, selling at $40,094 plus a $699 doc fee/taxes it looks like. This is the size of price drop needed across all the trims to move these cars in this economic environment. Still around 550 NISMOs sitting across the country, just under 1900 total Zs unsold dealer inventory looks like...no signs of 2025 production/dealer delivery is there? Why ship 2025s when dealers can't move out the 2024s? Heritage edition is being offered with thousands off below MSRP right out of the gate already but many of these will collect dust until heavy discounts as well. Tough situation for Nissan and worse for the Dealers stuck holding the bag right now...will be interesting to see how many dealers are willing to do $30K price drops to get out from under these 2024s.

 

[MacCool]

Could be worse...you could be a Ford dealer sitting on dozens of F-150's at $100K a pop...

 

[Z06fan]

2 NISMOs at Larry Miller Nissan in Denver just price dropped by $30,000, selling at $40,094 plus a $699 doc fee/taxes it looks like. This is the size of price drop needed across all the trims to move these cars in this economic environment. Still around 550 NISMOs sitting across the country, just under 1900 total Zs unsold dealer inventory looks like...no signs of 2025 production/dealer delivery is there? Why ship 2025s when dealers can't move out the 2024s? Heritage edition is being offered with thousands off below MSRP right out of the gate already but many of these will collect dust until heavy discounts as well. Tough situation for Nissan and worse for the Dealers stuck holding the bag right now...will be interesting to see how many dealers are willing to do $30K price drops to get out from under these 2024s.

Ford has opened up a program to dealers to heavily discount F150 Lightnings and Stellantis just came out of meetings with their dealers and they came away happier so they'll likely be doing some things to move vehicles but haven't seen anything from Nissan.

 

[MacCool]

.......but haven't seen anything from Nissan.

....Yet

BUT...Nissan's willingness to discount that deeply is going to depend on their margins. I don't believe for a second that either Ford or the Ford dealer are going to lose a dime on one of those "heavily discounted from grossly inflated" $100,000 pickup trucks.

I don't blame Ford or the Ford dealers...they were just checking to see what the market would bear and got carried away. FAFO applies.

 

[trackratZ]

2 NISMOs at Larry Miller Nissan in Denver just price dropped by $30,000, selling at $40,094 plus a $699 doc fee/taxes it looks like. This is the size of price drop needed across all the trims to move these cars in this economic environment. Still around 550 NISMOs sitting across the country, just under 1900 total Zs unsold dealer inventory looks like...no signs of 2025 production/dealer delivery is there? Why ship 2025s when dealers can't move out the 2024s? Heritage edition is being offered with thousands off below MSRP right out of the gate already but many of these will collect dust until heavy discounts as well. Tough situation for Nissan and worse for the Dealers stuck holding the bag right now...will be interesting to see how many dealers are willing to do $30K price drops to get out from under these 2024s.

Are you sure about this $40K pricing on the Nismos? That would be much much lower than a Performance. Any proof? I'm not looking for a Nismo, but will take a Perf Manual for that price.

 

[MCN1SMO]

It's a typo

 

[Z06fan]

....Yet

BUT...Nissan's willingness to discount that deeply is going to depend on their margins. I don't believe for a second that either Ford or the Ford dealer are going to lose a dime on one of those "heavily discounted from grossly inflated" $100,000 pickup trucks.

I don't blame Ford or the Ford dealers...they were just checking to see what the market would bear and got carried away. FAFO applies.

Agree, the word "yet" could probably be applied to all/most of the manufacturers at this point, Nissan included. Both the Ford F150 and the Stellantis situations are interesting because this is likely just the beginning of what's going to need to take place if they want to start moving vehicles off their lots. Regardless of their stupidity, I feel bad for people that overpaid for vehicles during Covid and are now heavily underwater.

 

[TitanZ]

Are you sure about this $40K pricing on the Nismos? That would be much much lower than a Performance. Any proof? I'm not looking for a Nismo, but will take a Perf Manual for that price.

No proof anymore, I watched the listings on Autotrader and the Larry Miller Arapahoe dealership website since my post and the dealer only kept that offer advertised on both sites for 2 days on one of the NISMOs, and 3 days for the second one, but now they are both advertised back at the MSRP.

So this is not a legit typo, but could be a manufactured typo:
1) some kind of "bait & switch" type tactic to get someone in the showroom and then hit them with all kinds of add-ons to bring the price way back up, or they can just say, yeah that was a typo, but while you're here how about a test drive?
2) I've also heard some OEM's have agreements with the dealer network not to advertise below invoice price, so if a desperate dealer wants to to really low-ball the advertised price below invoice they would probably only do it for a couple days just to see if they can sell it and then start over again back at MSRP advertising.

At the end of the day the buyer determines the price and across the entire market, all the brands, the prices are way too high and generally it seems many people aren't buying unless forced to. The whole thing feels like a slow moving train wreck...

 

[TitanZ]

Posting my thoughts here for posterity, will look back and see how far off I was on the fate of the 2024 inventory

-1950 new Zs lot-rotting at dealers including in-transit 2024 models the OEM is still shipping in through early Feb 2025; 517 NISMOs, 1173 PERFs, and 256 SPORTs (per Car Edge and Nissan Inventory search)

-Another 200 used Zs are also currently price-dropping trying to be sold; seeing used NISMOs listing at $52K, used PERFs listing at $38K

-Dealers have failed to clear their 2024 Z inventory;

—Widespread affordability crises—car market collapsing and circling the drain, expect it to continue to “toilet” in 2025

-What’s next? Dealers will take their losses in liquidation at auctions across the country, used Z inventory skyrockets, price-drops continue, cars will sit at resellers lots until prices reach market price (price reset)

-Crystal Ball…used market prices that might ultimately need to be reached in 2025/2026 for resellers to find buyers of the new-dealer liquidated 2024 stock: NISMO $45K; PERF $35K; SPORT $28K

 

[takemorepills]

I went to go look at a 2024 Performance Z. Usually I pay cash or large down payment, but I spent all my cheddar on my Titan and my son is going to college.

The dealership is offering a huge discount on the Z I want.

I keep getting emails from Nissan (or the dealer, I'm not paying much attention) that say "0% financing, don't delete!" When I open those emails the offer is only for Ariya. Eff them. I can afford the Z at 0%, just offer it on all Nissans, nobody wants an Ariya.

Also, I hate our State government, and they get 11% in taxes if I buy a new vehicle. That's worse than the interest rate to me.