Ace3013

I have followed the forums for a while now and I am ready to make a move on a base model SE. I have a few questions that someone may be able to help me with. (Forgive me if they are dumb)

I am looking for a Champagne Mist (Gold) This color was in the early 04 literature but not in the latest release and not in the 05 stuff. Is it still made?

Are there any factory to dealer incentives that out there ? Any hidden rebates?

Will the $1000 rebate / 2% carry over to the 05. Historically are there incentives at the beginning of the model year ? What should I look for? Where should I look?

I have the following figures , please tell me if Im in the ballpark.
base SE invoice $24780
rebate -1000
dealer 3% hold back -813
destination charge +560
If these numbers are close the dealer has $23527 in the base SE. All the lots in my area have plenty of cars sitting around, both 04 and 05. What do you think I should pay? Would $24000 be in the ballpark?

I also found several used 04s, but I have no idea how to value them . How do dealers come up with a price on a 04 with 15000 miles. I can find no info in the Edmunds , Kelly or NADA. What factor is used to figure the final cost. If I can get an 04 new for 24 what is a perfect used one worth 20,21,22,??

Thanks for the help, I hope my questions are not to dumb.

SkoorbMax

Dealers value them by what they think it will sell for, regardless of what KBB says. They base this on experience.

Burny

You should have no problem snagging one at invoice.

viguera

iTrader: (1)

What he said. Dealers generally don't care about KBB... they go by what the market feels like. If the car is hot, they won't care about hold-back and you'll barely get a rebate.

I went looking for the new Chrysler 300 a few months ago, and everybody wanted a premium. Same thing when the new TL was introduced... there's a lot of interest, an there's always a donkey willing to pay a premium, so the dealers will hold off thinking (knowing?) that they'll sell the cars without having to work with you.

On a car like the '04 Maxima it's easier now... A dealer with a bunch of '04s in the lot has to move them, because the '05s are just about here. If the price is close, most people will go for the "new hotness" even though the '04s are perfectly fine, so they tend to give discounts or throw in stuff for cars in the lot.

It doesn't matter what you offer him... the worst that could happen is that he'll say no. Then you can head out to the dealer across the street and try him and see... If you go in ready to buy at $24k, and tell him to throw in free mats or something, he might just go for it if you look like you're gonna walk out the door. Any salesman that lets me walk out over a few hundred bucks when I'm buying a car doesn't deserve my money anyway.

Go play hardball and see what you can do. Start low and see if they'll bite, who knows... Like I said, what do you have to lose?

fleetwood

My stealer told me $25,770 is what He payed for the se. screwed again.

msoemax

A good idea is to check out consumer reports.com and buy one of the buying guides for $20. It will tell you all the details in your area as well as what deals dealers are getting. IMHO i think the $20 should save you at least a few hundred when arguing with the dealer. Bring it in and show em how you are pricing your car. This gives them less leverage when they try to BS you. Also shop around!!!! Costco believe it or not has good car programs. I went to a costco certified dealer and they were ginving me the car for $100 over invoice because I was a cosco member. It's your job to find out just what the invoice number is, good luck becuase that is a well kept secret. BTW, it sounded like you have one of those reports already from CR.

If you can get the car for around 28k OTD you did pretty good.
I paid 28.5 OTD
W moonroof, mudgaurds, mats, free lifetime oil changes, and car washes.
See if the dealer will throw in free oil changes and car washes too. that adds up over time and it's a bragging right too! Look into their loaner program too. Never buy from a place that won't give you a loaner while they work on your car!!!!!

lightonthehill

To use Edmunds and KBB for this, pretend you are SELLING the car in question, and it will query you for every pertinent detail, such as options, condition and mileage, then tell you the wholesale and retail value.

As to the rebates, forget them on the '05s for the time being. They are being used to clear the '04 inventory. You should be able to get a better deal (like invoice) on an '04. Try for an '04 with a VIN above 900000 if possible. There are very very few changes from the '04 to the '05.

Champagne mist was the poorest seller for '04 Maximas, and that was why coral mist was added Feb 6 of this year. Although I predicted the dropping of champagne mist for '05 many times here during the past year, I have seen no official announcement that has happened. My dealer, of course, has yet to order the '05 Maxima brochures, which ARE available from Nissan.

You may have to go to nissanusa, ask for the inventory of every dealer within your choice of distance (up to a hundred miles) and check the inventories of each dealer to find a champagne mist. I have only spotted two among the hundreds of '04s I have seen at my dealer, although I have seen dozens at other dealers in the Atlanta area over the past year. If you have no success, take a look at a similar color - coral sand. I really like it.

Good luck with your search.

04SEelite

According to the '05 brochure - these are the colors for the '05's at this point

QX3 Winter Frost
KY1 Liquid Silver
KY2 Spirited Bronze
BW9 Majextic Blue
A15 Red Opulence
KH3 Onyx
C12 Coral Sand
K11 Smoke

Carry over interior colors in fabric and leather are Cafe Late, Frost, Black, and Burnt Orange Leather is a stand alone with no cloth equivalent.

lightonthehill

04SEelite - Thanks! So the only change in colors for the '05 Maxima was to drop the champagne mist. I was half-right. For the past year I have been predicting the dropping of champagne mist and the adding of one (possibly two) new colors, with some shade of either dark green or a dusty sage-like green a strong possibility. Guess the Feb 6th intro of coral sand and smoke were the new colors, and I missed on the green.

Interesting that the '05 interior choices are exactly the same as for the '04. I expected this, as the logical colors (gray, tan and black) were already available, and an exotic 'outside the box' color (burnt orange) was already available. Nothing was missing, so nothing was added.

Thanks for the updated info, 04SEelite.

rdt21158

I bought a base SE last week (8/18) in NJ with vin 922xxx. Here's my deal:

Sticker price with mats and splash guards ($260) came to $27,920. Invoice was $25,541 (from Edmounds). After 2 hours of haggling, I got them down to $23,620 that included the $1000 rebate. They did charge me $348 doc fee which I thought was high. Total out the door price with 6% NJ sales tax and $7.50 tire tax came to $25,476. Keep in mind that they don't deduct the rebate until after tax, so the $1000 rebate is really a $940 rebate.

So I got it for $1921 below invoice. This was a cash deal so maybe that was a factor, but they kept saying it wasn't. It was hell, didn't get out of the dealership until nearly 11pm.

Good luck with your deal.

Roy

04SEelite

Here are the color choices combined with the interior picks - no big surprises here...