Atlanta Georgia Dealership Prices & Service

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I am trying to order my Leaf here in Atlanta but am having trouble finding a dealership interested in an honest and reasonable transaction.

Please post your Atlanta &/or Georgia dealership experiences and feedback.

Thank you!

 

[tharcaps]

Gwinnett Place Nissan Summary:

1) Availability = 8: They have a demo that they were more than happy to let me drive, let my wife drive, and let me stuff three child seats across the back.
2) Honesty = absolute-0: Every question was deflected, they were pained to be helpful, and every single number was a lie.
3) Pricing = ???: I can't tell what their price is; each provided price came with a "woops" and a "how did that happen?!"

Gwinnett Place Nissan Details:
Before going to the place I spoke with the Internet Sales Mngr who assured me that they would have a detailed price sheet when I arrived. Needless to say, they had nothing when I arrived.

The "Leaf Rep" is Renee C. She seemed nice enough. I insisted on pricing. This was the last thing she wanted to provide. She started explaining how they don't have control over pricing, how that's controlled by Nissan. I rebuked her (such conduct would be a federal crime) and she shifted and softened her story.

After 30+ minutes, she wrote a base number on a scrap paper: $37,870. I asked if that included everything, and reminded her that I wanted every item enumerated. She took the slip back, wrote a few things, and returned it to me with "7% Tax" circled under the original number and a new total below: $40,519. I immediately pulled out the iPhone and did the math myself. Of course, the numbers were lies. She added the tax and an additional $500 bonus bill. When confronted with her second lie she insisted that it was just an "accident."

I drove the demo and ensured that three child seats fit across the back (ask me how). I sent my wife to drive it; she liked it.

I asked her to e-mail me the full numbers. This took her another two days. She apologized, explaining that it's very complicated and difficult to do (how f__king pathetic are you?!)

The numbers arrived late Monday. Of course, the price magically jumped from $40,519 to $41,183. I replied, asking about this. Oh, insisted Renee, it was just another "accident", that they have now tried to screw me with a $500 bonus bill TWICE in the same transaction.

She sent another e-mail insisting that she's honest. Only a fool would believe her after her pattern of dishonesty.

 

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Regal Nissan in Roswell
1) Availability = ??: I don't know if they had a demo model or not.
2) Honesty = 9: I didn't "go all the way" with Dan, but in our conversation he was perfectly willing to answer my questions and didn't give me much BS. I appreciate that.
3) Pricing = 0 (poor): Why would I pay you $500 over max price for a car you don't have to sell and you don't have to carry in inventory?!

Regal Nissan Roswell Details:
I sent the Request for Quote to them. I then called and spoke with Dan. He was honest and straight forward, which I appreciated.
He insisted that the Leaf is in such high demand that they don't feel there's any need "to discount it", so they want MSRP + $500.
I discussed the fact that it's a car that doesn't sit on your lot and doesn't need to find a buyer, therefore reducing your business' expenses dramatically. He was uninterested. He insisted they they have to do "16 hours of tests" when the car arrives. Well, Nissan's TN plant builds the entire car with about 24 hours of direct labor, so the likelihood that the local dealership spends almost as much time just cleaning and inspecting it is zero!
What I didn't share was that HE doesn't get a LEAF unless I choose to have it shipped to him, so he can't gouge people on the price. He can get a modest margin working with me or he can get zero margin because he'll never see the car, but he will never get a rape margin because I won't have the car shipped to him.

Anyway, we politely agreed to disagree. We ended the phone conversation and I changed my preferred dealer on Nissan's website and moved forward from there.

If you have a good purchasing experience in GA (or neighboring states) please let us know!

 

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I'm trying to order my Leaf / This is my experience with Atlanta's Nissan Dealers

Team Nissan in Marietta
1) Availability = N/A: I don't know if they had a demo model or not.
2) Honesty = 10: They were very straight forward / no BS. I appreciate that.
3) Pricing = 0 (poor): Why would I pay you $500 over max price for a car you don't have to sell and you don't have to carry in inventory?!

Team Nissan Details:
I called them before sending the Request for Quote. Wayne Parker is the designated Leaf Salesman. I called early on 11/23 at 3:38pm. No answer / I left a message.
Later in the evening I called back, having heard nothing. The nice receptionist apologized and sad Wayne had been with a customer all day and she would hand-deliver my message to him. I understand; nothing wrong with being busy and face-to-face is more important than a ringing phone.
I didn't hear from Wayne until Thursday evening during Thanksgiving dinner; I let the call go to voice-mail.
I called him back Friday morning at 8:28am; the computer message said the dealership would open at 8:30.
I called back at 8:44 and the computer message again apologized for being closed and said they would open at 8:30.
Wayne called me at about 11:00am. We spoke politely and professionally for about 30 minutes. I communicated the ability to buy a 2012 SL in L.A., for $2k under MSRP, when I'm out there on business in two weeks, but that I would rather buy it locally for the right price.
His offer was 100% of MSRP plus $400 or $500 dealer document fee (total bullsh_t margin padding!).
He said he would work on it and talk with others and call me back. The whole conversation was very positive, friendly, and honest.
I didn't hear back from him until Saturday afternoon. His counter offer was 100% of MSRP with no document fee.
I thanked him but told him that I had already negotiated a better deal with Carriage Nissan in Gainesville.
The whole set of conversations was perfectly polite and completely honest. I appreciated that. If they would have worked on price I would been happy to give them my business. The car arrives pre-sold and never sits in their inventory; it's obscene to expect 100%+ of MSRP for a transaction that carries absolute minimal costs for the dealer.

I went with Carriage Nissan / I'll post that separately.

 

[tharcaps]

I'm trying to order my Leaf / This is my experience with Atlanta's Nissan Dealers

Carriage Nissan in Gainesville (770 532 6335)
1) Availability = N/A: I don't know if they had a demo model or not.
2) Honesty = 10: 100% honest from the start / efficient, straight talking. Listened, answered each question clearly and honestly
3) Pricing = 8 (very good): All other Atlanta area dealers have demanded 100% MSRP + $500. Carriage Nissan agree to sell me my 2012 Leaf-SL for MSRP - $600, inclusive of all dealer fees.

Carriage Nissan Details:
I called Saturday, 11/26, at 10:15am. I was transferred to Carl Eunice, the designated Leaf Salesman.
I discussed the ability to buy one in LA while on business and have it shipped back to Atlanta as well as my preference to do business locally. I asked for MSRP - $1k, inclusive of all dealer fees. Carl was very honest, listened well, and asked if he could call me back in a few minutes after talking with the dealership owner.
Carl called back a few minutes later with the dealership's counter-offer, which was MSRP -$1000 + $399 doc fee. I thought this was perfectly honest and represented the only serious effort I've seen from Atlanta area dealers.
I accepted the offer and we put all the numbers into NissanUSA's website. Carl was even nice enough to structure the pricing and comments on Nissan's "dashboard" so as to avoid any ambiguity (we were very clear on what each expense was and what the final check would be).
I accepted the detailed offer presented through NissanUSA's website within 30 minutes of my first call to Carl E. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Carl and Carriage Nissan (770 532 6335) to other Atlantans looking for a good price and good service for their new Leaf!
Thank you, Carl, for the total honesty and for working with me to find a mutually beneficial price.

... now the anxious wait starts ... it's going to be a looooong winter; I've been waiting for this car for three years now!

 

[RegalNissan]

First off, thank you for taking your time to write a clear and helpful analysis of your experience in purchasing a Nissan Leaf. There are a few things I'd like to add from a dealership employee's insider perspective. By the way, I am Dan, Regal Nissan's Leaf Sales Leader. I also want to state that the information in this post is not endorsed by Nissan or Regal Nissan. This is simply put, my analysis and insight into the Leaf sales experience.

The Nissan Leaf is an amazing vehicle. I believe it has the potential to be on the most significant advances in changes the world’s dependency on oil. I've been in the auto industry in a sales capacity for 7 years. There is not another alternative fueled that's hit market that I feel I could say that about. I am excited and honored to be a part of automotive history.

As a consumer, I value fair pricing and customer service. In an industry that is based on a platform or generating business by constantly motivating consumers to make a purchase through sales, incentives, discounts, perks, etc, I can see how it may seem off-putting to purchase an item in this industry with out being offered an incentive. I can even understand how it might be perceived as "price gouging" to be asked to pay the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) plus a normal documentation fee. That being said, here are a few things you may not know.

We can all agree the Nissan Leaf is quite a unique vehicle. However, when it comes to the numbers behind it, it's just as unique.

The Leaf MSRP compares to Nissan products such as the SV Armada, the fully loaded Maxima SV, the Murano LE, the fully loaded Pathfinder LE, the Titan SL Crew Cab, the Nissan Z Touring and the Quest LE. However, (and you can verify this data on edmunds.com or similar sites) the mark-up from invoice to MSRP for the Leaf is approximately half of that of Nissan's with similar MSRPs. The markup in the Nissan Leaf is more closely comparable to that in a Nissan Juke SL, a value vehicle that carries an MSRP below $25,000.

In order to sell/service the Nissan Leaf, Nissan dealerships had to commitment to a significant cost, long before beginning to see a return on investment, to retrofit service facilities, train staff, install charging stations (we have four) purchase safety equipment etc. Preparing for the Leaf required a larger investment than did the Nissan GTR supercar which has an MSRP close to $90,000 and markup nearly four times that of the Leaf.

The Nissan Leaf sales and service staff time investment was also quite significant. Hours upon hours of online training modules and in-person training seminars as well as research and preparations we all made on our own time starting over 18 months before we saw any return on investment. Designated service and sales personnel spent 18 month of answering questions for consumers that were anywhere from ready to order to just curious about the Leaf. In an industry that doesn't pay a salary or an hourly wage, the total time investment involved for each Leaf sale/prospect is incomparable to that of an average vehicle sold. However, that's never jaded my desire to be a participant in something that may be the beginning of the most revolutionary advance in the auto industry in my lifetime.

Another interesting perspective with the Leaf is that there is not a single vehicle currently produced by Nissan that offers an incentive of up to $12,500 (including GA tax incentive). Granted this is a government incentive, not a dealer or manufacturer's incentive, but in the end does it really mater to you where the savings come from, as long as they are there? It's quite unique that a product, so innovative, it attracted buyers who patiently waited nearly two years just to order one as Nissan tirelessly worked to meet demand and overcome delay issues caused by mother nature, would come packaged with an available discount larger than any other product we offer? A vehicle which required a reservation just to be one of the first to order in your area?

Furthermore, what other vehicles offer you a discount on your home electricity bill just for owning it? (now available with most power companies) Government incentives are also available for home and business charging adapters should you choose to install one. Not to mention the savings the Leaf offers in both fuel expense and maintenance, HOV perks, etc. Woodstock became the first municipality in GA to install a free-to-use level 2 EV charger with 24/7 availability. A few articles were written up in the paper, not much buzz overall. Now imagine the City of Woodstock also installed a gas pump, again free to use 24/7 with unlimited resources. The news would probably go viral, nationwide, and would likely create a mob envionment. News would spread of fights over who's next in line at the pump. It would be like black Friday at WalMart everyday.

Understand, I fully realize the Leaf has limitations. It's not the end-all worldwide solution to the automotive industry. It's not even a viable vehicle for every consumer's needs. And there are sacrifices you choose to make when placing your order. I personally made the decision to consider the Leaf seriously for my next vehicle. I made my own reservation (which is still pending) during the early months and will likely own a Leaf in the future when I'm financially ready. I understand both perspectives. And when I do decide to order my Leaf, despite being a Nissan tenured employee, I do not expect a discount. The value is there, hands down, and thus at MSRP the Leaf has proven to be successful and should remain so.

Toyota introduced the Scion as a national product in 2004. It is still sold at MSRP today. I am not a Scion expert, but to my knowledge discounts and incentives are still not offered and are never intended to be offered. There are several other examples of vehicles that are sold at MSRP. A car that sells consistently at MSRP is not a bad thing. Think about it. If a product is offered at a reasonable initial price and provides enough value to the consumer that a discount is not necessary, than how is that not a good thing? Imagine a world where the price of all similar automobiles are the same. Where the only consideration you had while shopping was a focus on finding the retailer that was most committed to your overall satisfaction instead of the retailer that was most interested in capturing as much business as possible by simply under-cutting the competitions' price. All of the sudden, car buying is no longer an oft-dreaded process.

Revolutionizing the auto industry is quite a project. The birth of the Leaf encompassed approx two decades of time experimenting with EV technology to ensure a successful finished product. I would be afraid to estimate the total cost of bringing the first Leaf to production. It's a lot of time and man hours and production costs to think about over 20 years time. Alone, the plant that Nissan is building retrofitting in the US to build batteries and assemble Leaf vehicles required a 1.4 billion dollar investment. So the question is, is the $40,000 price tag reasonable? Sure it's a smallish car. It's not a marvel of luxury or a 300+ HP sports car or even a vehicle that you can drive to Disneyworld in. However, the market has proven that it's wanted. Consumers are buying. They are excited. Motivations vary, but, when has a vehicle been name "World Car of the Year" while also be regarded a poor value?

Finally, (if you made it this far bravo), lets discuss what should be important to you when choosing the dealership to purchase your Leaf.

1) Treat each dealer interaction like an interview. Some dealerships take the Leaf very seriously, others do not. Find a dealership and representative that has several years experience and is knowledgeable and a clear communicator. You may not have questions now, but believe me, you will. To maximize your Leaf ownership satisfaction level, it's key to feel comfortable and to be able to communicate with the dealership/personnel that helped you with your Leaf order.

2) Distance/Convenience: Make sure you purchase, if possible, from a dealership that is with in driving range of the Nissan Leaf. I don't want any customer to have to call roadside assistance on their way home

3) Customer Service: This applies on so many levels. The Leaf may be a car, but it is probably unique from any other car you have purchased. For example, the final "delivery" part of the new car purchase process (introducing the customer to the features, setting up bluetooth, final instructions on use) should take approximately 30 minutes. A Leaf delivery, if done properly, should take 90 minutes - two hours. That being said, before you commit to a dealership for order, think about the quality of information you received in speaking with them and how clearly they were able to answer your questions.

4) Communication: You are making quite an investment when choosing the Leaf. The Leaf sales process is based on an order months in advance. Make sure you're working with a dealership you trust that won't try to take advantage of you when it's finally time to take delivery of your Leaf. Get all prices and important information in writing. The online order tool can be confusing, make you sure you are 100% clear on the vehicle you are being offered and the price and fees involved.

5) Reputation: This is extremely important. I believe finding a dealership with a great reputation is the first step in choosing where to purchase any car. But it's even more important when purchasing a Leaf. There is probably ten times more interaction between consumer and dealership in a Leaf sale/ownership than that of an Altima. Understand that not all dealerships are created equal. Check their Better Business Bureau ratings (http://www.bbb.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false and their online reviews. Avoid ones that have many complaints or ones that do not respond to the complaints.

Thanks for reading, I hope you found this post helpful in your Leaf customer journey.

Dan

 

[Weatherman]

As a consumer, I value fair pricing and customer service. In an industry that is based on a platform or generating business by constantly motivating consumers to make a purchase through sales, incentives, discounts, perks, etc, I can see how it may seem off-putting to purchase an item in this industry with out being offered an incentive. I can even understand how it might be perceived as "price gouging" to be asked to pay the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) plus a normal documentation fee. That being said, here are a few things you may not know.

All of the above is very interesting, and I did read through it all .

But, ultimately, it comes down to one question...

Why would I consider spending MSRP + $500 for a car at one dealer when I can go elsewhere and get the exact same car for $1,000 less?

 

[davewill]

... Granted this is a government incentive, not a dealer or manufacturer's incentive, but in the end does it really mater to you where the savings come from, as long as they are there? ...

In a word, "Yes." What you are really saying is that since there are incentives, you're hoping that some of the money will fall in the dealer's pocket.

 

[suwaneedad]

Capitol City Nissan in Chamblee
1) Availability = 9. My order date slid from Aug to Sep because their allotment (3/month) had already been used when I was ready to order. Demo LEAF available, enabling my wife and I to test drive it and be stunned by the pickup, quiet ride, etc. Later borrowed the LEAF for 48 hours to do two full cycle 50 mile commutes up I-85, and make related range calculations. That reduced my range anxiety a ton. Charged on 110V from home each night without any issue.
2) Honesty = 10: They were very straight forward / no BS. I appreciate that because it differentiates car dealers. I was able to get a firm price from Capitol City with 1-2 phone calls and everything spelled out in emails while out of town sitting in meetings. I have emails from the dealership detailing the pricing we agreed to.
3) Pricing = 0 (poor): 9. I did not attempt to negotiate below MSRP since at that time there were no orphans in ATL, and I was having trouble getting a dealership to engage re a LEAF order in an efficient and/or honest manner (failed with Carriage and Gwinnett Place, both of which are closer to my home). My deal for an SV is sticker plus destination plus $700 dealer insult paperwork free plus tag, title, sales tax. If when I take delivery I'm presented with anything else, I will walk out and go get an orphan off another lot in town. I won't tolerate bait/switch tactics (aka, "mistakes") and am clear on that with any dealer from the outset.

Talk to Joshua or Kelly if you reach out to Capitol City.

A friend recently took delivery and he felt some frustration with this dealer because he was not made aware of the $700 dealer fee when he ordered. I assured him that I had been (so he would not feel screwed), but wonder when dealers will recognize that these surprises turn a positive experience into an intensely negative one.

If I were newly in the market today I would just find a few orphans nearby and negotiate. I bet there are deals to be had. That will be me if Cap City does anything dumb when I show up to hand them $40k.

By the way I firmly believe that if you're going to put 15k miles/year or so on your LEAF, this car will pay for itself if you currently drive something that burns gas at a rate of 23MPG. Eight years from now, the fuel savings will have completely paid for the car. Astounding. That is based on my math (which means a purchase price as noted above) and gas at $3/gal.

 

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Capitol City Nissan in Chamblee
1) Availability = 9. My order date slid from Aug to Sep because their allotment (3/month) had already been used when I was ready to order. Demo LEAF available, enabling my wife and I to test drive it and be stunned by the pickup, quiet ride, etc. Later borrowed the LEAF for 48 hours to do two full cycle 50 mile commutes up I-85, and make related range calculations. That reduced my range anxiety a ton. Charged on 110V from home each night without any issue.
2) Honesty = 10: They were very straight forward / no BS. I appreciate that because it differentiates car dealers. I was able to get a firm price from Capitol City with 1-2 phone calls and everything spelled out in emails while out of town sitting in meetings. I have emails from the dealership detailing the pricing we agreed to.
3) Pricing = 0 (poor): 9. I did not attempt to negotiate below MSRP since at that time there were no orphans in ATL, and I was having trouble getting a dealership to engage re a LEAF order in an efficient and/or honest manner (failed with Carriage and Gwinnett Place, both of which are closer to my home). My deal for an SV is sticker plus destination plus $700 dealer insult paperwork free plus tag, title, sales tax. If when I take delivery I'm presented with anything else, I will walk out and go get an orphan off another lot in town. I won't tolerate bait/switch tactics (aka, "mistakes") and am clear on that with any dealer from the outset.

Talk to Joshua or Kelly if you reach out to Capitol City.

A friend recently took delivery and he felt some frustration with this dealer because he was not made aware of the $700 dealer fee when he ordered. I assured him that I had been (so he would not feel screwed), but wonder when dealers will recognize that these surprises turn a positive experience into an intensely negative one.

If I were newly in the market today I would just find a few orphans nearby and negotiate. I bet there are deals to be had. That will be me if Cap City does anything dumb when I show up to hand them $40k.

By the way I firmly believe that if you're going to put 15k miles/year or so on your LEAF, this car will pay for itself if you currently drive something that burns gas at a rate of 23MPG. Eight years from now, the fuel savings will have completely paid for the car. Astounding. That is based on my math (which means a purchase price as noted above) and gas at $3/gal.

Thanks for the helpful input, Suwaneedad!
Let us know how the final delivery goes. What's the expected date? I'm mid-January.

 

[suwaneedad]

My date has recently shifted around a lot.
Week of 12/23
Week of 12/16
Week of 1/3
Week of 12/29 as of this morning's update. The above updates did not come with an email from Nissan, whereas today's did. Not sure if that makes the 12/29 date more reliable than the prior date changes. I have visions of it being on a truck from the port in Jacksonville as I type. Can't wait to stop burning 800-1000 gallons of gasoline per year in my household.