So I've had a dealership that I'm currently with offer to get me a dealer demo of the 350Z Roadster for a reduced sales price. This dealership doesn't sell Nissans but I am very very happy with the service I get there and they are going to do this as a favor.

So should I get the demo model at this dealership or a brand new one at Nissan? Any worries with getting a demo model?

Thanks.

Joseph

 

What year is the demo and how many miles on it?

 

check the door panels and kick plates, and the whole car good for scratches. Most demos get beat up

 

demo cars are discounted for a REASON. Don't think that they are doing you a favor, because YOU're the one handing out the cash. Think WHY they are doing you this "favor", and inspect thoroughly. If you don't know much about the car, I don't think you should get a demo car...I would rather take my chances with a used car at an even cheaper price.

Good luck.

Alex

 

demo cars get ragged on, NO WAY.

 

Not all demos are trashed. My '96 300ZX TT that I bought in '97 (just before '98 model Nissans were coming out) was driven by the owner of the dealership, had 6000 miles on it, and was in excellent condition. I ended up getting it for $10K under sticker. It was one of the most reliable cars that I ever owned, and I kept it for almost 7 years. The only non-maintenance item (like tires, batteries, etc.) I put on it in that timeframe was the oxygen sensors. I'd say you have to judge them on a case by case basis. One thing to know is that when it was put in service as a demonstrator, the clock started ticking on the warranty. So, inspite of the mileage, the warranty could time out based on years of service, which is currently 3 years bumper-to-bumper, 5 years drivetrain. You'll want them to tell you what the in-service date was. In order to make the deal, my dealer threw in an extended 5 year warranty, which essentially just extended the bumper-to-bumper coverage to 5 years with a $50 deductable per repair, but I ended up not needing it anyhow.

 

^ Your car was not a demo car, it was the dealer's car to drive around and advertise. A demo is a car that they take you out on test drives with, and they get beat to hell. I can not imagine a dealer taking someone out on a test drive in a sports car and not showing at least some of what the car can do, including high RPM revving on take off and a few quick start and stops. Then they let the customer, who normally is not as experienced a driver, repeat the process.
USFJoseph, take 8-10K off the price and call it a fair deal if you decide to take it.

 

Demo's are calculated risks. Say you save $10k on a demo, would that $10k likely to cover the future problems you have because the car was trashed? If it was indeed trashed. Better yet, would that $10k also cover your "pain and suffering"? Personally, I typically keep my cars for many years, and I know how I drive a demo. For the amount I am spending, I prefer to take a brand new one from the factory and pay the extra. Not everyone think the same way. That's why someone will always buy the demo's.

 

Have to agree with the others... If the Z had a bulletproof transmission I would say go for it.. But if the demo was abused then you might run into some transmission problems later down the road...

Good Luck

 

Most states, and certainly Virginia where I bought the car, define a demonstrator as any car put into service by a dealer for any reason and not titled. The dealer and myself had to countersign a form stating that I understood that my car was a demonstrator. Most of the time they are used for dealership employees or promotions, like letting golfers drive around during tournaments. Your definition of a demo is ANY car on the lot that wasn't special ordered. Anyone can test drive ANY non-sold car on the lot and beat it up. The first thing I could find Googling came from the State of Washington website "A demonstrator vehicle is a vehicle provided by dealers to their sales staff, without charge, for any personal or business reason other than (or in addition to) the mere display or test driving of prospective purchasers." This definition says that it can be used by the employee to let someone test drive, but that it was provided by the dealer for their use.

 

+1 for giving an education

 

You learn something new everyday. I still would not buy any sort of sporty car as a demo though, unless it was the dealer's private car.

 

Yeah, you still need to be careful, like with any used car. I was lucky with the one I got.

 

I got lucky with my last car. I was the dealer's wife's car. I drove it for 150K miles before I traded her in.

 

You traded in the dealer's wife for another car? Coool!

~KK

 

Additionally, you may want to check with the dealership, but usually the warranty starts on the in-service date. So if the demo car has been in that status for 6 months and it was drivien for 2500 miles, then you get the balance of the remaining warranty, which would be 30 months and 33,500 miles in this case.

Another thing you will need to check if taking a loan out is if your bank will consider a demo as a used or a new car loan, which may impact your rates or the amount the bank will loan you.

 

You might want to check with your state to find out if the dealer can sell the car as a new car. Some states will not allow it after a certain number of miles, usually 5K. (Makes a good negotiation point.)

 

I was a little sore for those last 5K miles. I'm in the Trojan Hall of Fame, pics will be up in a few months.