Let’s be honest, the dealership experience is usually never a good one. Most of you have been through it so we won’t list the things that can happen. But we’re sure some of them have happened to you. But if you’re interested in a new Nissan there is an alternative to Nissan dealers. Here’s how to buy a new Nissan without ever stepping into a dealership. 

Nissan has just introduced Nissan@Home

Nissan is trying to get its act together and move back into profitability. One way is that it just introduced Nissan@Home. It is an online shopping site. Now you can conduct 100% of the purchase of a new Nissan from home. You can even set up test drives of different Nissan models. 

From any computer or phone device, a buyer can buy a Nissan from start to finish including scheduling test drives and delivery of your new vehicle. All service needs and scheduled maintenance can also be done this way. If at any time you feel the need for dealership assistance you can head on over to your local Nissan dealer for help. 

This is not direct to consumer program like Tesla’s

This is not direct to consumer program like Tesla’s. It is using dealerships to sell through Nissan’s e-commerce platform. So while the dealership will take a back seat somewhat, it is still participating in the transaction. 

“Nissan@Home gives customers what they’re asking for – the ability to purchase a vehicle on their terms,” Dan Mohnke told Carbuzz. He is Nissan’s vice president for e-commerce. “Through this new program, Nissan dealers can provide a better customer experience which can, in turn, help improve their own business performance. It’s an important first for Nissan and a great value to our customers.”

The Nissan@Home program was first instituted with a pilot program last summer. Seven dealerships from Michigan, Texas, and Florida, participated in the test. The dealers were so positive about the program they all recommended Nissan expand it to include all dealerships in the US.

Ford and Porsche, among others, have also begun similar arrangements

Not all Nissan dealerships have signed up to participate. Enrollment is, however, open to all US Nissan dealers. And Nissan is not the first to create this type of consumer platform. Ford and Porsche, among others, have also begun consumer sites with a similar arrangement. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more and more shoppers are using online apps. This includes shopping for vehicles, which has improved in 2020 as more buyers switch over to buying online. Vehicle sales have ramped up considerably as we come to the end of 2020. But automakers don’t see online demand tapering off after the coronavirus vaccine rolls out in 2021. 

Nissan will need to explore as many ways as possible to sell vehicles. Especially just released new models like the Rogue and Sentra are key to Nissan’s future success. This should hopefully help to set things in the right direction.