As I was perusing the Q3 sales numbers, I was stuck by Nissan’s uptick in Z sales so far in 2025. A few months ago, we suggested it might be time to throw a lowball offer at one of them just to see whether it sticks. Well, quite a few people out there appear to have done just that, driving home happy in a brand-sports coupe. Sales of the Nissan Z have more than doubled so far this year, and from browsing its dealer inventory, I think I can see why: Nissan’s dealers are putting cash on the hood, and there’s quite a bit more available if you’re willing to settle for a 2024.
Take this 2024 Nismo for example. In case that link breaks, it’s finished in Stealth Grey over Graphite and has a base sticker price of $65,090 before options. It’s showing $7,500 in available dealer incentives. A 2025 Performance model (with the manual, I might add) at the same dealership shows just $2900 in dealer incentives and $2,500 in discounts direct from Nissan. From browsing various dealerships both in and out of state, it appears that the incentives are consistently better on the 2024s. No surprise, right? Old inventory costs dealers money, and they want it gone.
So, what’s one model year? On paper, that doesn’t seem so bad. But consider this: Most automakers start churning out the new model year some time between July and October of the preceding calendar year. In other words, some of these are likely close to two years old. While many new cars sit on dealer lots for months before being sold, two years is a long time, especially if it was kept someplace with a lot of foot traffic.
If you haven’t been scared off yet, then let me try one more time: the Z is about to get better. Nissan has confirmed that it’s going to right one of the Nismo’s most egregious wrongs: its lack of a manual gearbox. While the automatic isn’t bad, it’s not the sort of transmission we want to pair with this turbocharged six-cylinder. The stick should have been there from the beginning, and soon it will be. By pulling a trigger on a 2024, you’re not only committing to an older car, you’re also committing to the existing formula. Choose wisely!
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Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
