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Every prospective new car buyer is most likely aware that dealerships have been marking up cars like crazy lately, and the 2023 Nissan Z is no exception. The two-seat sports car has trickled into dealer showrooms all over the U.S. over the past couple of months, and it looks like many of them are selling for well over MSRP. Sure, the Nissan Z may be a hot commodity for now, but do dealers really expect to fetch these prices?

How much are some dealers selling the 2023 Nissan Z for?

The Nissan Z Performance has a few advantages over the Ford Mustang Mach 1 including starting price.
The new Nissan Z | Nissan

In a current nationwide search on Autotrader, we found a number of 2023 Nissan Z models priced in the $76,000 to $80,000 range. The priciest example that we found carried an astronomical price tag of $90,125. That’s insane, considering the original MSRP of the car is $55,125.

Fortunately, some dealerships, like Melloy Nissan in New Mexico, have low markups and are pricing the car only $2,285 higher than the MSRP. It’s a shame to think of the number as a “good deal,” but considering the other high-priced options around the country – it is. Many other dealerships have their Nissan Z cars priced at MSRP. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if there is a markup associated with it when prospective buyers inquire.

We also checked out Markups.org, which is a crowd-sourced tool that shows vehicle markups all over the country. When searching for the Nissan Z, the site pulled up three different listings, all of which had $30,000 markups. So, it looks like these dealerships are holding true to their pricing.

How much of a markup is too much?

In the current market, a general rule of thumb would be to pay no more than 10% above the MSRP of the car. Again, it pains us to give this advice, but that’s the name of the game these days. In the case of the Nissan Z, we wouldn’t recommend paying more than a $5,500 markup, if possible.

That said, you’ll likely need to shop way out of your region in order to get a car in that price range right now. But if you factor the potential shipping costs or even airfare – if you want to fly out and pick up the car – into the overall cost, you could get a far better deal than paying $20,000 to $30,000 above the sticker price.

Car Scoops reported on a dealership in Georgia that allegedly sold a 2023 Nissan Z for a mere $129,000 last month. Hopefully, no one else is paying that much for this car.

Is the Nissan Z worth the marked-up price?

A Nissan sign outside of a dealership
Nissan dealership sign | Getty Images

To some enthusiasts, yes. These are most likely the “early adopters” that like to stay ahead of everyone else and the latest and greatest product when it first comes out. These are the type of buyers that will be the first in line for the new iPhone, for example.

There could be a rhyme to their reason, considering the car is all-new with a turbocharged 400 hp engine, a smooth and sporty suspension, and killer good looks. It’s definitely quite the sports car and does well to take on the likes of the Toyota Supra. But is it really worth more than its MSRP? We think not.

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