Nissan May Win U.S. Sales But Biggest Dealer Doesn’t Like How
- AutoNation CEO says aggressive bonus program distorts market
- Analysts see Nissan posting best results amid October slowdown
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When U.S. auto sales numbers arrive Tuesday, Nissan Motor Co. is expected to look pretty good -- or at least less bad than its competition. The Japanese automaker’s sales slipped just 1.5 percent in October, compared with drops of 6.9 percent for General Motors and 11 percent for Ford, analysts .
Behind Nissan’s result, though, is a controversial and aggressive dealer-incentive program, one that it rarely discusses publicly: giving big, retroactive bonuses to dealers who hit certain monthly sales targets. Age-old car-buying advice -- wait until the last hour of the last day of the month to walk into a dealer -– comes in part from programs like these.