Rebates, Incentives, APRs - Questions & Comments

nyer10

Wondering if anyone knows if we can expect the Sentra rebates to stay at $2500 in the next couple of months (they've been there since December) or if they will drop at all before Nissan really looks to unload the '06 Sentras in the fall with the 2007 redesign coming out.
Also, I know in December they had $750 marketing support to dealer, but can't seem to find it now. Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
P.S. If the best bet really is to jump on it by the end of March is there any such thing as a 30-day window to make payment but close the deal by then as one dealer suggested to me? Will that put me in murky water in case anything goes wrong? Thanks again.

gwellman

I have the exact same situation and questions, except regarding the Altima rather than the Sentra. There is currently $1500, ending April 3. I am too swamped right now to buy a car, but by April 10 I should be fine. Will the rebates continue, or should I close a deal even if I have to pick it up later?

33wd33

Hi,
Does anyone know if VW ever puts out incentives (rebates, low APR, etc) to purchase the '06 New Beetle convertibles? Also, I've heard rumors they are retiring these cars with the 'o6 model. Is that even true? And finally, does anyone have any advice on if I should even consider buying one of these cars?
Thanks!

ckelley24

I've noticed there are no incentives on the Chevy Cobalt currently. I plan on purchasing one soon. Should I go ahead and get one now or is it possible that incentives are planned for later in the spring/summer? If anyone knows or has heard any rumors please let me know. Thanks!

steine13

I don't want this to turn into a rant, so I'll be brief.

Before you buy a Cobalt, with or without incentives, check the trade-in value of an '05 with 20k miles or so. That might give you some pause.

If it's a domestic you want, get a Vibe or maybe a Focus with a bunch of reates, or buy used... though not a first-year Cobalt.

As far as waiting for incentives; I don't think the General right now knows which side is up. They are just running scared, and they may not be with us in their present form by the time your new car is paid off.

Just a thought.

-Mathias

CarMan@Edmunds

Hey capri33. Volvo is currently providing $3,500 dealer cash on the 2006 Volvo S60 2.5T. It is difficult for me to say how much less you will be able to get this car for without knowing what MSRP and ideally its dealer invoice as well. You can find out that information right here at Edmunds.com by visiting the following section of this site: Edmunds.com - New Vehicle Pricing. If you are in an area where there is a decent level of competition, I suspect that you can get this car for around $2,500 to $3,500 below dealer invoice once the dealer cash is taken into account. For additional feedback on this car's price, make sure to stop by the following discussion: "Volvo S60: Prices Paid & Buying Experience".

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Jason. Your hunch was correct, Mazda is definitely providing more than $500 on both of these models. IT currently has a total of $2,000 (it is split between customer and dealer cash, varying by region) on the 2006 Mazda6. Dealers that hit certain sales targets have the ability to earn up to an additional $500 per Mazda6 sold. On the B-Series, Mazda is currently providing a total of $1,000 cash plus dealers have the ability to earn another $1,500 to $2,500 per truck sold (the amount varies by region) for hitting certain sales targets.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Greetings 33wd33. Unfortunately, I doubt that GM and Toyota dealers themselves even know what their April incentives programs will be like at this point. A lot of what happens in April will probably depend upon how sales go in the final week of March. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say that the incentives on all of the models that you mentioned will be fairly similar next month to what they are like right now. It is difficult to predict exactly what an automaker will do with its future incentives though.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hey nyer10 and gwellman. It's difficult to predict what an automaker will do with its future incentives programs. I highly doubt that Nissan's customer cash incentives on the Sentra or Altima will drop next month. Vehicles' incentives generally gradually increase as the model year progresses. The only thing that I could see going away is Nissan's "NOW sales event." This program gives dealers the opportunity to earn $200 to $300 dealer cash on Nissan models sold through the end of the month.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi 33wd33. Volkswagen is not currently providing any special APR or cash incentives on the 2006 Beetle. It does have a special lease program on it though. I have seen VW offer both cash and finance incentives on the Beetle in the past and expect that it will do so again towards the end of the model year. For more information on VW's plans for this model, try stopping by the following discussion: "Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible".

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi ckelley24. Chevrolet does have incentives on the 2006 Cobalt right now. It is currently providing $1,000 customer cash or 2.9% to 5.9% financing on this model.

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platinumbird1

Just wondering... Can you combine low APR and incentives at the same time?

qbrozen

Depends. Its up to the manufacturer. They usually specify "promotional apr cannot be combined with any other offers," or something like that. Sometimes they even have split incentives ... like $3k off OR $1500 off plus low apr ... that kind of thing. So it all depends on the car and the particular offers in place.

british_rover

Normaly not although we did it one time by mistake.

I worked a deal taking into account the 5,000 rebate for left over LR3's and once we settled on a price I went to our sales manager told him what was up and went over my notes.

He forgot that the special 3.9 financing could not be appled if the rebate was applied and gave the customer both. He didn't catch his mistake till right before we delived the car so we bought down the rate to 3.9 from the standard rate of 5. something.

That guy got the deal of the century.

zq8

Car man, What is the current customer and dealer incentive programs on the Chrysler Crossfire, all years- 2004,2005, and 2006? Any lease deals also?

33wd33

Car Man,

Thanks so much for the helpful information. I'm also looking into the Chevy HHR now. I read CKelley24's post above that Chevy is running scared and it sounds like that could affect their incentives. Is it true that Chevy is having problems and could not be around by the time a new vehicle is paid off in 5 or so years? What type of incentives are we expecting to see in April on the HHR? Are there any rumors about?

Thanks!

jmcintyre

Does anyone know of a website that posts a comparison of the most recent finance and lease rates for car manufacturers in Canada?

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi zq8. DaimlerChrysler is currently providing 4.9% financing for up to 5 years or $1,000 customer cash on the 2006 Crossfire. It is providing $5,000 dealer cash on the 2005 Crossfire. I'm afraid that the 2004 models are long gone. In addition to the aforementioned incentives, most Chrysler dealers are being given an additional $1,000 dealer cash on all vehicles that they sell this month. I don't believe that there is much in the way of lease support on either the '06 or '05 Crossfire this month.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome, 33wd33. Don't worry about General Motors not being around in five years. Even if the worst case scenario happens and GM is forced to file for bankruptcy, it is going to be a while before it comes to that and that doesn't mean that it will completely go away. Bankruptcy would just allow it to restructure its business so that it can hopefully become profitable again in the future. GM will definitely be around in five years when your vehicle is paid off.

GM cut its prices on most vehicles a couple of months ago and was trying to cut back on incentives. Its inventory situation forced it to roll out its current "March Madness" enhancement. I haven't heard any rumors about what GM's April incentives will be like yet. If I had to make an educated guess, I'd say that it will provide a similar level of support to what it has now in April, but GM never ceases to amaze me with its willingness to increase incentives so it would not blow my mind if its offers became even more generous. I personally don't think that you have much to lose by waiting to purchase your new vehicle.

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kistep

Does GM continue to have carryover allowances/other incentives for 05 models being sold new now in 06? I'm considering buying an 05 Malibu Maxx, but am trying to decide on an initial offer. Want to have accurate #s re: incentives.
Thanks ...

CarMan@Edmunds

Yes, kistep, General Motors is providing its dealers with incentives to help them unload leftover 2005 models. Specifically on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, GM is providing $3,000 dealer cash plus an additional $500 bonus cash, $3,500 total. Make sure to take this cash into account when negotiating the deal on the leftover Malibu that you are considering purchasing.

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kistep

Do you know how long that will last? I know GM has its "March Madness" program going now, which I assume will end tomorrow. WIll this expire with it, or is this here as long as the 2005 models are?
Thank you for the help ... this is very informative.

fourx

Any idea of the upcoming April incentives for Jeep Liberty? This month they have 1.8% lease financing + a $3000 incentive on the Liberty Sport ($3500 on Liberty Limited). One day left. Are we in trouble if we wait to purchase until April? Thank you!

rferrer

I am a new, novice car buyer and am very grateful for all the help these forums have provided me.

I have a good idea of invoice and MSRP but have been told to expect "additional" dealer fees like "documentation" ....

Can someone give me some idea of what all these "additional" fees may be?

Also, Does anyone know of any incentives on the new 07 toyota camry LE...

I live in Dallas and am just trying to come up with what the cost of the car should be.... then I can evaluate if I am getting a deal or not.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help!

treacherous

I know...one day until April but anyone have any speculation on whether existing Infiniti incentives from March will continue into April?

CarMan@Edmunds

You're welcome, kistep. The dealer cash that I mentioned was a one time payment by General Motors for dealers that had 2005 versions of this model remaining in inventory on January 4th. So theoretically, it will never go away. The additional $500 that is available through the "March Madness" promotion is scheduled to run through April 4th.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi fourx. DaimlerChrysler's incentives were originally only scheduled to run through March 31st, but a few days ago it extended its March program through April 3rd, like most manufacturers have also done. It is difficult to say what its April incentives will be like on the Jeep Liberty, but its March program is already pretty aggressive. DaimlerChrysler's incentives are the highest that I have seen them in a long time right now, with 0% financing for up to 5 years and most dealers receiving an additional $1,000 dealer cash on every single vehicle they sell. I doubt that its incentives are going to be any better next month.

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CarMan@Edmunds

I'm glad that you have found these forums so helpful, rferrer. As you mentioned, most dealers charge some sort of doc fee on deals. Try to focus on the big picture rather than letting dealers cloud things by trying to add all sorts of fees to your deal. Look at the total amount of money that you will have to pay to purchase this car, including any fees. You can compare the total cost of the Camry that you want from several different dealers and go with the one that offers the lowest total price. I am not all that familiar with what the Camry is selling for right now, but if it isn't selling for close to dealer invoice yet, it will be soon. Toyota makes TONS of Camries (is that the plural of Camry :confuse: ) and dealers usually have to blow them out with a minimal profit. The newness of the 2007 model may initially allow them to get higher grosses on it, but not for long. For additional feedback on how much you should pay for this car, make sure to stop by the following discussion: "Toyota Camry: Prices Paid & Buying Experience".

I don't believe that Toyota is currently providing any special incentives on the '07 Camry right now, but as I mentioned once the novelty of the redesign wears off in a few months I am sure that it will introduce some.

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fear_hope

Are there any rules to the game of timing the purchase of a vehicle to obtain the best price? I never bought a new car before and it is all so daunting, especially the thought of paying too much of my hard earned $!

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi fear_hope. Near the end of the month usually seems to be the best time to purchase a new vehicle. This is because late in the month most dealers are trying to close as many deals as possible to pump up their monthly sales totals.

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gayjeepboy

Hi Car-man, do you know if the factory to dealer cash has increased on the 05 Jeep Wranglers? Last month was $3000 ($2000+$1000 bonus incentive) There are so many left here in So. Calif I am waiting to get the maximum discount before i purchase.Thanks for alll your assistance and have a great day!

CarMan@Edmunds

DaimlerChrysler is still providing $2,000 dealer cash on the 3005 Jeep Wrangler in April, but I believe that the additional $1,000 is gone. I'll make some calls to double check about the $1,000 just to make sure. Feel free to check back with me in a day or two if you want.

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kistep

Ok, I'm a cautious person, so I'm taking my shopping on the 05 (butnew) Malibu Maxx slowly.
These are the costs as I can figure them out ...
MSRP $23,360.
Believe invoice (w/destination)then to be $21408.48
Holdback and holdover allowance from GM: subtract about $3682
Dealer price then is: $17,776.48.

Would this realistically be the rock-bottom price then, or am I forgetting something?

Still trying to decide a base price to start negotiations at. Thanks!

gayjeepboy

Hi Car-Man

Thanks for the info. I will check bac with you in a few days.I was hoping they would have increased the factory to dealer cash.

carbonni

Hi Car_Man! Do you know if GM has mailed dealers more instant value certificates valid in April?

kistep

May be a dumb question, but what are these?

CarMan@Edmunds

Hello kistep. It looks like you have a good grasp on this car's pricing to me. GM is still providing $3,000 dealer cash on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx in April.

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CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome. I did some additional digging and it does not appear as though DaimlerChrysler is going to have the additional $1,000 dealer cash on most models this month. One never knows how incentives will be enhanced as the month progresses though, so please feel free to check back with me.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Not yet, carbonni. All of the certificates that were out there in March have expired and GM has not introduced any for the month of April yet. The General enhances its incentives all the time though, so there's always a chance that it will roll out a certificate program or some other additional incentive later on this quarter.

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CarMan@Edmunds

Hi kistep. That's not a dumb question at all. Many people don't know that from time to time General Motors provides its dealers with certificates, usually worth $250 - $500, that they can use to buy down the prices of vehicles that they have in inventory. Last month, GM provided its dealers with a number of these certificates to use as dealer cash on whatever vehicles they wanted to. The number of certificates that dealers receive is usually based upon dealers' sales totals for a previous period of time. Dealers are not required to share these certificates with consumers, but people who know about them are often able to get better deals on the vehicle that they want than people who don't. Unfortunately, GM is not currently running any sort of certificate program right now. This doesn't mean that it won't introduce one later on this month or in May though.

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gayjeepboy

Thank you, Car_man. i will keep checking the forum. I am surprised that the factory didn't increase the cash to dealers to unload the 05's as it will soon be time to clear the 06's out . I really appreciate your research and will be watching daily for new incentives.

CarMan@Edmunds

You're very welcome. Talk to you soon.

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texastightwad

A local dealer here has some new 2005 Rainiers for sale at $26,700. From your postings this looks to be a fairly common occurrence. Is this a good price or is the markup still too high? Is there bottom line price or a TMV on something like this? It seems like a good price compared to used 2005's that cost almost this much. Does GM offer the dealer some incentives or guaranteed level of profit or is the dealer simply stuck with these and is trying to move them on his own? Do prices on these continue to decrease as the subsequent model year winds down? Finally - would my GM credit card points be applicable here? Sorry for all the questions - but then again - you are the answer man. Thank you very much!!

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi texastightwad. Early this year, General Motors gave its dealers a final $4,250 dealer cash payment to help them sell any 2005 Buick Rainier models that they had remaining in inventory. This late in the model year, you should be able to get this truck for at least dealer invoice minus the $4,250 dealer cash. If you have any GM Card earnings, you would be able to subtract them from the most attractive price that you can negotiate.

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jschuk

I am looking at the different Toyota Highlander models and I see the $750 cash or 2.9%/36months for the Base and Limited models, but are there any other incentives such as dealer incentives right now?
Jason

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi Jason. Toyota's incentives on the 2006 Highlander vary depending upon which one of its twelve regions one is in. Having said this, Toyota is not currently providing any dealer cash that I am aware of in any of its regions.

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lovemyfocus

Hello Car-Man. I was wondering if you know anything about the Ford rebates and incentives? I thought the $2500 cash back was available until July but it actualy ends in May. That means I'll have to wait until the next cash back program comes around again... the $2500 was a big plus for me! Any idea when it might come back again? Do dealers offer specials like that on the new model years when they come out?
Thanks.

Edit: I went to the Ford website and according to them, $2500 cash back ends in July, but according to Edmunds it ends in May. :confuse:

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi lovemyfocus. Regardless of the end date of the incentives that are available on the Focus, they aren't just going to go away. Through July 5th, Ford is providing $2,500 customer cash on the 2006 Focus. Instead of this cash, consumers can choose 0% financing for up to 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 2.9% for 60 months, or 4.9% for 72 months plus a $500 down payment match. This special financing program is currently only scheduled to run through May 1st, but it will probably be replaced by a similar program as soon as it expires.

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gayjeepboy

Hi Car_man. Do you know what the incentives will be for may on both 05 and 06 Wranglers? I am holding out to get the very best prices and it appears they are still not moving here in California. Thanks as always!!

CarMan@Edmunds

DaimlerChrysler's April incentives for the Jeep Wrangler are scheduled to run through the end of today, May 1st. I probably will not know what its new May incentives for this model are like until sometime tomorrow. Please feel free to post a quick reminder for me and I will be happy to give you the latest scoop on Wrangler incentives. Talk to you then.

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