Rebates, Incentives, APRs - Questions & Comments

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Fungo, in my opinion it probably doesn't matter whether you purchase your Rodeo right now or after April 1st. It is possible that the company will try to sell a few more trucks than usual before the end of the quarter. However, I really don't think that it is that big of a deal for them. One major factor that would affect your deal would be an increase in incentives by Isuzu. Since the current Isuzu program ($1,250 dealer cash on '98 Rodeos) runs through May 31st, I really don't foresee any changes until then. It is possible that this amount may increase by $250-$500 after that date depending upon how well Rodeos sell.

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Yes, Jim this 328i cash does exist. BMW is trying to clear out as many of the '98 3-Series as they can before the new model comes out. I believe that this is a national program.

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Jill the Honda Civic is a very nice car. Unfortunately, there are not usually rebates on this model because it is very popular. However, Honda is running a special financing program on Civics for the first time in a while. Currently you can finance a Civic for 3.9% for 36 or 48 months.

GonzoBC · March 1998

I am interested in obtaining the complete text of all GM rebate programs, both consumer and dealer incentives. Is this public information available somewhere? If not, is it available for a price anywhere? I am aware that we are talking about a large amount of text here and would like to be able to download files rather than get hard copies. I am assuming Edmunds is able to obtain this information somehow and then boils it down to just the basic info (model and incentive amount) that is provided at this web site. I talked to GM at both their dealer business center and consumer information numbers and they told me I could only obtain this info from dealers. Is this true? I am willing to pay for this information if anyone can provide a source.

JMcCully · March 1998

I'd like some questions answered about the 98 VW Passat. If you have one, what do you think so far?

Mr_Shiftright · March 1998

Dear JMcCully,

I think you may find some interesting discussion on the Passat in another Edmunds conference...please take a look at

>

and also the new car information available from Edmunds at

http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/autoreview.html

dking1a · March 1998

Edmunds shows a customer rebate of $1500 on the Nissan Maxima. The dealer claims that there is no such thing. He says there is a $1500 dealer incentive, which he says he is already giving to me. According to Edmunds figures the invoice price is $25600. He has quoted me $24200. Is he correct about the rebate?????

fungo · March 1998

Car_man:

Thanks for the response. I was not aware of any dealer cash for 98 Rodeos (Edmunds doesn't have it, and nobody else does either). Is this regional? I live in Denver (as I think you might) . Please advise as this would save me lots of $$.

Thanks,

Fungo

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Gonzo, why are you interested in obtaining these documents? I'm surprised that GM told you that you could obtain this information from dealers. This is extremely sensitive info. and it is not intended for distribution to the general public. I very seriously doubt that any dealers would share these documents with you.

Brutus · March 1998

Just out of curiousity, how does this site, and similar sites, get that documentation so they can share it with the general public?

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Don, Nissan incentives vary by region. The Nissan information that is posted here at Edmunds is for the NE region. Right now Nissan has about 27 different regions all over the country. We show you the NE as a representative sample of how much Nissan is spending on incentives. It is very possible that the Maxima cash that Nissan is providing is dealer cash in your region of the country. Since the price that the dealer gave you is about $1,500 less than what we show as the invoice, it looks as though the dealer is telling you the truth.

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Fungo, you're right. This information is not up here at Edmunds. I'll look into that for you. Regardless there is $1,250 dealer cash on the 1998 Rodeo in the Northeast region until May 31st. I am not aware of the specific rebate amount in the Denver area, however I'd be willing to bet that it's very similar to the $1,250 in the NE.

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Brutus, I don't know where other sites get their information from. Yet, I can assure you that Edmunds uses very reliable sources to obtain our information.

HTMiller · March 1998

? I am about to purchase a Nissan Max SE But I won't have all the cash to purchase but I would give the dealer a $1,000 deposit to hold the deal till April 20. one dealer says he will hold the deal but the dealer I plan to buy from won't Why would this dealer not hold the deal. He says that the possiblity of a rebate change. could this just be a way to up the price

GonzoBC · March 1998

Car Man:

You didn't answer any of my questions, so I am afraid I can't answer yours. Actually I am not willing to discuss my interest in obtaining incentive documents in this forum as I don't want the general public to have access to them any more than GM does. Although it does seem somewhat absurd that they will spend $.5 million on a 30 second commercial to tell us there is a rebate on a certain vehicle then if you ask for details they say that is a secret. In fact some dealers have been willing to share this information with me and have been quite happy that they did, but running around from dealer to dealer to get access to the documents is somewhat inefficient and therefore I am searching for a method to build and update a complete library of incentive bulletins from one source. You assure Brutus that your sources are very reliable, but apparently you are not willing to divulge even the nature of those sources in this forum which is understandable. Is there any way we can chat privately so that I can explain my reasons and you can maybe give me some advice?

sbarvian · March 1998

I negotiated a purchase price today on a new
Explorer of $100 over invoice. But then
the dealer said that since the vehicle would have
to be transferred over from another dealer on the
other side of town, that he would not earn the
holdback on the sale and would have to raise
the price to cover it.

While I recognized this as the outright lie that
it probably is, I thought I'd ask if there might
even be the least little bit of truth to this. Do
dealers charge each other for transferring vehicles?

GJohn · March 1998

My dealer is trying to charge me $203 (about 1%) for "Whsl. Financial Reserve". Is this another type of holdback?

GJohn · March 1998

My dealer tells me he will charge me 3% over invoice, but is also charging me the 2% Dealer Holdback! Should I challenge him that he is
actually charging me 5% over invoice?

guitarzan · March 1998

No. He is charging you 3% over invoice, and 5% over his "true cost." Argue that one if you want. The holdback is sacred to him, lest you be forwarned!

gingers · March 1998

To Holdback on dealer locate: I've worked with a dealer locate situation before, albeit not with Ford, and they should not be trying to charge you extra for this. IMO it's another pressure tactic to try and make you feel like you owe them. Dealers swap inventory all the time and this should not eat into their holdback. Don't feel bad though, I had a dealer try this on me also. The next dealer I went to tried to swap for the car in question, but they had just been hit with a hail storm and most of their inventory was damaged. The salesman was cool enough to tell me where the car was located and I drove the extra 40 miles and got a great deal. So, if you can find out where the Explorer is, you are in business.

kbandit · March 1998

A co-worker of mine told me that a Chrysler (Canada) salesman told him that if he bought a new car, he was eligible for a $500 rebate because he is the current original owner of a Chrysler. Sort of a 'rebate for loyal customers'. Sounded like a phony pitch to me. Anybody hear of anything like this?

ddobkins · March 1998

RE: Ford XLT Supercab Pick Up Truck; Is "Dealer Invoice" the cost that the dealer paid for the truck? Is it feesible to ask for the cost on the dealer invoice knowing that the dealer is receiving a manufacturer's incentive to seel the truck

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Harris, Nissan usually changes their rebates at the beginning of every month. The dealer may be afraid to take your deposit and have the incentives on the Maxima decrease. In my opinion it really doesn't matter if you put a deposit down on the Maxima that you want right now. Maxima's are not in short supply and you should be able to find one just as easily when you have the money.

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Scott, I'm not positive, but I doubt that the fact that the dealer had to obtain your Explorer from another dealership has any bearing upon the holdback amount. Some dealer paid Ford the holdback to get the vehicle, so this money just doesn't just disappear. Why wouldn't that money go to the dealer who sold it? Especially if the dealer obtained your truck in a swap, which is frequently the case.

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Kevin, I do not have access to Canadian marketing programs. However, this type of program does exist. It is often referred to as a "Loyalty Bonus" and companies offer them very frequently. Luxury car manufacturers, like Acura and Lexus, seem to offer them the most often. To my knowledge Chrysler is not currently offering any sort of loyalty bonus in the United States. Yet, I could see how they would want to encourage former customers to purchase their new models.

guitarzan · March 1998

KBandit, yes there are incentives for repeat buyers. Acura put $1000 toward my lease on a second Acura.

pheasant2 · March 1998

I am close to a deal on a Suzuki Sidekick JZ Sport. 4WD. On a two year lease the dealer is at $226 with nothing down, no trade or other prepay. Am I getting a good deal? Diamond Jim

fungo · March 1998

Car_Man, thanks for the info regarding the Rodeo dealer cash incentive.

We went to the dealer friday night and although he didn't have what we wanted we got a look at the invoice. All the numbers were reasonable (actually, they were lower than what is listed here in Edmunds). Anyway, included at the bottom of the invoice was the addition of holdback (I thought this was money paid to the dealer by the manufacturer and was not charged to the consumer). Am I right? Should I tell them to take the holdback off of the price (adding in everything they had added - holdback, flooring, advertizing) results in a 11% profit if I include the incentive. Any advice?

Thanks,

Fungo

CarMan@Edmunds · March 1998

Fungo, it is important to keep in mind that most dealers really dislike dipping into the their holdback in order to make a deal. The majority of consumers don't even know about it. With that said, an 11% profit on an Isuzu still sounds like a pretty high amount to me. I bet that there's still some room for negotiation there. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose.

Walnorm · March 1998

Does anyone know what type discoount the dealer gets on a vehicle that has been used as a "demonstrator"?

kirsch · March 1998

According to Edmunds list of rebates, there should be a $1,250 rebate on Ford F-Series pickup trucks. However, when I call my dealer, he says there is no such rebate. Anybody know the answer to this question?

kirsch · March 1998

Oh, by the way, I should have said on 1997 F- Series pickups.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 1998

Korey, there is a $1,250 rebate on '97 Ford F-Series in the NE region. I believe that this is a national program. This is an extremely popular truck. Perhaps the dealer believes that he can sell the truck at a higher price and just pocket the rebate. Either way, this program only runs through April 2nd and I'm not sure if Ford will renew it.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 1998

Wallace the discount that you should expect on a demonstrator really depends upon what model it is and how many miles the car or truck has. What vehicles are you specifically looking to purchase?

Texashague · April 1998

I researched the dealer incentives for '98 Mercury Mountaineers and according to Edmunds there is a $1000 incentive thru 4/2/98. When I went to the dealer, they claim they don't know anything about this incentive.....how do I verify this and reinforce it with the dealer?

ay107 · April 1998

Car Man
Do you think Toyota will offer another Man. rebate after 3/31? And is there a current Dealer incentive for the Tacomas ? I am in the Los Angeles area.
Thanks

sisine · April 1998

Some help please in dealing with car dealers. I tried to negotiate the price of a Cadillac Catera using the info I got from Edmunds, specifically, the dealer incentive. The sales manager swore up and down that dealers did not receive or were not entitled to the $5,000 dealer incentive shown in the latest edition of Edmund's website. He threatens to sue (if you can believe that) Edmunds for publishing falso info. How do I deal with him on this issue.

sirsolo · April 1998

Hi all,

I am in the market for 98 Maxima GLE and am confused by the following stmt on Edmond page:

Nissan 2% of the Total Invoice
+ 1.5% (floorplanning allowance)

What does this mean? Is it same as 3.5% holdback of the total invoice price? Also, is 2% correct or is it 3%? (new car report on Edmond says it's 3%...

Also, this is off the subject but do you know how popular 98 Maxima GLEs are so that I can try to negotiate accordingly with the dealers?

Thanks!

Walnorm · April 1998

Carman, I am looking at a 1998 Ford Pickup. My question is does the dealer get anything in addition to his holdback for this being a demonstrator? The vehicle has never been titled and has 10000 miles. For example, would he get his carryover allowance early for using this as a demonstrator? Thanks

guitarzan · April 1998

Sisine, I don't think the person at the dealer that threatened to sue Edmunds has $2000 in his pocket to start a lawsuit. I am not familiar with the incentive, but based on his response, I'd say he's pulling your chain. Forget about actual numbers. Go back to him and tell him the car is only worth X dollars to you. And haggle away, and enjoy the experience. My saleslady asked me "How did you come up with that figure." Answer? "It is a fair price for what this car has to offer." See how to avoid the "incentive" arguments? Who cares about incentives? Only the money you are WILLING to spend matters.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 1998

Texashague, the $1,000 on the Mercury Mountaineer that you are referring to is dealer cash. I am positive that this program exists, however the dealer probably does not want to admit it. Consumers aren't really supposed to know about dealer cash. This is an incentive that is given to dealers in order to help them move their product. If they need to they will use some or all of it to make a deal, but they would prefer to deny that it exists and seem generous by using some of it to give you a discount and pocketing the rest. Unfortunately this program expires tomorrow. Edmunds should have the new programs up in a couple of days. Check for new programs on the Mountaineer then.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 1998

Suzanne, yes Toyota did have incentives on the Tacomas however their programs expired on March 31st. I have not yet seen the new Toyota programs. Check back in a couple of days and see if Edmunds has posted them by then.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 1998

Han, Nissan has a 2% holdback on all models. I really wouldn't even worry about the floorplan allowance. Dealers are usually extremely reluctant to even dip into the normal holdback amount, so I doubt that they will let you touch it. Now should be a very good time to try to purchase a Maxima. Nissan just had a horrible sales month. Their sales totals were off around 45% from last year's levels. Good luck.

CarMan@Edmunds · April 1998

Wallace, I'm surprised that a dealer would have a demo with 10,000 miles on it. Usually they don't let the mileage get that high before they sell the vehicle. You should definitely receive a significant discount on this truck. I don't believe that the Ford dealer gets his carryover allowance early for this truck because Ford probably hasn't even decided what this allowance will be yet. The dealer probably does receive some support from Ford on this model, but he probably has to discount it out of his own pocket as well.

phlip · April 1998

Dear Car man, I am anxious to know when GM will announce their April incentives for Cadillacs. I just read the last few messages and found out that all I need to do is check back in a couple of days. I'm glad you're here. This makes car buying fun!, Phil

mokogen · April 1998

I am considering purchasing a Chevy Astro Lt. It seems GMAC is offering $1000 cash back OR financing options. When determining the dealers invoice cost, should the $1000 cash back be included within the calculations if I am going to use a finance option?

dwukoti · April 1998

Will Ford be announcing anything new with regard to incentives/rebates on Taurus/Sable following expiration of current numbers as of April 2?

malibu · April 1998

We are considering buying a 98 malibu LS but have heard some negative comments about the seat mechanism and hood latch. Is there any truth to any recalls on these vehicles? And are there any unhappy owners out there? What would be advice from current owners to a new potential buyer.

edfeb · April 1998

Like to have ford.s A Plan explained

Mr_Shiftright · April 1998

Dear Malibu,

Why don't you post your inquiry about the Malibu over in the conference here at Edmunds Town Hall? There's a much better chance that a current owner will notice it and respond.Also, you might check out this site after you've posted there.

http://www.infoseek.com/Automotive/Auto_and_govt/Auto_recalls?tid=13274&sv=N5

best,

Your Host

Rebates, Incentives, APRs - Questions & Comments

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