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Rebates, Incentives, APRs - Questions & Comments

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Popoff, the Town Hall is completely separate from the main section of this Web site. Unfortunately, I had nothing to do with the dealer holdback article that you mentioned. In fact, I have to agree with you that both the definition of holdback on this site and the actual holdback percentages seem a little off to me as well.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Clyburn_rr, according to the people who I spoke with I do not believe that there are are any special financing or dealer cash incentives on the 4Runner right now in your area. Regional Toyota incentives data is difficult to come by though, so keep your eyes and ears open and perhaps pay a visit to the SUVs topic to see if anyone there is shopping for this truck in your area.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • tronsrtronsr Member Posts: 46
    DOES ANYONE KNOW IF FORD WILL BE COMING OUT WITH A REBATE OR DEALER INCENTIVE LATER THIS YEAR ON THE 2001 EXPLORER SPORT?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Tronsr, Ford's current incentives program runs through July 5th. It is difficult to say whether or not they will introduce any cash incentives on the 2001 Explorer Sport when their current program expires. If they don't this round, I would not be surprised if they introduce a little cash on this truck a few months down the road.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • clyburn_rrclyburn_rr Member Posts: 6
    Just wanted to inform your readers that a $750.00 rebate does exist for the Toyota 4 Runner (all of them). We just purchased an SR5 V6 w/ options XF,
    C7 for $200 over invoice + the $750. WOW !
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Clyburn_rr, wow you really got a great deal on your new Toyota 4Runner. Traditionally, these have been very difficult trucks to negotiate on. I guess that dealerships have reduced their prices on them somewhat now that Toyota will have several new trucks in showrooms in the not so distant future. Also, thanks for the information on the $750 incentive. Living here on the east coast, it isn't always easy to get info on West coast incentives. Enjoy your new truck.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • clyburn_rrclyburn_rr Member Posts: 6
    Thanks Carman. Just in case anybody is interested in the deal on the 4 Runner. I bought it in Tustin, Calif. w/ the Fleet Mgr.
    Also, we said NO to all the extras that the Finance Mgr tries to talk you into buying.
    Can you recommend a great Alarm System or store where we can get one?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Clyburn_rr, you may have a little more luck finding out information on a good alarm system over in the Town Hall Aftermarket & Accessories Conference. Click here to go there: Edmunds.com Aftermarket & Accessories Conference.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • boca2boca2 Member Posts: 4
    I'M IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW AUTO IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ARE THERE ANY REBATES AVAILABLE FOR CAMRY IN FLORIDA? IF YOU DEAL WITH AN ONLINE SERVICE FROM OUT OF A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CAN YOU QUALIFY FOR A REBATE?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Boca2, there were incentives on the Camry in Toyota's Southeast region last month. Even though I haven't seen this month's SE Toyota incentives yet, there probably is somewhere in the area of $500 to $750 on this car again this month in your part of the country. If you are purchasing this vehicle from a broker, I believe that you are only eligible for the incentives that are in effect on this vehicle in the state that it is actually purchased in and not your home state.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • boca2boca2 Member Posts: 4
    Car man, It seems that all the dealers in FL keep rebates a secret. I noticed rebates listed on Edmunds but when I called around last month, none of the dealers knew of any rebates. Is there a place to get the rebate information directly from Toyota? I've been checking prices on Carsdirect.com and they show prices approx. $500 below invoice in my area. They do not mention anything about rebates as they do for some of their other car models. Should I assume that there is no rebate in this instance or that they have included it in their price? Also, how is their track record compared to other services or buying at a dealership? Thanks.
  • pmcdonaldpmcdonald Member Posts: 3
    Carman...in trying to work a deal with a local Ford dealer he agreed to $100 over invoice but said there would be a $360 Dealer fee. What is this?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Boca2, the SE Toyota dealers do have a Web site that they list incentives on from time to time. It is located at www.buyatoyota.com. Lately the special offers on this site have been limited to advertised lease specials though and don't mention anything about any cash.

    As far as CarsDirect is concerned, many people enjoy using their service. You can find out all sorts of information on this company over in the Smart Shoppers Conference. I personally enjoy the entire car shopping experience and would probably not purchase a vehicle online though.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Pmcdonald, when I look at the deal that you described it appears to me as though the dealership has agreed to sell you this car for $460 over invoice, not the $100 over invoice that they want you to believe they are giving it to you for. The $360 dealer fee sounds like just another way for this dealership to bake additional profit into your deal.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • gregmorris19gregmorris19 Member Posts: 1
    What has happened to the "Rebates/Incentives" section on the Edmunds.com site. Whenever I try to look up available Rebates, the data shows as "null". The info was there a week or so ago, and they have changed the format of that section. I have looked up this info. on Edmunds for a long time, and it's not there now. Anyone know of any other sites to find this info. until Edmunds fixes their "Rebates/Incentives" section?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Gregmorris19, Edmunds.com recently redesigned the Incentives section of this site. It seems to be working fine now. Please let me know if you continue to have problems accessing it and I will be glad to try to help you out.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • davidmasdavidmas Member Posts: 12
    I see rebates offered locally that are not mentioned on Edmunds.
    What is the college grad. rebate? Is that from the factory? Or can you deal with the dealer if you don't qualify?
  • pmcdonaldpmcdonald Member Posts: 3
    Carman.....I agree that this is another way that dealers have of making a profit. But on further contemplation this fee may not be unreasonable. It was juzt a surprise. When we consider that even with their holdback of 3% maybe that is not unreasonable.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Pmcdonald, you are right. Depending upon exactly which vehicle you are interested in purchasing, $460 over invoice is not necessarily a bad deal. On a vehicle without any incentives available on it I certainly think that this is a reasonable price.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    David, as I mentioned in my previous post this section of Edmunds was recently redesigned. If you feel as though there are some holes in the information, I am sure that the individuals who are working on this section of the site would love to hear your feedback. This will help them to correct any mistakes or omissions that may have resulted from the new format. Please e-mail your comments to manager@edmunds.com and mention the new incentives section in the title.

    Many manufacturers offer special incentives (usually in the area of $400 or so) to recent college graduates. It sounds to me as though this is what you are referring to. This sort of incentive has guidelines that are written by the vehicle's manufacturer which clearly spell out who qualifies for this cash. Dealerships have no authority to bend the rules.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • mimsgomimsgo Member Posts: 3
    Please give me some help the reginal customer incentive for the G20 Infiniti in Tennessee is $1500 and it looks like the national dealer incentive is $1500, is this right am I going to get $3000 off. If it is invoice -3000 +2% resonable.

    Thanks

    Mimsgo
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Mimsgo, no you can not get $3,000 worth of incentives on the 2000 Infiniti G20. The $1,500 incentive that is listed on both the national and regional incentives sections of this site are the same. I can certainly see where it would be confusing to have the same incentive listed in both sections though.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • mimsgomimsgo Member Posts: 3
    the regional incentive is listed as central region only. Say it is so. The national incentive is listed as Dealer and the Regional is listed as buyers incentive. Say is is so.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Mimsgo, you don't have to believe me if you don't want to but unfortunately I am telling you the truth. I know that it's more fun to believe that Infiniti has both a national and a regional incentive that can be combined for a total of $3,000 on the G20, but I am positive that is not the case. I'm sorry that is not want you wanted to hear. I personally feel as though the new regional incentives section of this site is causing more confusion than good given the fact that its information is very incomplete and usually overlaps the information that was already provided by the national section. If you feel the same as I do, perhaps you should e-mail your thoughts to manager@edmunds.com.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • kimsleekimslee Member Posts: 1
    bought a 2000 pontiac montana yesterday rebate was 1500 today it is 2000. do you think gm will refund my 500 dollars
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Kimslee, you are correct. As of July 19th (today) General Motors did increase the consumer cash allowance on the 2000 Pontiac Montana from $1,500 to $2,000. It's tough to say if they would be willing to provide you with the extra $500 that you missed out on by one day, but I think that they probably will not be willing to give it to you. Having said that, it certainly doesn't hurt to ask. Those who are silent certainly will get nothing. The worst thing that can happen is that they could say no. Good Luck.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • taeyuntaeyun Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2000 camry ce on July 14, 2000. At
    that time Edmunds did not have any rebates on the
    camry. I checked the rebates on the camry today on Edmunds website and discovered that there is a
    $750 rebate on the camry's. The date on the rebate goes from July 6 to July 31, 2000. Does anyone know if I qualify even though I did not know about the rebate when I purchased the vehicle. And if I qualify, does anyone have a contact at Toyota that I could call? Thanks for any additional info.
  • dant00dant00 Member Posts: 1
    On Edmund's website under "Incentives and rebates" I see the Ford Explorer 4 door has an interest rate of 1.9% apr for 48 mos. Has anyone been able to verify this? I have talked to over 12 dealers in 4 states here in the southeast "Memphis, TN" and they all have 0.9 for 36 mos and 6.9 for 48 mos. I am shopping for an Explorer and would definitely like to have the 1.9 rate if it is available. Thanks
  • davidmasdavidmas Member Posts: 12
    I've looked at the mazda626. There is a national rebate of $2250. The regional rebate is $2000.
    I'm confused, too. Can I only expect the regional
    r

    ebate of $2000?
    Thanks for any clarification.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Taeyun, I replied to the identical message that you posted in another topic in this Conference. Please check there for my response. Thanks.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Dant00, it is very difficult to generalize about Ford's incentives in certain vehicles. I believe that the dealers that you are dealing with are telling you the truth about the Explorer's APR program in your part of the country. If you would like, you can verify the current special financing program on this truck in your area by visiting this Web page: Ford Vehicles Explorer Page. Once you are there click on the "$" icon at the top of the page and enter your zip code when prompted to. This will tell you for certain what consumer cash and special financing programs are available where you live.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    David, no these two incentives can not be combined. The national incentives page was created to give consumers a good idea of what they can expect in terms of incentives on a particular vehicle. The new regional page has now been added to provide additional detail on incentives programs for certain areas when it is available.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • melechmelech Member Posts: 27
    Why do you think VW, which did not have dealer holdback on the '00 Passat and Jetta V6, offers the dealers floor plan assistance on the new models? I've heard there's great consumer demand for these cars; presumably they will move of the lots rapidly, so why the need for a manufacturer's subsidy?

    Melech
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Melech, it's difficult to say why Volkswagen changed this policy for its dealerships if that is indeed the case. The Passat is a tremendous car that there is still a decent amount of demand for. Still, this is an extremely competitive automotive marketplace today where consumers always want the latest and greatest models. Vehicles that have been out for a year or two tend to lose a little sales momentum in most instances. If VW is providing additional money to its dealerships on the Passat I suppose that they are trying to help keep its strong sales going in this highly competitive market. I am sure that VW dealers would enjoy any sort of policy change that puts additional money into their pocket.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • pmcdonaldpmcdonald Member Posts: 3
    Carman...I read where Ford had some problems with the Taurus Motors. DWhat was all that about and have they got a handle on it?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Pmcdonald, I think that this is a better question for either the Town Hall Sedans or Maintenance & Repair Conferences. Please use the links below to go re-post your question in either of those areas. Thanks.

    - Edmunds.com Sedans Conference

    - Edmunds.com Maintenance & Repair Conference

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • andis1andis1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Everyone,

    I hope you can help. (I'm new here so hope I'm posting to the best place.) I’m buying my first car in 15 years and need to make the best deal possible.
    I’ve decided to buy a Honda Civic because of its mileage ratings and because it’s the least expensive Honda you can buy. (My original car was a 1985 Honda Prelude). The Honda I’m considering is a 4 door and it’s billed as a Total Value Package car.

    The sticker price was

    Total value package (AC/ CD player, etc) = -$1000.
    (Perhaps this reflects a mfg rebate to the dealer? They guy didn’t tell me why they’d offer that…the car is a slightly unpopular (?) metalic teal so perhaps they’re trying to get rid of it.)

    Add the “appearance package” (mats, pinstripe, etc) = 495
    Deliver = 440
    Total price =


    Now…when I went to ask about borrowing the car for the day to drive it to the mountains (I commute each day and my Prelude does pretty well). They wanted me to sign paperwork saying that if I liked the car I’d buy it. Not wanting to sign paperwork to that effect the car guy went to another guy and got me the invoice price of $13,948 + whatever profit I’d give them. I assume they’re willing to do this because they’ll get 2% holdback money from Honda. Plus, they wanted to move 20 new cars by the end of the month (and they’re closed on the 30th!)

    Am I right so far?

    Now…they played good cop/bad cop for a while, but I had to go—plus, they closed in 6 minutes and I wasn’t going to buy a car in 6 minutes. I wouldn’t sign. When I left, they gave me paperwork to show my partner reflecting these different prices:

    Base price = 15170
    appearance package 495
    trade in (my old car—they’ve not given a firm estimate)/discount
    selling price/trade in difference = 14074
    customer service fee = 299
    balance = 14373
    tax = 10061

    Total: 15420

    The guy also wrote that figures would change with my trade in and implied the price would go down.

    So:

    1. What do you make of this situation and these numbers immediately above?
    2. Can I go back on Monday and demand the invoice price?
    3. What “profit” should I offer, if any? Can I assume they’re getting holdback?

    I’ve not looked around that much so don’t know if I can get a better deal. However, I need a new car fast due to some mechanical problems (although I told them I was in no real rush. Certainly there are plenty of other dealers!) I want to be fair, but am hugely in debt from school loans so need the best deal possible. Any suggestions you can offer by Monday morning would be greatly appreciated. You can post here or email me at andi956@hotmail.com

    Thanks very, very, very much for any and all suggestions.

    andi
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi andis1

    One figure you showed didn't make sense (the tax), so for now, I'll assume the grand total is correct.

    You're right, this is an "off" color, and the dealer probably isn't the least bit happy about having it on their lot. One thing you may want to do is check the door jamb build-sticker for the month of manufacure. If the car was built April (4/00) or earlier, that car has been there too long, and you can definitely come down on their price, as they just want it gone. You should be able to go in Monday and offer invoice + 2%, less your Prelude's trade value. Don't worry so much about the holdback, as that is not cash to them (it's treated like "store credit" on their billing account with Honda).

    The dealer is within their rights to ask you to sign paperwork for an overnight drive, as you are putting use and wear on an untitled car that you may not agree to buy if you don't like it. During that time, the car legally belongs to them, and they are partially liable if you do something to/with it.

    Good luck, and let us know what happens Monday!

    kcram
    Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
    edmunds.com Town Hall
  • dbrulanddbruland Member Posts: 21
    CarMan,

    The recent $1500 incentive was shown to expire as of 7-31-00. I am getting conflicting info as to it being extended or modified. I know the Edmunds incentive section currently shows no Infiniti incentives or rebates, but it isn't always current.

    Can you or anyone else shed any light?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Dbruland, I would be glad to help you out. Just because the national incentives page here at Edmunds.com does not list any incentives for an entire brand of vehicles, does not mean that that particular brand does not have any on it. Sometimes there is a lag of a week or two between when a program expires and when the new one is posted up on this site.

    Many manufacturers have incentives programs that run for months at a time. However, like Nissan's, Infiniti's incentives program almost always expires at the end of every month. I have not seen Infiniti's August program yet. However, I can say with almost 100% certainty that at the very least the $1,500 that was available on the G20 last month will be continued through the end of August. There is a slight chance that this cash allowance was enhanced, but most likely it will remain at the July level for another month.

    I hope that this answers your question. However, if you think of any others, please don't hesitate to ask.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • gcintendergcintender Member Posts: 36
    Hey, Car_Man, what's the latest news on DaimlerChrysler's incentive program? It just changed today, and inquiring minds want to know!
  • davidmasdavidmas Member Posts: 12
    anybody hear about new vw dealer holdback on any or all models? Has this affected prices, especially on 2001 models?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Gcintender, DaimlerChrysler significantly enhanced the incentives on the majority of its vehicles. In many instances they increased the consumer cash allowances by $1,000! Also, they introduced a national financing program that provides interest rates that are as low as 0.9% on many vehicles. If you have a particular car or truck that you are interested in, I would be glad to let you know exactly what incentives it has available on it now.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • gkempgkemp Member Posts: 1
    The explanation of TMV is very good, but what about situations where both consumer rebates and dealer incentives are in place? Do I subtract only the rebate from TMV, or can I expect to get part or most of the incentive as well?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Gkemp, this is a very good question. I am not intimately involved with the calculation of the Edmunds.com True Market Value for vehicles and do not know the answer. I suggest that you e-mail your message to manager@edmunds.com. They should be able to point you in the right direction in terms of who to ask or may be able to directly answer it.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • davidmasdavidmas Member Posts: 12
    Under the regional rebate offers is dealer cash of $750 for honda accord. Is this in addition to the national dealer incentive?
    thanx
  • bobvatbobvat Member Posts: 2
    i'm ready to buy a 2000 Volvo S80 and I hear rumors that the dealers now have a $1500 incentive from the factory to help move out these 2000 model year cars. cn anyone confirm the existance of this incentive? If it is true it sure changes my negotiating position with the dealers. I'm in New England and maybe it's a regional incentive???????
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi David. You are not alone, the regional incentives section of this site frequently confuses consumers. The $750 Dealer cash that Honda currently has available on 2000 Accord 4-cylinder models is a national incentive. Despite the fact that it appears when you run a regional query, this $750 is available throughout the entire country. There are no special regional incentives for the Honda Accord that can be used in addition to this national incentive at this time.

    Car_Man
    Smart Shoppers / FWI Co-Host
  • davidmasdavidmas Member Posts: 12
    What is dealer cash, exactly? Do you have to negotiate for it? I've gotten a couple quotes and nobody mentioned it.
    Under regional incentives it is not compatable w/ subsidised rates. Is that correct?
  • davidmasdavidmas Member Posts: 12
    Edmund's is the only place I can find anything on the honda dealer cash incentive for accord. Nobody is admitting to it, even Honda of America,
    the parent company. And they should know seeing as the offer according to Edmund's is offered instead of APR incentives. Is this a real offer?
    Are they trying to keep the dealer incentive moneyin the dealer's pocket?
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