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Rebates, Incentives, APRs - Questions & Comments

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    No problem, baseballmom97. Congratulations on your new truck. The Sequoia is a nice vehicle and should treat you well. It is difficult to say why the dealer that you worked with claimed to have a different invoice price for this truck than the one that is listed here at Edmunds.com. Perhaps it is including manufacturer levied charges, like advertising fees, in its dealer invoice cost.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    You're welcome, keeferb. General Motors is not currently providing $4,000 customer cash on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. In your area, in December is is offering $2,000 customer cash on this car. An additional $1,000 is available on '05 Malibu Maxx models that are financed through GMAC, but in order to combine this cash with the aforementioned $2,000 you would have to finance it through GMAC using its standard interest rate which is really high, around 7% to 8%.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hello cristinaaaron. BMW's November incentives on the 2004 X3 were continued unchanged through the end of December. This means that there still is 1.9% financing for up to 5 years or special low lease money factors of .00050 on the '04 X3 3.0 and .00070 on the '04 X3 2.5 for leases up to 42 months in length.

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  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ...... Car_man makes some pretty good points here .. there has never been a "pattern" to any of the rebates or incentives .. sometimes they are based on a regional area, or not .. sometimes they go national, or not .. sometimes they are higher in one area than a needed area, or not ... they certainly haven't followed any Mapquest deal, thats for sure ........... ;)

                               Terry.
  • keeferbkeeferb Member Posts: 81
    Car_man,

    Could I take the additional $1000 and finance through GMAC at 7-8%, then turn around and refinance it through a bank/credit union at a lower rate? I guess I'm not sure what kind of rates auto refinancing provides, but I thought it might be an option.

    Thanks.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    "... there has never been a "pattern" to any of the rebates or incentives .."
    You got that right, Terry... bought my Vibe a year ago and depleted my GM Card Rebate.. now I'm back up to $490 or something, like you'd expect... am sorting my mail last night and it turns out they've dumped $$ into my account, so to speak, to give me a total of $2000 rebate money above and beyond whater else they're doing... and $2,500 towards certain vehicles. This program only applies to a fairly small number of people who still hold the original "blue" GM Card, and I was amazed how much money that is... For a lark, I checked into what would happen if I were to buy an '04 Silverado, and depending on which source I believe, it puts the total rebate at something astonishing like $6000, and that's just from the manufacturer...

    Methinks the General is pushing hard to move some metal before Jan 3rd, and those who look to buy soon should keep their ear to the ground.

    -Mathias
  • senencitosenencito Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the reply, a quick update, I went to another dealer when I found one of the new 2005 base models for the whopping price of tan tan taaaan 28,000 dollars, not even a GT model. At least I saw another 2003 gt and without even bothering much I talked him down to 20,000 im not sure on the rebates on those but I think I can get him down to 18,000 which I think would make for a very good deal then.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ....... I agree Bud .. the General, Benz, Ford, Honda, etc, etc, all have a program to move the sheet metal during tumbleweed time and having that GM card is almost like having a baby lottery ticket ~ on the right model ...

               They have $12,000 (American money) on the VW Phaeton, don't tell me they're not trying to push some cheesecake in these last 30 days ... I don't know who's worse, the car industry or the computer business ..l.o.l....

                                  Terry.
  • benny5benny5 Member Posts: 13
    Marciz02,

    As for Lithia, a friend of mine got a nice deal on a 2005 Jeep Grand Cheroke 4x4 from them. His deal was on an MSRP of $34940 for 39 months, zero out of pocket, 1st payment paid for him, 12k a year miles, was $400 upside down, for $389 a month out the door.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Keeferb, I have heard stories about consumers who have financed through GMAC using its standard interest rates to take advantage of the additional cash incentive and then turned around a couple of months later and refinanced through a local bank or credit union. You probably would not be able to get as low a rate on your car when you refinance it as you would have been able to through an independent bank had you financed it with them when it was brand new though.

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  • maddcowwmaddcoww Member Posts: 2
    How does this work? I'm looking for an Altima, but to get what I want, I need to order one. Currently the $1500 rebate expires in early January.

    If my car doesn't come in until after that, do I get the rebate as of the time I place the order, or am I at the mercy of what the rebates will be (if any) at the time I take posession?

    Thanks.
  • darnacdarnac Member Posts: 31
    steine13, I too have the old GM card and am waiting for my holiday rebate letter to arrive in the mail. I did not think they were sending them out this year but in reading your post it looks like they are. What part of the country are you in? Anybody else receive theirs yet?
  • sickntired1sickntired1 Member Posts: 11
    My mother received a letter last month uping her 1,800 rebate to 3,000 on certain 2005 gm vehicles. I didn't get a letter though, I thought they knew that I was the one interested in buying so they didn't send it to me. Ha ha!!

    I to have the old blue card....I am correct in thinking that you can use unlimited $$$$ to apply to any vehicle. (Not like the redemption allowance they show on their website). This was my understanding.
  • darnacdarnac Member Posts: 31
    Yes, the old blue card does not have a rebate limit on the vehicle like the new card.
  • marciz02marciz02 Member Posts: 11
    you are the man benny. i wonder how december auto sales are going. any idea? maybe that will help incentives increase.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi maddcoww. Consumers are usually only eligible for the incentives that are available on a vehicle when they physically take delivery of it. I wouldn't worry too much about missing out on the $1,500 customer cash that Nissan is currently providing on the Altima though. Generally speaking, vehicles' incentives increase as the model year progresses. While it is difficult to predict what automakers will do with their future incentives with 100% accuracy, if I had to make an educated guess, I would say that there will still be $1,500 on the 2005 Altima in January.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    There has been a number of posts about General Motors' incentives in this discussion recently, so I wanted to post a quick message in this discussion for those of you who are in the market for a GM product to let you know that it supposedly will make a significant enhancement to its December incentives later on this week. No details of this promotion, called the "Red Tag Sales Event" are available yet, but it would definitely be in the best interest of anyone who is considering purchasing a GM product to hold off on buying anything for a few days (it is rumored that the new program will begin on the 10th). Please feel free to check back with me in a few days for details of this new promotion.

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  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Thanks so much for your information and I will definitely be waiting. I am looking into the Buick LeSabre or the new Buick LaCrosse. Please let us know as soon as you find out about the "Red Tag Sales Event".
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    From what I have been reading in the early press reports, the big change is the Big red tag GM is sending the dealers to write their lowest price on.
  • darnacdarnac Member Posts: 31
    That is not very encouraging. I can negotiate a price for myself. Give me CASH (rebates) incentives!
  • tomvtomv Member Posts: 10
    Hi all,
    I just got a phone message from a Chevrolet dealer telling me that they have added a $1500 GMAC finance rebate to all 04 and 05 GM vehicles. Not sure if this is Red Tag related and I have not called to confirm because I am now looking at a Chrysler T&C.
    Tom
  • darnacdarnac Member Posts: 31
    GM as of a few days ago had a $1000 GMAC finance rebate on most models. $1500 if true is a positive move.
  • polarbear2polarbear2 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I'm new and ready to buy a Yukon XL 04'. There aren't any left here in Alaska so we are ready to fly lower to the lower western states. They are quoting us 33,000 with the 5,000 rebate currently going on with GMC. Does any one know any more incentives for this vehicle right now. The MSRP is $42,195. We were hoping to get down to at least 30,000. Does anyone have any suggestions? This vehicle is in Seattle Washington. Would the "RED TAG SALES EVENT" help me here in any way?
    Gary
  • texastightwadtexastightwad Member Posts: 4
    I've recently started looking for a new car. It seems as though GM is offering some very tempting incentives on many of its 04 models. Are these year-end incentives anything special or does GM make these same offers at the end of every model year? Do you expect these same deals to be made at this same time next year? Thank you for your help.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi everyone. In addition to the big red tags that montanafan mentioned ;), for the Red Tag event starting Friday General Motors will be providing dealers with additional cash bonuses of $500 to $1,500 on a number of models when they are financed or leased through GMAC. The exact amounts of this additional cash will vary by model and region.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi Gary. Starting Friday, General Motors is enhancing its incentives on many of its models, including the 2004 GMC Yukon XL. I don't know exactly what its new incentives will be like on this truck yet, but please feel free to check back with me then and I should be able to tell you what its new program is like. You definitely should not purchase your new vehicle before then.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi texastightwad (funny user ID :)). While General Motors seems to always provide a high level of incentives on its models at the end of the model year, each year it seems to spend a little more money on these offers. If you are interested in a General Motors product, now is an excellent time to purchase a 2004 model. I definitely expect GM to provide sizeable incentives on its leftover 2005 models at the end of next year, but as I always say it is difficult to predict what manufacturers' future incentives programs will be like with 100% accuracy.

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  • markf57markf57 Member Posts: 38
    Hi all:

    I work for a company that is qualified to get GM supplier discount pricing. However, the terms state that GM card earning cannot be used with this program.

    I also received a GM in the Driveway authorization number from a GM employee. The prices for the GMID seem to be the same as supplier pricing. Reading the FAQ's on whether I can use my GM card earnings with GMID pricing, I found 2 questions that seem to contradict themselves as follows:

    Q: Is the GM In The Driveway Program compatible with GM Card Earnings?
    A: Yes, Earnings from all GM Cardmember Services products may be combined with the GM In The Driveway Program.

    Q: Are the GMID and GM Card Earnings compatible with Employee/Supplier Discount?
    A: No, GM In The Driveway authorizations and Earnings from the original GM Card (blue), the GM Gold Card, the GM Card (standard) or the GM Platinum Card program may not be used in conjunction with the Employee/Supplier Discount.

    So what is the story. Can I use my GM points and still get the GMID discount?
  • keeferbkeeferb Member Posts: 81
    Hi Car_man,

    Do you know which models are receiving the additional rebates, or is that something you'll find out tomorrow? We're almost set to sign a deal on a '05 Maxx, so I'm hoping this is one of them.

    Thanks.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    No conflict with those two questions.
    1) GMID with GM card = Yes
    2) GMID&GM Card with Employee/Supplier = No

     
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hello markf57. The "GM in the Driveway" program gives General Motors employees the ability to provide their friends and family with an authorization number that allows them to purchase a new vehicle at the Supplier Discount Program price. This is why the prices that you saw associated with these two programs looked so similar. The "In the Driveway" program offer definitely can be used in conjunction with any earnings from either type, the old or the new, GM Card. I am not sure if the regular Supplier Purchase Program is compatible with GM card earnings, but if you qualify for both anyhow it doesn't really matter.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi keeferb. I believe that GM will provide both lower special financing rates and additional cash bonuses for models that are financed or leased through GMAC on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx when its new "Red Tag Sale" starts tomorrow.

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  • markf57markf57 Member Posts: 38
    Car man and Montanafan:

    Thanks for the clarification. I think I was just reading too much into it. Although the GMID prices are the same as the supplier prices, the rules are different with the supplier program vs. the GMID program.
  • wrxwrx Member Posts: 2
    Car_Man
    Does GM still have the instant coupons out to dealers for December? Is it still 2X500 for 2005 models and 3X500 for 2004? Purchasing a Silverado this week after the red tag announcement and want to have all possible rebates. I don't have a GM card and am avoiding GMAC financing so I need all the cash rebates available. Thanks!
  • markf57markf57 Member Posts: 38
    I'm looking to buy a Vibe. I'm VERY disappointed in the GM incentives that hit today. No change for the Vibe in the Western region. The incentives were better in November.

     

    I rolled the dice and it looks like I lost.
  • darnacdarnac Member Posts: 31
    Me Too. My '05 CTS to be is now $200 higher but this is without the dealer cash of $1500 that was on the table last month. So, if the dealer puts the $1500 back on the table I would have saved $1300. I was hoping for something around $2000.

     

    We are awaiting postings from the more "insightful" on this forum. What exactly are the new incentives during this Red Tag event? Are they only mfr to dlr?
  • leeshuckleeshuck Member Posts: 73
    I noticed a 1.9% APR starting in December, ending January listed from the incentives and rebates tab for the 2004 M3 - is this applicable in Southern California?

     

    Thanks,

     

    Lee
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    The additional Red Tag incentives are in the form of GMAC Finance Bonus Cash. It is slightly different in each of GM's 5 areas. But they increased the amount on some of the cars that already had it and added it to others that didn't have it before. Not all GM models will have the Bonus Cash.
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    Is there a place on the net to find what is available in the various regions or is it posted on the GM site somewhere.???
  • markf57markf57 Member Posts: 38
    nortsr1:

     

    gmbuypower.com seems to have the most comprehensive listing for incentives and they also seem to have this site updated the fastest when new incentives are added. Once you go to the site, click the "Current Offers" link near the top of the page.
  • mathesiusmathesius Member Posts: 2
    It doesn't make sense to me why GM even has the second FAQ listed though. Since GMID = supplier price, why would one ever try to use the GMID plus GM card earnings in "conjunction" with the Employee/Supplier discount? The question itself doesn't make sense to me.

     

    I'm looking at a new Maxx and am a bit confused; the Red Tag Sales Event didn't help.

     

    I think there are two scenarios under the new incentive, using the Maxx as an example:

     

    $3,500 total cash allowance, GMAC financing required - but NOT low interest

     

    OR

     

    $1,500 GMAC "bonus cash" allowance, low interest terms (i.e., 3.9% for 60)

     

    With either choice if you use employee/supplier discount you get an extra $1,000 allowance.

     

    (not sure if you get the extra $1k if you use GMID, but I hope so)

     

    Is this how other folks understand it? Or is there some more mystery not reflected on the chevrolet.com special offers website?

     

    If I understand right, with the GM in the Driveway program, the deal could be as good as:

     

    GMID Pricing (equals supplier pricing)

    - $1500 GMAC bonus cash

    - $1000 extra bonus for being a GM participant

    - $2000 GM card points "roundup"

    all financed at 3.9% for 60 months

     

    I did browse through my dealers lot this afternoon & saw Maxx's that should invoice out around $21,500 were red tagged around $18,000.

     

    I got one quick call into my salesman before they closed tonight. He said the $18,000 red tag is based on the $1,500 GMAC Bonus Cash (and thus, would use the low interest financing). This didn't make sense to me, but I need to call back Monday to learn more.

     

    Hope you are all having better luck understanding the deals!

     

    Cheers, Steve
  • leeshuckleeshuck Member Posts: 73
    I acquired a lease on a 2004 M3 convertible and the dealer did admit there was a 1.9% financing program. They wanted to mark it up to 2.9% for the selling price offered. I posted details on the lease in the "Lease Questions - Ask Here" discussion.

     

    Lee
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    You're welcome, markf57. Let us know if you have any other questions.

     

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Yes, wrx, General Motors provided its dealers with a new round of $500 Instant Value Certificates for the month of December. On Chevrolet models, up to two may be used per 2005 model and three per 2004 model, but dealers definitely do not have enough of these certificates to use one on every deal.

     

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    I don't believe that the General Motors' dealer cash on the 2004 Cadillac CTS changed in December. There was was $1,000 on this car in both November and December.

     

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    You are correct, Lee. BMW is offering 1.9% financing for up to 5 years through January 3rd on all 2004 3-Series models, including both the 2004 M3 Coupe and Convertible. This is a national program, so it would indeed be available in California. Keep your eyes open while shopping though, because BMW dealers are notorious for trying to mark up BMW Financial Services' base finance rates. They will often tell consumers that BMW's special financing rates are a point higher than they actually are to try to make additional back-end profit on deals.

     

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi nortsr1. The following page will give you a good idea of what sort of incentives GM is providing on vehicles in your area: General Motors Regional Incentives Offers. I also can give you an idea of what sort of incentives are available on the model or models that you are interested in if you let me know what they are.

     

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    General Motors' incentives sure are confusing aren't they, Steve? I think that you understand of its incentives on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx though. The only thing that was wrong with your assessment is that in addition to raising its GMAC bonus to $1,500 on this car in certain regions for the Red Tag Event, it also reduced its 5 year special financing rate from 3.9% to 2.9%. GM is also providing a $1,000 bonus for purchases by its employees, dealership employees, and suppliers but I do not know if this additional cash is available for purchases through the "In the Driveway" program. If I had to make an educated guess, I would probably say not, but again I am not certain.

     

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  • timarietimarie Member Posts: 2
    Hi there. Does anyone know if the GM Employment Discount Program applies in Canada? My brother-in-law works as Sales Mgr for GM in California. We are wondering if he can obtain an authorization code for us up here. (The GM inquiry phone number is closed on Sundays.... Just wondering if anyone on the forum knows from experience). Thanks!
  • texastightwadtexastightwad Member Posts: 4
    Car_man,

     

    It does not appear that Olds was included in this weekend's Red Tag Sale. I realize that the other parts of GM are making agressive deals to clear out the 04 inventories and Olds does not have any new model year pressure. Will they let this unsold inventory linger into 2005 or will they begin marking them down in the next couple of weeks before the division shuts down for good? In this situation do the local Olds dealers have any additional leeway to make deals?

     

    Thank you for your help.
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