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Rebates, Incentives, APRs - Questions & Comments

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Thanks for the information, softball1. We actually knew that the current incentives were going to expire this weekend. There have been several changes to the current program. We are in the process of collecting and inputing all of the new information. It should be up on our site tomorrow.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Junior, I think that you are referring to what is called a "stair step" dealer cash program. This basically is a type of volume bonus program that provides dealerships with certain levels of cash for each tier of the program that they achieve. For instance if a dealership sells 1 to 4 cars they get $500 per unit, if they sell 5 to 10 they get $1,000 per unit, and if they sell 11+ they get $1,500 per unit.

    In answer to your question about the current Nissan Maxima incentives, there is currently $2,000 consumer cash, $1,000 dealer cash, and a $400 - $600 volume bonus on this vehicle.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Vsgc it sounds to me like you are getting a pretty good deal. There aren't any additional incentives on Volvo that I am aware of. Good Luck with your new car.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Car4us, the $0 - $1,500 dealer cash on the 626 is a volume bonus program, much like the one that I just described. The amount of cash that the dealership receives will depend upon how many units they have sold.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Malfesto, there are so many different regions that it is difficult to obtain the information for each one and keep it updated in a timely manner. The incentives in one area usually don't vary much from other areas, and are often exactly the same. Mazda's Western region programs provide a very good representative sample of what their incentives are probably like across the U.S. give or take a few dollars.

    Your Co-Host
  • squannysquanny Member Posts: 1
    Looking at two cars: (1) Lexus ES300 and (2) Mazda Millenia S. Wish to confirm existence of holdback, dealer incentive on Lexus and get info. on negotiating history with Mazda.

    (1) Edmund's shows no holdback by Lexus, whereas alternate car sites state there exists a 2% holdback. Can anyone confirm? If so, are Lexus dealers giving customers the holdback or refusing due to popularity of model.

    (2) Millenia S shows dealer invoice of $31,553. Rebate on 1998 model of $3,000. Dealer incentive of $3,000-$4,500. Holdback of 2% base MSRP ($631). Plus 1.9% fin./48 mo. Total mfr. discounts of $6768 reduce dealer invoice to approx. $24,000. Question is -- are these mfr. discounts avail. in Mid-Atl. region and if so, are buyers actually getting dealers to sell at 3-5% profit over this "adjusted" dealer true cost of $24,000?
  • pixelationpixelation Member Posts: 4
    I'm seriously considering an new 98 Acura Integra GS-R for this October, but haven't seen any customer OR dealer rebates listed by Edmunds so far. Does Acura usually offer decent model-year-end rebates come October when I'm told the 99s will be rolling in?

    Also, if someone could clear up the discrepency in Edmunds 2% holdback listing for "Acura" vs the 3.5% holdback listing for the Integra GS-R model specifically, I would appreciate it.

    Many thanks.
  • BugerTimeBugerTime Member Posts: 2
    For the love of God, someone help me!!!! When is Honda and Isuzu going to release their new rebates and incentives? I want to buy a Passport or Trooper in the next week, but to do this I need to be prepared. It is not on the page where they list them. Please post info. I need it bad. Thanks.

    Justin
  • jkoschjkosch Member Posts: 1
    I just got a good price on a 98 Camry, but they were adding holdback to the invoice price!
    I left dealership when they tried to calculate lease payments on the MSRP rather than the price quoted through internet service.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Squanny, you are right about the Lexus information. In the past Lexus had a 2% holdback, but now we state that they do not have any. I am not familiar with where we get our holdback information from, but it is most likely correct. Considering the popularity of most Lexus models, most dealers will probably not even talk to consumers about the holdback anyhow.

    The Mazda incentives in the Mid-Atlantic region are probably very similar to the information that we have listed. Mazda is throwing money at this car. I have a friend that gust leased one for next to nothing. I'd say that there is probably at least $6,000 on this car in your area if not more. You probably can get dealers in your area to sell you one for 3% to 5% over their cost. Good Luck.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Pixelation, there is not currently any cash on the Integra. Although from time to time Acura has provided a little cash on this model, I would not necessarily count on huge amounts of support from Acura on 1998 Integras at the end of the model year. I believe that 2% is the correct holdback amount for Acura.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    BugerTime, the information that you're looking for should be posted sometime this week. I believe that the Passport dealer cash was extended until the end of the month and that the Isuzu information was extended until August 10th. Hang in there, we'll put it up soon.

    Your Co-Host
  • BugerTimeBugerTime Member Posts: 2
    You guys are a lifesaver. I will wait for you to post the rebates and incentives before I purchase. On a more personal preference, which do you prefer? The Honda Passport 2wd Ex or the Isuzu Rodeo 2wd LS? Anyone can respond with an opinion.


    Justin
  • graham2graham2 Member Posts: 1
    I am thinking of purchasing a New Quest. I own 95 XE model. Now the invoice is 20,570 on the model I am looking at . Currently Nissan is giving 2,000 rebates on Quest. The dealer doesn't seem to want to any lower than the invoice. Does that seem like a fair deal. If he doesn't want to go any lower than invoice price. Where does that 2,000 go. If they would sell at invoice. Why not sell it at 1,500 below invoice. He'd still be making 500 plus holdbacks. Am I figuring this wrong? Help.
  • shopershoper Member Posts: 3
    Car Man - I am interested in purchasing a Mercury Villager. When I brought one home to see if it fit in the garage I found the antenna was too high -- it scrapes against the top of the garage door. Can I replace it with a shorter or another type of antenna so it fits in the garage, or do I need to find something with a power antenna?
  • shopershoper Member Posts: 3
    One more question for Car Man - Is the customer cash rebate deducted from invoice price or after taxes are added in? I understand that the dealer incentive is deducted before taxes are added.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Graham2, you are right, if the Nissan dealership sells you the Quest at dealer invoice then he will be making $2,000 plus the holdback on the deal. I can't really say that getting any vehicle at dealer invoice is a bad deal, because it's not. However, I do think that you could probably do better if you shopped around a little bit. Good Luck shopping for your new van.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Shoper, this is a very good question. You probably should be able to replace the Villager's antenna with a shorter one, but I don't know for sure. I suggest that you ask the dealership if you can or check with other Villager owners in the Edmunds Vans Conference. Click here to go there: Vans Conference.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Shoper, it's my understanding that Dealer Cash rebates are subtracted before taxes are calculated and Consumer Cash rebates are subtracted after.

    Your Co-Host
  • hecubahecuba Member Posts: 1
    Using Intellichoice and Edmunds, I found Ford Contour to have a $400 college grad rebate, a $1000 rebate. Can I use both rebate programs together? There's also a $350 - $700 dealer incentive going on.

    Where, in all the price calculations, do I deduct the rebates? Do I start with a price 3% above cost and then start subtracting? And if I use Auto-by-Tell or Costco's car program, do I need to list off the rebates upfront?

    Any and all advice is appreciated!
  • yanglizhyanglizh Member Posts: 1
    A mazda dealer offer 1300$ below the invoice of a 626 LX (That including the 2000 rebate). Is that a good offer.

    Any advice is appreciated
  • shopershoper Member Posts: 3
    carman - Two separate villager dealers taxed me and then later deducted the customer rebate. Dealer cash - One dealer took dealer cash off the top and one took dealer cash off the bottom. When I questioned the second dealer who took it off the bottom - he checked with his manager who said dealer cash should be is off the top. obviously, it's more of a savings with cash off the invoice.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hecuba, the Consumer Cash, College Graduate Program, and Dealer Volume Bonus should all be compatible. When you add them all up it makes for a nice little discount. You should subtract the rebates first to determine the dealer cost and then add in a fair profit. If you look into purchasing a vehicle through a program like Auto-By-Tel you will be put in contact with a dealer who you can negotiate with on your own.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Yanglizh, any time you can purchase a vehicle for less than dealer invoice you are doing a pretty good job. I personally think that there may be a little more room for negotiation in this deal, but it's hard to say. Take the quote that the dealer gave you and see if any other dealerships will beat it. If not, enjoy.

    Your Co-Host
  • markellismarkellis Member Posts: 7
    I'm looking to purchase a BMW 318ti but don't know how much dickering I can do with BMW, or what type of incentives/rebates are coming available in August...CarMan, do you have the crystal ball?
  • pixelationpixelation Member Posts: 4
    Hello all... I've been looking at the 98 Integra GS-R of late, but decided I needed to shop around a bit and tonite took a test drive in a new base Prelude. I liked it a lot. Anyone else with some
    comparisons and experience with both?

    Odd thing is, altho Edmunds lists no current Honda
    deals (on anything) and this was their last Prelude (for all of 98, so says the salesman - he showed me "the computer" with no additional on order, but 2 (1 black SH, 1 red base) "accounted"
    or basically sold). This is a silver one, black
    interior, CD, standard stuff... Sticker is 23,3 I
    believe but he OPENS with dealer cost (20667) plus
    destination, ttl.

    I was a little floored by this and was wondering
    if there's a chance for me to deal any lower,
    seeing as there is no holdback and there seems to
    be no current rebates (altho there HAVE to be). I
    saw a commercial last night for the "Honda Summer
    Clearance" or something... Possibly the rebates
    haven't made it to Edmunds yet?

    Many thanks!
  • sadmadjajasadmadjaja Member Posts: 2
    I need help in determining the correct rebate and incentive on the Isuzu Trooper. Edmunds list different dealer incentives for the Trooper M64/M74 ($500) and the Trooper L44/L45 ($2000).

    Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the Trooper M64/M74 and the Trooper L44/L45? Which one is a Trooper with the Performance package? Thanks.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Pixelation, Honda does have incentives on the 1998 Prelude. There is currently $750 Dealer Cash on this car. If the dealership is offering you this car at dealer invoice you may not have that much more room left to negotiate, but you never know until you try. Good Luck.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Mari19, it's tough for me to say what a fair price for this car would be without knowing whether you are talking about the sedan, coupe, or convertible. It isn't hard to calculate if you are getting a good deal on your own. Just look up the dealer invoice for the exact model that you want to purchase, and add the destination charge and the dealer invoices for any options that you want to include. Then subtract the dealer holdback and any relevant incentives. The Pontiac Sunfire has a 3% (of the vehicle's total MSRP) holdback and $750 Consumer Cash on Sedans, $1,000 on Coupes and $2,000 on Convertibles. Now you have the dealer cost. All you have to do is to add in a fair profit and there you have it.

    You mentioned that you are a recent college graduate. GM does have a college grad. program that provides recent graduates with I believe $400 towards the purchase of a new vehicle.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Sadmadjaja, those codes refer to Isuzu's internal designations for their vehicles. The L45 is the Trooper S 4WD with manual transmission. The L44 is the Trooper S 4WD with automatic transmission. I'm not sure what the M64/M74 codes stand for.

    Your Co-Host
  • chandra5chandra5 Member Posts: 2
    Can someone tell me what route to take when you find innacurate information in the Edmunds Guide. As a salesperson, I find it aggrivating when the wrong information is posted. Someone should be taking responsibility in updating this information and proofreading the accuracy.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Chandra5, as you well know Edmunds tracks a tremendous amount of information about the automotive industry. I can assure you that the Edmunds staff works extremely hard to keep our information up to date. If you have any specific problems that you would like to address, please feel free to sand an e-mail to editor@edmunds.com.

    Your Co-Host
  • chandra5chandra5 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you car man. I will do that.
  • juan1juan1 Member Posts: 1
    I visited "Ednund's" sites pertaining to "Current Lease Programs" and "Current Incentives & Rebates."
    Would you say that the information provided here is the most updated info?

    I am from Florida and it seems, according to these sites, that neither "MAZDA," "NISSAN," "VOLKSWAGEN"
    or "HONDA" are presently offering none of these: Subsidized Leases, Customer Incentives & Rebates, Dealer
    Rebates. Do you know if this is correct or if this is planning to change to include Florida very soon into the near
    future?

    Thanks,

    Juan1
  • ZonkerZonker Member Posts: 1
    While trying to buy a new Civic CX Hatchback, I came across a salesperson and sales manager that just plain didn't want to sell the car at less than sticker price, and wanted to lowball me on the trade in (90 Nissan Sentra, rough). The sales manager contended that the holdback went directly into an advertising fund, so it had nothing to do with the sale. My point of view was that without my purchasing the car, he wouldn't get the $200 to apply to anything. Besides, a check from the manufacturer goes directly to the bottom line, and it makes no difference to me if it pays for advertising, coffee, or those ugly multi-colored flags they had draped all over the lot.

    Nevertheless, he didn't see any way he could take anything off of the sticker price, and he was adamant in low-balling my trade in.

    Another dealer 30 minutes away saw things my way and made about $500 profit for about 45 minutes of paperwork. The bonehead dealer made no profit.

    Don't buy the first day you look, or at the first place you look.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Take a look at these sections of our web site again, Juan. There are incentives listed for Nissan, Honda, Mazda, and Volkswagen. There are also several Volkswagen leases posted there.

    Your Host
  • vemurivemuri Member Posts: 1
    Graham2,
    I think the dealer is trying to take you for
    a ride. Here is the deal I made sometime ago.
    Nissan Quest XE with:
    Daytime running lights
    Rear AC with controls
    Keyless remote entry
    Luggage rack
    Five free oil changes at the dealership
    Three free car washes at the dealership

    He was asking 18,721 before destination
    charges, TTL etc. I wanted to pay 18,500 and
    since I wasn't in any hurry at all, refused to
    budge from that offer, the deal did not go
    through.

    Even if you don't get the exact deal, try
    a little harder and I am sure you will find
    a dealer that can live with a little less profit
    than the one that quoted you invoice price.

    Hope this helps. By the way, my shopping was
    in the Portland, OR area.
  • tkinpatkinpa Member Posts: 19
    Carman,
    Please look at Pickups conference, Topic 270,Post #19. Good questions for you.
    Thanks,
    TK
  • Dean30Dean30 Member Posts: 1
    What's the deal with Honda? According to Edmund's there is no dealer holdback and they don't seem to offer incentives or rebates. Are the dealers getting a kickback in some other way. I'm looking at purchasing a Prelude - SH in the next few weeks so any advice I can get on how to deal with these a Honda dealership would be greatly appreciated.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Dean30, there is currently $750 dealer cash on the 1998 Honda Prelude. In addition to this rebate Honda usually has a 2% Holdback on their models. I know that our holdback section says that there isn't any holdback on the Prelude, but I don't see why that would be the case. It doesn't make much sense to me. I have a feeling that this model may have the 2% just like the rest. Reguardless, the dealership is not going to even talk about this amount. Just try to negotiate the best deal on this car that you can. Visit a couple of Honda dealerships in your area and see if they will beat your best offer. Good Luck.

    Your Co-Host
  • 1234212342 Member Posts: 1
    We are looking at a 98 Ford F150 Supercap 4x4, according to Edmunds the Dealer's invoice is $23,463 which includes destination charge of $640. It appears that hold back is approx. $800. According to Edmunds the incentive is $350-$700. How do we determine the exact incentive for Missouri dealers? Does the salesman receive part of the incentive as part of his commission? Is it true that the salesman only work on commission and what is that based on?
  • gxsoongxsoon Member Posts: 2
    I have been seeing Camry being advertized below 13 grand around DC for quite a few months. According to Edmunds and other sources, the invoice for even the cheapest Camry (CE 5spd) is above 15 grand. Taking into $750 rebate and 2% holdback, the dealer's bottom cost should be close to 14K for such a barebone. Is there some other types of incentives I am not aware of? Experts, please enlight me on this.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    12342, different dealerships pay their salesmen differently. However, their pay is almost always at least partially based upon commission. The $350-$700 Dealer incentive that you mentioned is a volume bonus. The more vehicles the dealership sells, the more money they get per unit. So there isn't really any way to know exactly how much the dealership that you are shopping at will get. The salesperson most likely won't see any of this money.

    Your Co-Host
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    GXS, it is difficult to track all of the special regional programs that exist in the country. It is possible that there is some additional cash on the Camry in your region. However, remember that dealerships often advertise one specific vehicle for a low price in order to lure consumers into their showroom. The amount that the car is advertised for and the amount that you actually have to pay to get one aren't necessarily the same.

    Your Co-Host
  • andreyzandreyz Member Posts: 4
    What is consumer cash rebate? Do I get a check for it or is it calculated into the invoice?
  • wwalegawwalega Member Posts: 1
    Under Rebates & incentives the Grande Cherokee Limited shows $2750 and has a note "Dealer cash 1997 my final payment". What does that mean and can I assume that this has reduced his cost for present inventory?
  • andreyzandreyz Member Posts: 4
    Edmund's shows that Isuzu customer rebate and dealer incentive expires Aug 31. I want to know if I should negotiate and get a car before that, or if I should wait and see if Isuzu will have other rebates and/or incentives. But this is the end of the month, and dealer may want to have a good deal.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Also, don't forget to look twice at ads that feature very attractively priced cars--sometimes in micro-print you'll see a disclaimer "only one at this price"...and...and...oh, too bad, you JUST missed it!
  • JasV3JasV3 Member Posts: 2
    Anyone (Carman...) know what current incentives are being offered for Ford Expeditions at this time. I was speaking directly to owner of dealership after my wife (we thought quietly) complained about the treatment salesman was giving us.

    He wrote up an estimate based on what we were looking for and had invoice price at approx
    $31,551, list price at $36,015. Offered truck at $30,600 based on discounts and I presume his holdback. Sounded good to me. He searched out 2 vehicles meeting my basic criteria and the prices quoted on those seem too high. Based on prior quote, seems like I should just be able to deduct 15% from list price. Comments appreciated.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Andreyz, Consumer Cash is usually just taken right off of the price of the car or truck that you want to purchase.

    Your Co-Host
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