That’s $0 due at lease signing — not even the first month’s payment.

Honda and Acura lead the pack with no-money-down leases, followed by Cadillac.

Honda and Acura actually offer their leases both ways — with a down payment, which makes for a lower monthly payment, and without a down payment.

Actually, almost any car lease can be had with or without a down payment, but you may not be able to get special promotional deals without money down unless the deal specifically makes that offer. All the promotional deals listed below do make the offer.

Making no down payment doesn’t change the value of the deal. However, since you are not pre-paying some of your financed lease amount, your payments will be a bit higher.

All these lease deals allow 10,000 miles per year with the exception of those from Honda and Infiniti which allow 12,000 per year.

Honda and Acura incentives expire on February 29, 2012. All others expire on January 31, 2012.

Here are all the current (January 2012) $0 down lease deals, listed in alphabetical order:

YEAR	MAKE	MODEL	MONTHS	PMT
2012	Acura	MDX	35	570
2012	Acura	TL	35	420
2012	Acura	TSX	35	350
2012	Acura	ZDX	35	570
2012	Cadillac	CTS sedan	36	399
2012	Cadillac	CTS coupe	36	429
2012	Cadillac	Escalade	36	747
2012	Cadillac	SRX	36	499
2012	FIAT	500	42	199
2012	FIAT	500c	42	299
2012	Honda	Accord sedan	35	250
2011	Honda	CR-V	35	270
2012	Honda	Civic sedan	35	230
2012	Honda	Crosstour	35	340
2012	Honda	Odyssey	35	350
2012	Honda	Pilot 2wd	35	340
2012	Honda	Pilot 4wd	35	350
2012	Infiniti	G25 Journey Sedan	39	389
2012	Infiniti	G37 Journey Sedan	39	429
2012	Infiniti	G37 Journey Coupe	39	479
2012	Infiniti	G37 Convertible	39	619
2012	Infiniti	M37 Sedan	39	639
2012	Infiniti	M56 Sedan	39	849
2012	Infiniti	EX35 Journey RWD	39	569
2012	Infiniti	EX35 Journey AWD	39	579
2012	Infiniti	FX35 RWD	39	619
2012	Infiniti	FX35 AWD	39	629
2012	Infiniti	FX50 AWD	39	809
2012	Infiniti	QX56 2WD	39	899
2012	Infiniti	QX56 AWD	39	949

If you don’t understand how car leasing works, or how to determine if you are a good leasing candidate, please visit our sister web site, LeaseGuide.com. You will find all the information, advice, calculators, and tips you’ll need to be able to lease a car with full confidence.

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To help dealers sell 2011 inventory, the car companies offer limited-time “marketing support” factory-to-dealer cash on selected car models and styles. Dealers typically use the cash to provide price discounts to customers. The more cash, the larger the discount.

By knowing which cars currently have the largest factory-to-dealer cash incentives, we can know where to find the best deals.  

Let’s take a look at the best factory-to-dealer incentives for December 2011:

2011 Infiniti EX, G Convertible, G Coupe, G Sedan – up to $2000

2011 Infiniti FX – up to $3000

2011 Infiniti M37 – up to $4000

2011 Infiniti M56 – up to $5000

2011 BMW 3-Series – up to $1500

2011 BMW 7-Series – up to $10,000

2011 BMW Alpina B7 – up to $10,000

2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – up to $2000

2011 BMW M3 – up to $1500

2011 Acura RL – up to $2000

2011 Volvo S60 and S80 – up to $3000

2010 and 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – up to $5500

2010 and 2011 Mercury Mariner – up to $3500

2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan – up to $3500

2011 Lincoln MKS – up to $2500

2010 Lincoln MKT – up to $5000

2012 Lincoln MKT – up to $2000

2011 Jeep Compass – up to $3000

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – up to $2000

2011 Jeep Liberty – up to $3000

2011 Jeep Patriot – up to $2000

2011 Jeep Wrangler – up to $1000

2011 Land Rover LR2 – up to $2000

2011 Land Rover Range Rover – up to $3000

2011 Lexus ES350 – up to $2000

2011 Chrysler 200 – up to $3500

2011 Chrysler 300 – up to $4500

2011 Chrysler Town and Country – up to $3500

2011 Dodge Avenger – up to $3500

2011 Dodge Challenger – up to $2000

2011 Dodge Charger and Nitro- up to $3000

2011 Dodge Durango- up to $4000

2011 Dodge Grand Caravan and Journey – up to $2500

2011 Ram 1500 – up to $5250

2011 Ram 2500 – up to $4500

2011 Ram 3500 – up to $5000

In addition to the price discounts associated with the above mentioned “hidden” rebates from manufacturer to dealer, you should also expect to get an additional discount directly from the pockets of your dealer. With a contribution from both car company and dealer, you have an opportunity to get an incredible deal.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above vehicles from Edmunds.comThe quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently being offered.

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Although no more Mercury vehicles are being made, dealers still have leftover inventory and are offering them at very attractive prices based on heavy factory-to-dealer rebates. These rebates are not announced to the public but are reflected as price discounts when customers buy the vehicles. Dealers have the option of giving some or all of the rebate amount to customers.

Ford has gone to great lengths to assure Mercury customers and new buyers that warranties will be honored and that service and parts will be available for years to come at Ford dealers.

The only “catch” in these great deals is that you might have trouble finding exactly the vehicle you want at your dealer. Supply is limited and you might have to shop around to find a dealer that has just the right vehicle.

Although the price discounts will be available all this year, or until supply runs out, you should act as soon as possible if these deals are of interest to you. Also be sure to ask the dealer to contribute with additional price discount of his own.

Here are the current “hidden” factory-to-dealer incentives for Mercury:

 2010 / 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – up to $5500

2010 / 2011 Mercury Mariner – up to $3500

2010 / 2011 Mercury Mariner Hybrid – up to $1500

2010 / 2011 Mercury Milan – up to $3500

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid – up to $3000

2011 Mercury Milan Hybrid – up to $1500

You can get free price quotes on any of the above Mercury vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

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We won’t really know what November 2011 car deals will look like until a few days into the month when new incentive programs are announced to dealers. 

However, as always, we try to take a look ahead to see what we might expect.

We still haven’t seen the expected incentive war that could be started by Toyota and Honda having now returned to full production after the Japanese earthquake earlier this year. We feel that when they get the pipeline filled and get plenty of cars on dealers’ lots, these companies will begin offering some very attractive car deals to bring customers back to their showrooms. Of course, this will lead other car companies to offer even better incentives to keep customers from running back to Toyota and Honda. It’s going to be interesting, whenever it starts — maybe in November.

Let’s take a look at what we know now. 

There are a few good long-term incentives out there that are worth considering. These are typically for left-over 2010 models and come in the form of factory-to-dealer cash that dealers give back to customers as price discounts. The deals expire around December 31 — or when all the vehicles have been sold. Here are some examples:

2010 Nissan 370Z Convertible – $1500 factory to dealer cash

2010 Saab 9-3 Convertible – $6000 factory to dealer cash

2010 Saab 9-3 Sedan and Wagon – $4500 factory to dealer cash

2010 Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan – $5500 factory to dealer cash

2010 Mitsubishi Endeavor – $4500 factory to dealer cash

2010 Mitsubishi Eclipse and Spyder – $3000 factory to dealer cash

2010 Mitsubishi Galant – $3500 factory to dealer cash

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Sportback – $2000 factory to dealer cash

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander – $2000 factory to dealer cash

2010/2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500 factory to dealer cash

2010/2011 Mercury Mariner – $3500 factory to dealer cash

2010/2011 Mercury Milan – $3500 factory to dealer cash

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid- $5500 factory to dealer cash

If you are interested in any of these deals, you should expect your dealer to give you an additional discount (from his own pocket) on top of the factory-to-cash he’s getting from from his car company.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.comThe quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

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Let’s take an example in which you agree to buy a car and finance $15,000 for 48 months at 6.70% APR interest rate.  Your monthly payments will be $357.11 per month. The total of all your payments for the life of the loan will be $17, 141. This means you are paying $17,141 – $15,000 = $2141 in interest, or finance charges.

Now, if you find a 0% APR interest loan deal for the same car, same price, you would pay only $312.50 a month and save $2141 in total cost over the life of the loan. You would be paying no interest and every cent of your monthly payment would be applied to reducing your loan amount.

Not a bad deal, right? Right. But maybe not the best deal.

Most 0% APR deals also come with an alternative cash back rebate deal. Typically, you can take one or the other but not both. If you take the cash back rebate, you must finance your loan at normal interest rates.

But, remember, the amount of your loan is less if you accept the rebate, even though you pay a highr interest rate.

Is it better to take the 0% loan, or the cash rebate?

To find out, compare the savings of a 0% loan to a loan at normal interest rate that includes the rebate amount.

First, simply divide your loan amount by the number of months in your loan. This produces your 0% APR no-interest monthly payment.

Second, use an online auto loan calculator (www.autoloancalculatoronline.com) to calculate your monthly payment at the normal interest rate, after you subtract the amount of the rebate from your loan amount. 

What is the difference in monthly payment amount?

In our example above for a $15,000 car, our payment with the 0% APR loan was $312.50. 

Assuming the car maker is offering an alternative $2000 rebate, that would reduce the loan amount to $13,000. Calculating our monthly payment, we find that the payment would only be $309.49, which is less than the 0% APR deal. 

In other words, accepting the rebate gives you a lower monthly payment than the 0% loan.

If the car manufacturer is offering more than $2000 rebate for this deal, it becomes even sweeter.

Generally speaking, it is nearly always better to accept a rebate than a 0% loan deal if you have that choice, and if the rebate is more than $2000. This is especially true if you are short on down payment money because the rebate acts as a down payment.

See the following article, Best Car Rebates, to find out which car brands and models have current rebate deals.

In summary, don’t automatically assume that a 0% APR deal is better than a rebate. In many cases it is not. Do your math before you decide and you may be surprised at the results.

Some dealers who are currently selling 2011 models and even 2012 models, still have a leftover supply of 2010 models. They desperately need to sell them and are willing to make good deals. Make no mistake, these are brand new never-titled vehicles with full factory warranty.

In most cases, dealers purchased too many cars from the manufacturer during what was a period of slow sales, and ended up with left over inventory.

The incentives are being offered in the form of “hidden” factory-to-dealer cash. A dealer uses this cash to discount the price of his left over cars to customers. He may also add some additional discount out of his own pocket to sweeten the deal. All the deals expire at the end of September 2011, except Ford’s which expire December 31, 2011.

Here are the current 2010 vehicles with high factory-to-dealer cash deals:

Ford F-150 – $4500-$5000

Ford Explorer Sport Trac and Fusion Hybrid – $2000

Lincoln MKT – $5000

Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

Mercury Mountaineer – $4500

Mercury Mariner and Milan – $3500

Mercury Milan Hybrid – $3000

Mariner Hybrid – $1500

Mitsubishi Endeavor – $4500

Mitsubishi Galant – $3500

Mitsubishi Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder – $3000

Mitsubishi Lancer and Outlander – $2000

Saab 9-3 – $4500-$6000

Saab 9-5 – $5500

These are all great deals but is there a catch?

The “catch” is that you may not find many of the vehicles in the above list at dealers in your area. Furthermore, you may not have much choice in styles, features, and colors when you do find them. However, if you can be flexible, you could save a lot of money on a brand new car with full manufacturer’s warranty.

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These incentives are known variously as factory-to-dealer rebates, dealer cash, or marketing support. It’s money that the car company “secretly” gives to dealers to help them sell particular vehicle models that might be selling slowly or for which there is a temporary over-supply.  This kind of  rebate is very common on last year’s models (and this year’s models) when next year’s models come out. 

Although dealers can use the money almost any way they want, such as for advertising or tent sales, most of it is given to customers in the form of price discounts. With factory cash added to normal dealer discounts, it’s not difficult to get below-invoice deals. Therefore, it is important to know which car companies are providing such rebates and for which vehicles.

Here are some of the best dealer incentives for August 2011. Most expire at the end of August or beginning of September except those for Ford, Nissan, and Volvo which expire December 31. We’ve already discussed Mercury dealer incentives in this article but we list them again here.

2011 BMW 7-Series – $10,000 (selected styles)

2010 Ford F-150 – $4500-$5500

2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac and Fusion Hybrid – $2000

2011 Ford Focus – $2000

2011 Ford Mustang – up to $2000

2010 Lincoln MKT – $5000

2010 Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

2010 Mercury Mountaineer – $4500

2010 Mercury Mariner and Milan – $3500

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid – $3000

2010 Mercury Mariner Hybrid – $1500

2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

2011 Mercury Mariner and Milan – $3500

2011 Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Milan Hybrid – $1500

2010 Cadillac DTS and STS – $10,000

2010 Cadillac Escalade – $8000 — ESV and EXT – $7000

2010 Cadillac CTS – up to $7000

2010 Chevrolet Impala – up to $5000

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR – up to $4000

2010 Chevrolet Aveo – up to $3500

2010 Chevrolet Camaro – up to $3000

2011 Chevrolet Impala and HHR – up to $4000

2011 Chevrolet Corvette – $3000

2012 Chevrolet Impala – up to $3000

2012 Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro – $1500

2011 Land Rover Range Rover – $2000

2011 Mitsubishi (most models) – $500

2010 Nissan 370Z – $1500

2011 Subaru Tribeca – $1000

2011 Subaru Impreza and Legacy – up to $4500

2011 Toyota Tundra – up to $2500

2011 Audi S6 – $3000

2011 Audi A6 – up to $2500

2011 Volvo S80 – up to $2000

2011 Volvo S60 – $1500

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

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You would also know that dealers can, and usually do, use this factory cash (often called “marketing support”) to discount prices to customers. Therefore, any vehicle with a high dealer cash incentive will nearly always have a good price discount. The higher the incentive, the better the price.

These direct-to-dealer rebates are one part of incentive programs that might also include direct-to-customer rebates, low-interest loan rates (including 0% APR), and special lease deals. These incentives are usually only good for one month.

Listed below are some the best factory-to-dealer cash offers for July 2011. Most expire on August 1. All are for 2011 models except where noted otherwise.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – $2000

Dodge Dakota – $4500

Ford Focus – $2000

Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

Mercury Mariner, Milan – $3500

Ford F-150 (2010) – $$4500-$5500

Lincoln MKT (2010) – $5000

Mercury Grand Marquis (2010) – $5500

Mercury Mountaineer (2010) – $4500

Mercury Mariner, Milan (2010) – $3500

Chevrolet Corvette – $3000

Mercedes-Benz CL, S Class (2010) – up to $10,000

Mitsubishi Endeavor (2010) – $4500

Mitsubishi Galant (2010) – $3500

Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eclipse Spyder (2010) – $3000

Infiniti FX50 – $3000

Infiniti EX35, FX35 – $2000

Infiniti G37 Convertible (2010) – $3500

Nissan 370Z (2010) – up to $2000

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

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Because of shortages of both vehicles and parts created by the recent Japanese earthquake, automakers are not offering nearly the number of great incentives in June that we were seeing in the first months of 2011.

However lets take a look at where you can still find some good deals. Most of the deals expire on June 30, 2011. A few expire on July 5, 2011.

BMW is offering low APR interest rates (1.9%-3.9%) on the 2012 1-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6 models. The company is also offering 0.9%-3.9% APR loan rates on 2011 models of the 3-Series, X5, Z4 7-Series, M3, 5-Series, 1-Series M, and X3. There is also a $3500 “Eco Credit” on some diesel models including the 2011 335d sedan, as well as special “Option Credits” available on many models (BMW doesn’t like to call them “rebates” — it sounds too cheap). Up to $2000 in factory-to-dealer cash is available on selected 7-Series models. Additionally, BMW is offering many excellent promotional lease deals in nearly every model line.

Chrysler has announced a few rebates and a number of low-interest loans, including 0% APR rates, across its 2011 model lines. These deals expire on August 1, 2011. Up to $1500 rebate or 0% APR loan is available on the Chrysler 200, 300, and Town & Country. 0% APR is also available on the Dodge Grand Caravan, Nitro, Avenger, Caliber, Journey, Dakota, Jeep Liberty, Compass, Patriot, and Ram trucks. Jeep Liberty has a $3000 rebate offer. Up to $3000 is also available on the Dodge Grand Caravan, Nitro, Avenger, Caliber, and Journey. There is a nice $4500 factory-to-dealer rebate on the Dodge Dakota.

Ford also has a number of 0% APR loan rates — on the 2011 Ford Ranger, Super Duty trucks, E-Series, Fiesta, Flex, Focus, Mustang, Fusion, and Taurus. Lincoln has 0% APR rate offers on the Lincoln Town Car, Navigator, MKS, MKZ, and MKT. Rebates up to $3000 are offered on the F-150 and Lincoln Town Car. Smaller rebates are offered on many other models. Large factory-to-dealer rebates are offered on the Mercury Grand Marquis ($5500), as well as the Mariner, and Milan (up to $3500).

Honda, which was seriously affected by the earthquakes in Japan is only offering a few low interest rate loans on some 2011 Acura and Honda models. The company is also offering a number of special lease deals on certain models and styles, such as the Honda Crosstour, Accord Sedan, CR-V, Odyssey, and Pilot. As you may know from reading this web site in the past, Honda lease deals are always great deals, if you like the model and style being offered. The 2011 Acura ZDX gets $2000 in factory-to-dealer cash. 

Hyundai/Kia is also in the 0% APR loan rate game with zero-percent deals on nearly every model, including both 2011 and 2010 models. In addition, there are a number of attractive rebates — $1000 on the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and $2500 on the 2010 Hyundai Sonata. Smaller rebates are available on other models.

Jaguar has 0% APR loan deals on the 2011 Jaguar XF, XJ, and XK.

Mitsubishi has 0% APR rates on nearly every model, including the 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse and Eclipse Spider.

Saab is offering 0% APR rates on the 2010 and 2011 Saab 9-3 and 9-5. In addition, the 2011 9-3 and 9-5 get $3000-$4000 factory-to-dealer cash.

Toyota, also hit hard by the Japanese earthquakes, has 0% APR deals on the 2011 Toyota Camry, Tundra, Corolla, Venza, Avalon, Highlander, and Sienna. A $2500 rebate is offered on the Toyota Tundra truck, as well as up to $2500 in factory-to-dealer cash.

Volkswagen/Audi has low-interest rate deals, including a few 0% APR rates, on nearly every 2011 Audi and Volkswagen model, and the 2012 Audi A7, Volkswagen CC, and Eos.  Leftover Audi 2010 models get some very large factory-to-dealer cash, up to $9500 but averaging about $4000-$5000.

Volvo has 0% APR deals on the 2012 S60 and most 2011 models except the XC70 and XC-90 (which have 2.9% rates).

You can get free price quotes on any of the above vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Factory-to-dealer cash, sometimes called “marketing support”, is a form of cash rebate from car companies to dealers to help promote the sale of certain vehicles. Dealers can use the cash in almost any way they like — TV advertising, tent sales, mailings — but most, if not all of the money usually is given back to customers in the form of price discounts.

Factory-to-dealer cash incentives are offered on a month-to-month basis, as needed, and expire at the end of the month. A particular vehicle model might have an incentive one month but not the next.

The largest factory-to-dealer cash incentives are offered on slow-selling vehicles, leftover previous year’s models, models with large inventory, or models that will soon be eliminated or replaced.

Here are some of the best factory-to-dealer incentives being offered for May 2011, ending on May 31:

2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – $2000

2011 Dodge Dakota – $4500

2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

2011 Cadillac DTS, STS – $7000

2011 Chevrolet Corvette, HHR, Impala (selected styles) – $4000

2011 Land Rover Range Rover – $2000

2010 Mercedes CL, S-Class (selected styles) – $10,000

2010 Mercedes C-Class, CLS, R-Class, SLK (selected styles) – $5000

2011 Infiniti FX50 – $3000

2011 Saab 9-3, 9-5 – $3000 – $4000

2010 Audi A6, A8, Q7, S6, TT, TTS (selected styles) – $9700

These incentives can be combined with any available customer rebates, low interest rates, and additional dealer contribution (dealer-provided price discount).

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

It has directly affected Japanese carmakers such as Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda to the point that production has been significantly reduced and, in the case of some models and styles, actually halted.

However, the indirect effects may be even more significant. Many American carmakers depend on parts and electronic components from Japan. For the lack of a single part, a car cannot be built. Therefore, we’ll see may see shortages across the board, regardless of where manufacturing takes place.

What does this mean for car deals in May 2011?

We might be wrong — and we hope we are — but we believe that the great new-car purchase and lease incentives that we’ve come to know in the last few months will be grinding to a virtual halt beginning in May 2011. And it could last for many months. When supplies are limited and demand is high, there’s no need for sales incentives.

Sure, we’ll see continuing incentives, although not as good, on leftover 2010 models, and even on some 2011 models that have already been replaced by 2012 models. Some brands such as Korean Hyundai and Kia that have not been heavily affected by the earthquake may take advantage and offer new incentive programs.  European brands such as BMW, Mercedes, and Audi may also continue offering modest incentives on selected models and styles.

The bottom line is that we think new-car deals for May 2011 will not be nearly as good as in the past. You’ll have to look longer and harder to find good incentives.  Even without incentives, you might find it difficult to find the exact model and style you want. Unfortunately, this situation will not go away overnight. It will be some months, maybe into next year, before things return to normal.

We at Best Car Deals will also have to work harder to find the good deals and incentives to post here on this web site. So, stay tuned. We’ll do our best .

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UPDATE: The recent earthquake in Japan in March 2011 has significantly affected both Japanese and U.S. car production which has affected availability of many car brands and models which, in turn, is affecting incentive programs. For more details, see “Best Car Deals Might Be Now.”  

In 2010, new car and truck business improved significantly; the cash-for-clunkers program helped kickstart sales; there were  more and larger manufacturers’ incentives; car leasing made a big comeback; and end-of-year deals were never better.

So, what’s in store for the remainder of 2011? Will car deals be as good or better as in past months?

Yes, we think that car manufacturers want to maintain the momentum they built up in 2010 and want to keep it going in 2011 with new incentives in the form of direct customer rebates, special lease deals, 0% APR loan deals, and factory-to-dealer cash.

It’s difficult to predict exactly what will happen throughout the year because even the car makers don’t know from one month to the next exactly what they will do. They look at sales figures and the success (or failure) of incentive programs for the past month, which tells them whether they need to have new programs for the coming month.

Even with all the uncertainty, there are some things we know for sure:  

We know for sure that there will be some incredible deals on leftover 2010 models in the first few months of 2011, although choices and colors might be limited.

We know there will be more and better lease deals because car leasing is steadily recovering and growing from a near collapse in 2008-2009.

We know that credit restrictions will ease in the coming year, making it easier for more people to get into a new car.

We also know that good used cars will still be harder to find and that prices will remain high.

We know that Honda will continue to offer some of the best lease deals in the industry on some of its models and styles.

We know that American car makers, who are getting back into leasing, will offer more and better lease deals in 2011 than in the last two years.

We know that Toyota will continue to offer attractive deals because it is still recovering from bad publicity related to reliability problems in 2010.

We know that Hyundai will emerge as one of the most respected car makers of 2011, with exciting new styles, great reliability, and affordable prices.

We know that hybrids and electric cars, particularly the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, will become the “hot” cars of the year (read: don’t expect great deals on these cars).

We know that Ford will make great strides in reliability, styling, technology, and value. GM will make noticeable improvements as well. Chrysler will be more agressive with new deals and model improvements.

As we move further into 2011, stay tuned to this web site. We will report new car deals as we learn about them, which is the same time that dealers learn about them.

Much of the reason for the decline this month was precipitated by the huge earthquake in Japan in March. Many Japanese car manufacturers were knocked offline and many of those who recovered are still not at full capacity. Parts suppliers were also affected, which in turn affects car manufacturers, even those in the U.S. All of this has created shortages in new-car inventories at dealers, which obviates the need for heavy sales incentives. 

For example, we’ve seen only a trickle of new incentives from Toyota. Honda, Acura, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and a few others had already announced April incentives before the quake. These incentives still appear to be in place and have not been withdrawn, but we expect near-future incentives to be at best modest, and at worst non-existent.

The best deals continue to be on leftover 2010 models at dealerships. Dealers must get rid of these older models and are offering rebates, low-interest loans, and factory-to-dealer cash to help move them. However, expect choices to be limited, especially as more people find they can’t buy the new 2011/2012 model they want.

Here is a summary of some of the current incentives for April 2011:

Mazda – Modest rebates ($500) on many models, 0% APR loans on selected models, and a few good lease deals on specific styles of the 2011 CX-7, CX-9, MAZDA3, MAZDA5, MAZDA6, and MX-5 Miata. Good factory-to-dealer cash is also being provided on most leftover 2010 models (up to $4000 on 2010 CX-8 and 2010 MX-5 Miata, up to $3500 on 2010 Tribute and 2010 CX-9, up to $3000 on 2010 CX-7, up to $2500 on 2010 MAZDA5, and up to $2000 on 2010 MAZDA3).

Hyundai – Modest to fair rebates on many models — generally in $400-$500 range except $1500 on 2011 Genesis; $1000 on Veracruz, Equus, Sante Fe). Higher rebates are available on many leftover 2010 models. 0% APR interest rate loans are available on the Veracruz and Genesis, and slightly higher rates (1.9%) are available on a number of other models and styles.

Nissan – Good rebates are being offered this month on a few models/styles (up to $3500 on 2011 Titan, $2500 on 2011 Pathfinder, $2000 on 2011 Frontier, $1500 on 2011 Maxima). Larger rebates are offered on remaining 2010 models. 0%/0.9% APR loans for up to 60 months are also available for many models. Nissan is also offering healthly factory-to-dealer cash ($2000) on 2010 models of 370Z, Maxima, Pathfinder, and $1750  on the 2010 Xterra, and $1500 on the 2010 Versa.

Infiniti – Low interest rates (0% APR on 2011 G37 Convertible; 0.9% on 2011 EX, FX, G Coupe, G Sedan; and 1.9% on the 2012 M, 2011 M37, M56). Special lease deals have been announced for some styles of the 2011 EX, FX, G Coupe, G Sedan, 2012 M, 2011 M56, and M37. Large factory-to-dealer cash is offered on many 2010 models — EX35 (up to $4000), FX35 (up to $6000), FX50 (up to $7000), G37 (up to $3000), and QX56 (up to $7000).

BMW – Special leases are now available for the 2011 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, 7-Series, X3, X5, X6, and Z4. Low interest rates (as low as 0.9% APR) are offered on most models. The 2010 6-Series comes with an incredible $15,000 factory-to-dealer cash deal.

Ford – Very modest rebates, averaging about $500, even on 2010 models. Low-interest loan rates in the range of 0% APR to 2.9% APR are also being offered.

Chrysler – Good factory-to-dealer incentives on some leftover 2010 models — $6750 on 2010 Chrysler 300, $5500 on 2010 Chrysler Sebring and Town and Country, $3750 on 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above vehicles from

Nissan

High rebates and low interest rates — including many 0% APR rates — are being offered across the Nissan product line.

The Nissan Titan truck has the highest rebates at $4500 for the 2011 models and $5500 for leftover 2010 models. Zero percent APR loans are also available for both of these models.

The 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid gets a healthy $4000 rebate ($4500 for 2010 model) or a 0% APR loan rate.

The 2011 Nissan Armada is being offered with a $3500 rebate or 1.9% APR loan rate.

The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, Sentra, and Frontier have a $2000 rebate or a 0% APR loan rate.

The 2011 Nissan Maxima, Altima, Versa, and Xterra have a $1500 rebate or 0% APR loan rate.

Additionally, 2011 Infiniti EX35, FX35, FX50, G25, and G37 are being offered with a very low 0.9% APR loan rate.

All the current Nissan and Infiniti incentives are good through March, ending on 3/31/2011.

As we’ve mentioned in a previous article, we don’t expect Nissan and Infiniti incentives to continue in April and for months to come because of the recent damage and destruction to their manufacturing plants in Japan. If you are looking for a Nissan or Infiniti, now might be the best time to act.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above cars from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Toyota

To make things more complicated, Toyota has two large independently-owned distributors that control sales and financing in 10 states — Southeast Toyota Distributors in Jacksonville controls all Toyota sales from dealers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Gulf State Distributors in Houston handles all Toyota sales in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.

Each of these large distributors has its own captive finance company. This means when you buy or lease a car in one of the above states, you won’t be dealing with Toyota Finance, but with the finance company associated with the independent distributor. The reason we explain all this is that Toyota incentive programs may vary depending on the state in which you buy or lease your car. Some come directly from Toyota Finance, others come from the distributors’ finance companies — and might be different as to applicable models, styles, and program details.

The Toyota deals were discuss here on this web site are generally those that come directly from Toyota Finance.

Following are some of the best of the current Toyota deals for March 2011, ending on 4/4/2011. Notice that many of the best deals are on leftover 2010 models.

2011 Toyota Camry – $1000 rebate or 0% APR loan for up to 60 months — $189/month lease for 36 months on LE 4-door sedan automatic

2011 Toyota Corolla - $500 rebate or 1.9% APR loan for up to 60 months — $189/month lease for 36 months on LE 4-door sedan automatic or $209/month lease on S 4-door sedan automatic

2010 Toyota Corolla - $750 rebate or 0% APR loan for up to 60 months — $169/month lease for 36 months on LE 4-door sedan automatic

2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - $2000 rebate or 0.9% APR for up to 60 months

2010 Toyota Matrix – $1500 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months — $229/month lease for 36 months on Base model

2010 Toyota Prius – $750 rebate or 0.9% APR loan – $199/month lease for 36 months on II model

2011 Toyota Tundra – $2250 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months — $359/month lease for 36 months on Grade Double Cab model 

2010 Toyota Yaris – $1500 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

2011 Toyota RAV4 – $750 rebate or 1.9% APR loan — $199/month lease for Base model w/4-speed auto

You can get free price quotes on any of the above Toyota vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Ford

Here are some examples of the best Ford deals for the month:

2011 Ford Escape – $1000 rebate or 0% APR loan

2011 Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate or 0% APR loan

2011 Ford Explorer – $1500 rebate or 2.9 % APR loan for 36 months  — $750 lease cash

2010 Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate or 0% APR loan — $1000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Ford Explorer Sport Trac – $2500 rebate or 0% APR loan

2010 Ford F-150 – $2500 rebate or 0% APR loan

2011 Ford Focus – $2000 rebate or 0% APR loan — $1500 lease cash

2011 Ford Fusion- $1000 rebate or 0% APR loan

2011 Ford Taurus- $1000 rebate or 0% APR loan

2012 Ford Mustang – $1500 rebate

Other Ford deals may be available in your region.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above Ford vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Chevrolet

The Chevrolet incentives come in the form of large rebates and low-interest or 0% APR loans on most models. Factory-to-dealer cash is also being offered on many models. As you may know from reading posts on this web site, factory-to-dealer cash is a kind of “hidden” rebate to dealers that can, and usually is, turned into price discounts for customers. 

Here are some of the best deals from Chevrolet. These deals end on May 2, 2011.

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche – $3000 rebate or 0% APR loan

2011 Chevrolet Malibu – $2500 rebate or 0% APR loan — $1000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Chevrolet Aveo – $2500 rebate or 0% APR loan — $2500 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Chevrolet Cobalt- $3000 rebate or 0% APR loan — $3000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Chevrolet Colorado – $2500 rebate or 0% APR loan — $2000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Chevrolet Corvette – 1.9% APR loan — $3000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Chevrolet Corvette – $4000 rebate or 0% APR loan

2011 Chevrolet HHR – $3500 rebate or 0% APR loan — $4000 factory-t0-dealer cash

2011 Chevrolet Impala – $3500 rebate or 0% APR loan — $5000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid – $5000 rebate or 0% APR loan

These are some of the best deals (especially the Impala deal above) that we’ve seen on Chevrolet vehicles, making them well worth your attention if you are in the market for a new car. There are many other deals that are not shown here.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above Chevrolet vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Hyundai

March 2011 incentives come in all forms, depending on the model and style — rebates, low-interest loans, special lease deals, and factory-to-dealer cash (which dealers return to customers as discounts). Deals are especially good on leftover 2010 models, of which dealers apparently have good supplies remaining.

 Following are some examples of the best Hyundai deals for March, ending on 3/31/2011:

2011 Hyundai Veracruz – $1000 rebate or 0.9% APR loan or $359/month special lease for 36 months

2011 Hyundai Santa Fe – $1000 rebate or 1.9% APR loan

2011 Hyundai Elantra – 1.9% APR loan or $169/month special lease for 36 months

2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring – $500-$1000 rebate or 1.9% APR loan

2011 Hyundai Equus – 0.9% APR loan rate or $739/month special lease for 36 months — $1000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Hyundai Genesis – Up to $1500 rebate or 0.9% APR loan or $399/month special lease — $1000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe – 1.9% APR loan or $259/month special lease for 36 months — $1000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Hyundai Sonata – 0.9% APR loan or $199/month special lease for 36 months

2010 Hyundai Accent - $500-$1000 rebate or 1.9% APR loan rate

2010 Hyundai Sonata – $2500 rebate or 1.9% APR loan

2010 Hyundai Veracruz – $1500 rebate or 0.9% APR loan rate

2010 Hyundai Elantra – $1500 rebate or 1.9% APR loan rate

2010 Hyundai Genesis – Up to $1500 rebate or 0% APR loan rate — $1000 factory-to-dealer cash

Be aware that Hyundai, like all carmakers, may vary incentive programs by region. And some incentives such as low interest rates or special lease deals may not be available to customers with low credit scores.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Volkswagen

These deals expire on 5/2/2011.

The special car lease deals being offered are all for 36 months (except where noted), allow 12,000 miles per year, and require a modest down payment as well as first month’s payment and offcial fees to be paid up-front.

All the current Volkswagen lease deals are rated “Excellent” by LeaseGuide.com.

Here is a sampling of the best Volkswagen deals for March and April:

2012 Volkswagen CC – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $299/month special lease

2011 Volkswagen CC – 0% APR loan rate for up to 72 months — $289/month special lease

2010 Volkswagen CC – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months 

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $279/month special lease

2011 Volkswagen Jetta S – $179/month, 39 month special lease

2010 Volkswagen Jetta – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Volkswagen GTI – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $279/month special lease

2011 Volkswagen Touareg – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $519/month special lease

2010 Volkswagen Touareg – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Volkswagen Golf – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $199/month special lease

2010 Volkswagen Golf – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Volkswagen Routan – 0% APR for up to 72 months — $299/month special lease

2010  Volkswagen Routan – 0% APR for up to 72 months

2010 Volkswagen New Bettle Convertible – 0% APR for up to 72 months

You can get free price quotes on any of the Volkswagen vehicles from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Mazda

Some of these deals are for 2010 model vehicles, some for 2011 models, and even some for 2012 models that are currently available. All deals end on March 31, 2011.

Here are examples of the best new Mazda deals:

2011 Mazda2 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, no payment for up to 90 days

2011 Mazda3 - 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, no payment for up to 90 days, $500 factory-to-dealer cash — $189/month special lease for 36 months (Mazda3 4-door) or $219/month, 36 months (Mazda3 hatchback)

2010 Mazda3 - 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, $750 rebate

2012 Mazda5 –  1.9% APR loan for up to 36 months — $267/month special lease for 36 months

2010 Mazda5 – 0% APR loan for up to 36 months, $500 rebate, $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Mazda6 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, no payment for up to 90 days, $500 factory-to-dealer cash — $239/month special lease for 36 months

2010 Mazda6 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, $750 rebate

2011 Tribute – 3.9% APR loan for up to 60 months, $1000 factory-to-dealer cash — $329/month special lease for 36 months

2010 Tribute – 0% APR loan for up to 36 months, $2500 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 CX-9 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, no payment for up to 90 days, $500 factory-to-dealer cash — $359/month special lease for 36 months

2010 CX-9 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, $750 rebate

2011 CX-7 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, no payment for up to 90 days, $500 rebate — $259/month special lease for 36 months

2011 CX-7 – 0% APR loan for up to 60 months, $750 rebate, $2000 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 MX-5 Miata – $269/month special lease for 36 months (MX-5 Sport) or $339/month (Touring Retractable Hardtop)

2010 MX-5 Miata – $3000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 RX-8 – $3000 factory-to-dealer cash

These are excellent incentives from Mazda for March 2011, especially the lease deals. All the current lease deals are rated “Excellent” by LeaseGuide.com.

You can get free price quotes on any of the above Mazda vehicle from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any incentives that are currently available.

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