BMW

The low-interest loans are structured a little odd but are nevertheless interesting and worth considering. For example, on the BMW 335i xDrive, you can get 0.9% APR for 24 months or 2.9% APR for 72 months – or 1.9% APR for 72 months if you have owned/leased a BMW vehicle in the last 12 months. Similar low-interest rates are available on many other models and styles.

Many 2010 BMW models get special lease deals. These include the 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, X3, X5, X6, and Z4. Note that there are no special leases being offered on new 2011 models. However, you can negotiate your own lease deal — if you understand how leasing works. If not, we recommend you visit LeaseGuide.com.

The BMW special car leases are genuinely good deals. The company has reduced the price (capitalized cost) on which the lease is based, has reduced the interest rate (money factor), and boosted the lease-end residual value. When combined, these factors create a low monthly lease payment for that vehicle. You would not be able to negotiate the same terms on your own.

BMW is also offering “Owner Loyalty Bonus Cash” on selected models, for customers who have previously leased a BMW and now want to lease again. The amount is typically $1500.

Finally, BMW the manufacturer, is providing dealers a form of factory-to-dealer rebate that they call “Build-Out Cash” on many models and styles. This money can be used by dealers to promote sales or provide price discounts to customers — which is typically what happens. When you accept one of those nice lease deals, for example, one of the reasons for the low monthly payment is that the lease price has been reduced by the “build-out cash.” Or if you are buying and it looks like the dealer is giving you the shirt off his back, he’s only passing along his “build-out cash” to you. 

Build-out cash can be very significant, especially on higher priced BMW models. For example, the 2010 BMW Z4 gets $3500. The 2010 BMW 5-Series gets $6000.  And the 2010 BMW 6-Series gets a whopping $10,000! That’s a nice price discount on a nice car.

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

However, in these times of slow sales for all, BMW manages to slip in some pretty good deals without being too obvious. The current deals — good for March and April 2010 — include various combinations of  ”Spring Drive Credit” (wouldn’t want to call it a rebate, would we), owner loyalty cash credits,  low-interest loans, and special lease deals.

In some cases, BMW makes it a little complicated with some models that have “secret” factory-to-dealer cash (they call it Build Out Dealer Cash) that can’t be combined with some special financing and lease deals. Furthermore, some deals are only available in selected regions of the country.

Here are some examples of current BMW new-car deals:

BMW 128I coupe – $1500 credit and 0.9% APR loan for 24 months (2.9% for 60 months), or $339 a month special lease

BMW 135i couple – $1500 credit and 0.9% APR loan for 24 months (2.9% for 60 months), or $399 a month special lease

BMW 335i sedan – $2500 credit and 0.9 APR loan for 24 months (3.9% for 60 months), or $419 a month special lease

BMW 335i coupe – $2500 credit and 0.9 APR loan for 24 months (3.9% for 60 months), or $439 a month special lease

BMW 550i sedan – $1500 owner loyalty cash, 2.9% APR loan for up to 60 months, $6000 factory-to-dealer cash, or $809 a month special lease

BMW 650i coupe –  2.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months, $10,000 factory-to-dealer cash, or $1129 a month special lease

BMW Z4 sDrive351 convertible – $2500 credit and 2.9% APR loan for 24/60 months, or $679 a month special lease

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

However, BMW offers “back door” price discounts by giving dealers money (“dealer cash” or “marketing support”) in the form of factory-to-dealer rebates on certain models during a promotion period. Dealers can use the money for advertising or sales events but most, if not all, of the money goes back to customers in the form of price discounts.

Currently, BMW is offering some incredibly large factory-to-dealer incentives, good during January and February 2010, ending on March 1, 2010.

Let’s look at some of the BMW dealer rebates:

2010 BMW M6 – $12,000 dealer cash

2010 BMW 6-Series – $10,000 dealer cash

2010 BMW 5-Series and M5 – $7500 dealer cash

2009 BMW 6-Series and M6 – $10,000 dealer cash

2009 BMW 7-Series – $7500 dealer cash

2009 BMW X5 and X6 – up to $5500 dealer cash

2009 BMW Z4 – $5000 dealer cash

2009 BMW 3-Series and M3 – up to $4500 dealer cash

2009 BMW X3 – $3500 dealer cash

2009 BMW 1-Series – up to $3500 dealer cash

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

BMW

BMW‘s new incentives are good during January and February 2010, ending on 3/1/2010. All incentives discussed here apply to 2010 BMW models.

Low-interest loans being offered are listed here:

BMW 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, M5, and Z4 – 2.9% APR loan rate for 24 and 60 months

BMW X3, X5, X6, and 7-Series – 3.9% loans rate for 24 and 60 months

Additionally, a direct customer rebate of $4500 is being offered on diesel models. 

Finally, an incredible $12,500 factory-to-dealer cash is being offered on the BMW M5. A similar incentive of $7500 is being offered on the BMW 550i.

BMW is typically very reserved in offering incentives (it doesn’t want to be viewed as a “discount” brand) so, if you are interested in a BMW, this might be as good a time as any to make your move.

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

When a dealer or manufacturer has too many of certain vehicles and sales are slow, the manufacturer will encourage him to increase sales by providing a cash incentive. Right now, many car makers are offering big dealer cash on leftover 2009 models, as well as some 2010 models.

Dealers can use the factory cash in any way they want. Some spend it on advertising. Some hold special sales events or ”tent sales.” But in many cases some , if not all, of the money goes directly back to customers in the form of price discounts.

A car with a $2000 factory-to-dealer rebate will almost certainly sell for at least $2000 less than MSRP (sticker price), if not more. Frequently, manufacturers offer a combination of direct customer rebates and factory-to-dealer cash to make an overall sweet deal. Customers often negotiate additional discount from a dealer (it’s only right that a dealer should add a little of his own money) to make the deal even better.

Luxury car makers like to use hidden dealer cash because they don’t want to advertise customer rebates and be veiwed as a “discount brand.” That way customers can negotiate, or be given, a “special price” without it being so obvious that it’s a discount.

Here are some of the brands and models with the best factory-to-dealer cash deals. Keep in mind that these factory rebates can vary by region of the country and may be changed at any time.

2009 BMW 3-Series and M3 – $2500 dealer cash

2009 Chrysler Aspen, PT Cruiser – $4500

2009 Chrysler Sebring, Town & Country – $3500

2009 Dodge Sprinter – $5000

2009 Dodge Avenger, Durango, Nitro – $4500

2009 Dodge Dakota, Grand Caravan, Jpourney – $3500

2009 Jeep Commander, Grand Cherokee – $5000

2009 Jeep Compass, Patriot, Liberty, Wrangler – $3000

2009 Mercury Grand Marquis, Milan, Sable – $3500

2009 Hummer H2, H2 SUT – $5000

2009 Saab 9-3, 9-5, 9-7X – $8000

2009 Land Rover Ranger Rover – $9000

2009 Land Rover LR2, LR3, Ranger Rover Sport – $6000

2010 Infiniti EX35, M35, M45, QX56 – $6000

2009 Infiniti F35, FX50, M35, M45 – $6000

2009 Infiniti EX35, G37 – $4000

2009 Lexus LS-450, LS-660L, SC 430 – $10,000

2009 Lexus GS-350, GS-450h, GS-460, LX-570 – $3000

2009 Audi A3, A4, A6, S6, S4, S8, TT - $6000

2009 Audi A5, A8, Q5, Q7 – $5000

2009 Volkswagen CC, Eos, Routan – $6000

2009 Volkswagen New Beetle, Tiguan, Passat – $6000

2009 Volkswagen Jetta, Touareg 2,  GTI – $5000

2010 Volvo C70, S80, V70, XC70 – $4000

2009 Volvo C70, S60, S80, V70, XC70 – $5500

2009 Volvo C30, S40, V50, XC90 – $4000

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.

BMW

Overall the BMW deals are very good, especially on the 2009 models. However, in most cases, the new 2010 models also get good incentives, just not quite as good as the 2009s.

As usual, BMW’s incentives are a bit unusual with some odd variations. Although the company doesn’t often (hardly ever) offer direct factory-to-customer rebates, they are doing it in this round of incentives. The rebates are called “Holiday Credit Cash” and are either $1500 or $2500, depending on the model. Furthermore, most but not all models get the special rebate. In order to qualify for the rebate, the vehicle must be financed or leased through BMW Financial Services.

Most models, including 2010 models, also get low-interest loan deals, which can be combined with the “Holiday Credit Cash.” Although there are some very low interest rates being offered, all for 24/60 months, there are no 0% loan deals in this incentive program from BMW. The best rates are, of course, on 2009 models. Rates range from 0.9% APR (2009 6-Series and M6), 1.9% ( 2009 Z4 and some 7-Series), 2.9% (2009 M3 and X3), 3.9% (2009 3-Series, 2009 and 2010 5-Series, 2010 X3, 2010 Z4), to 4.9% (2010 3-Series, 2010 6-Series, 2010 7-Series, 2009 and 2010 X5, 2009 and 2010 X6).

For a few select models, BMW is providing dealers with factory-to-dealer cash with which the dealer can discount prices on those models, although in some cases the discounts can be restricted, for example, by not being allowed if the customer also wants the special loan interest rate also being offered. This is true for the $2500 dealer cash on the 2009 3-Series and M3. However, the 6-Series and M6 get a whopping $6000 dealer cash deal that can be combined with a very nice 0.9% APR loan rate for either 24 or 60 months.

Overall, these deals are well worth considering if you are in the market for a BMW. In fact, these are some of the best deals we’ve seen from the company this year.

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

All of the BMW car lease deals are for 36 months only and have a 10,000 mile average mileage allowance. Most also require a modest security deposit, roughly equivalent to one month’s payment, unless your credit score precludes it.

As you may know, car manufacturers create special lease deals by reducing the price of the car (on which the lease is based), combined with a low money-factor (form of interest rate) and high lease-end residual value. Most such deals are genuine good deals but have very specific conditions such as down payment requirements, annual mileage allowance, and model/style. If you prefer a different set of conditions, or prefer a different model/style you may not be able to get as good of a deal.

Here are some of the best lease deals currently being offered by BMW:

2009 BMW 135i coupe – $439 a month and $4614 due at signing

2009 BMW i28i coupe – $369 a month and $4294 due at signing

2009 BMW 335i AWD coupe - $489 a month and $5214 due at signing

2009 BMW 328i wagon – $489 a month and $4864 due at signing

2009 BMW 335d sedan – $489 a month and $5514 due at signing

2010 BMW 535i sedan – $559 a month and $5384 due at signing

2010 BMW 528i sedan – $489 a month and $5214 due at signing

2009 BMW  650i coupe – $809 a month and $7884 due at signing

2009 BMW 750Li sedan – $1039 a month and $8314 due at signing

The amount “due at signing” includes the first month’s payment, a down payment (cap cost reduction), an acquisition fee (bank fee), and possibly a security deposit. It does not include any official tag and registration fees that are local to your area. Furthermore, in most states, sales tax is added to your monthly payment.

If you want to better understand car leasing, see LeaseGuide.com for a complete leasing guide, lease payment calculators, and a Lease Kit.

BMW

 The new incentives are in the form of low-interest loans and hidden factory-to-dealer cash for a few select models. Dealers typically use the cash to create price discounts for customers.

In typical BMW fashion, there are no direct factory-to-customer rebates.

There are also a number of excellent special BMW lease deals being offered at this time. See New BMW Lease Deals for September and October.

Most BMW models get special low-interest loan rates that range from 0.9% for 24/60 months (6-Series and M6), 1.9% (3-Series), 3.9% (5-Series and M5), and 5.9% (X5). Other models, including new 2010 models,  also have special loan rates. 

A few models have excellent factory-to-dealer cash (“marketing support”) that translates into good price discounts for customers. The BMW 3-Series sedans (only sedans) have $1840 going back to dealers from BMW. The 5-Series and M5 sedans (only sedans) have $2500 going back. The diesel X5 35d gets $4500 and the 6-Series and M6 get $6000 in factory cash.

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

BMW

The new modified incentives from BMW are a mixed bag of low-interest loans and some excellent factory-to-dealer cash deals, which usually end up as price discounts from dealer to customer. The larger the dealer cash rebate, the larger the dealer-to-customer price drop.

Many 2010 BMW models are out now, so there are incentives on both 2009 and 2010 models. Typically, the deals on 2009 models are better than 2010 models, but not always.

Interestingly, BMW’s low-interest loans are for 24 and 60 months — nothing for other loan times. In general, the low APR loans are for 1.9% and 2.9% with an occasional 0.9% thrown in.

There are some excellent lease deals for August on the 2009 BMW 1-Series, 2009 3-Series, 2010 5-Series, and 2009 6-Series. There are also promotional leases available for the 2009 models of the X3, X5, X6, and Z4. One of the best leases is on the BMW 328i sedan — $349 a month, 36 months, 10K miles per year.

BMW provides dealers with hidden factory-to-dealer cash that can be used for advertising, promotions, and for providing price discounts to customers. It’s money that mostly goes from factory to dealer to customer. For August, BMW is only offering these incentives – $5000 – on all models of the 2009 5-Series and the M5. When this $5000 is turned into a price discount, it can make for some nice deals on the 5-Series cars.

There are a few not-so-exciting direct factory-to-customer rebates, which is pretty rare for BMW. The rebates are on the BMW 5-Series sedans  – $1260 (Automatic transmission models) or $1840 (AWD models). A $4500 rebate is also available on the BMW X5 Turbodiesel sedan.

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

So, at the time of this writing, we don’t know what deals will be offered for August 2009 for those deals that are ending on July 31 or August 3. New deals won’t be revealed until the day after, or sometimes a few days later. Will the new incentives be better than the last ones? Nobody knows.

However a few car manufacturers have already announced incentives for July that extend through August and September.

Here are some examples:

BMW is currently offering (through August 31) low interest rates on most of its models and styles, and special lease deals on the BMW 3-Series models, as well as on selected styles of the BMW 1-Series, 5-Series, X5, X6, and Z4. Also available are cash back rebates on the BMW 3-Series sedans and BMW X5. These are all good deals.

Volkswagen has current incentives that expire at the end of August. The Volkswagen deals come in a variety of forms, from “scrappage” rebates that supplement the new government “cash for clunkers” program (see Cash for Clunkers Rebate Program), to 0% APR loans on many models, to special “subvented” lease deals on selected styles within each model line. They also have some VERY healthy hidden factory-to-dealer rebates that show up as customer price discounts. For example, $6000 on the Volkswagen CC, $3000 on the Volkswagen Passat, and $1000 on the Volkswagen Tiquan.

Infiniti has some of the best deals for August and September we’ve ever seen on most its models and styles — some HUGE factory-to-dealer cash incentives that can’t be ignored. We’ve already written about these Infiniti deals in our article, Great Deals on Infiniti.

Honda’s current incentives are good for August 2009 and end on September 8. As usual, Honda has some incredible good deals on most models and styles. Low interest rates apply to nearly all models and styles. There is also factory-to-dealer cash — which translates to lower customer prices — on the Honda Accord, Civic, and CR-V. The cash is in the $500-$1500 range depending on model. And some very nice lease deals (see Honda Lease Deals for July and August) on one selected style within each of the Honda Accord, Civic, and CR-V model lines.

Land Rover has some very attractive incentives, including 0% APR loans, bonus cash rebates, and some very generous factory-to-dealer cash deals, all of which go through July, August, and September 2009. For example, for the Land Rover LR3 model, you get $1500 bonus cash, 0% APR loan interest for 36/48 months, and $3000 factory-to-dealer cash (dealer can give all or most of this cash to customers). For the Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE, there is $1500 bonus money, low interest loans, $799 a month lease deal, and $5000 factory-to-dealer cash (Wow!!).

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.

As usual, BMW doesn’t offer rebates because it doesn’t want to be viewed as a “discount” brand, but they are offering some excellent low-interest rate loans on most models, even on new 2010 models, and factory-to-dealer cash on selected models (see below). As you may know, factory-to-dealer cash can be used by dealers any way they want to help improve sales, including giving some or all of that cash to customers as a price discount.

Here’s a summary of the new BMW incentives for July and August 2009. The deals end on August 31.

Low 2.9% APR interest rates for 24 and 60 months on 2009 models of the BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, M5, X5, and X6.

Low 3.9% APR interest rates for 24 and 60 months on 2010 models of the BMW 5 Series, 6 Series, M3, M5, M6, and the 2009 Z4.

Interestingly, the above low interest rates are only for 24 month and 60 month loan terms — nothing for 36 and 48 months.

BMW is also providing a WHOPPING $5000 factory-to-dealer cash incentive on the 2009 BMW 5 Series, and 2009 M5. This could make for some incredible deals on these models.

There are no current incentives on the BMW 7 Series.

There are also no special BMW lease deals at this time. Of course, things could change between now and the end of August.

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

BMW wants to preserve it’s reputation for being a non-discount brand and is not offering factory-to-customer rebates at this time, although the company has suffered sales slowdowns like all other car manufacturers. Instead it prefers to offer low-APR loans, subvented leases, and some factory-to-dealer cash that dealers can use in promotional deals or selective price discounts.

The best loan rates – 0.9% APR – are on the BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, M5, and M6. The BMW X3, X5, X6, M3, and 6 Series get a slightly higher rate of 1.9% APR.

Limited-time promotional lease deals are being offered (until June 30, 2009) for selected models and styles. Here are some examples:

BMW 128i coupe – $369 a month, 36 months, 10K miles per month, $2800 down payment, $400 security deposit

BMW 328i coupe – $399 a month, 36 months, 10K miles per month, $3150 down payment, $400 security deposit

BMW 650i coupe – $899 a month, 36 months, 10K miles per month, $5500 down payment, $900 security deposit

BMW X5 SUV – $579 a month, 36 months, 10K miles per month, $4100 down payment, $600 security deposit

BMW is providing dealers with $5000 factory-to-dealer cash deals on all 5 Series and M5 models that will allow dealers to discount prices heavily on those models — if they choose to do so.

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

So, what’s different now?

Incentives from car manufacturers are being offered EVERY month now — because sales are dismal EVERY month now.

Some manufacturers are offering incentives on EVERY model, not just one or two like before. And manufacturers, such as Lexus and Mercedes, that didn’t use incentives before, are offering them now. Times have changed.

It’s not quite May yet and most of the current incentives end April 30, 2009. And you know from our previous posts that it is impossible to know what the next round of deals will be. Even dealers don’t know until the last minute.

Will the May 2009 rebates and good deals be as good or better than the April deals? There’s no way to know at this time. However, you can be assured that there will be good incentives in May on nearly every brand. Some deals will be better than others. There will be rebates, 0% loans, factory-to-dealer cash, and customer protection plans.

We will be keeping a sharp watch on the new May incentives and will report them here as they are announced. Check back here often in the next few days. Some manufacturers announce early, some a little later. Some modify their offers in the middle of the month.

BMW has already announced its May 2009 offers. See BMW Lease Deals and BMW Adds Incentives Thru May.  There may be more after May 1.

You can get free updated price quotes on any new car make and model from Edmunds.com. The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates or discounts that are currently available at the time.

These lease deals are arranged to provide low payments by discounting the sale price, lowering the money factor (interest rate), and raising the lease-end residual value. If you like the models being promoted, these are genuinely good leases.

The deals also require a rather hefty “amount due at signing” which includes a cap cost reduction (down payment), first months payment, a security deposit, and fees.

Generally, lease promotions are being offered on most styles of the 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series, X3, X5, and X6.

If you don’t understand leasing and how it works, we suggest you visit our partner web site, LeaseGuide.com, where you will find an easy-to-read free car leasing guide.

Let’s take a look at some examples. All are for 36 month leases, 10,000 miles per year.

BMW 135i Coupe – $459 a month, $4684 due at signing

BMW 335i AWD Coupe – $549 a month, $5324 due at signing

BMW 535i Sedan – $649 a month, $5824 due at signing

BMW 650i Coupe – $899 a month, $8024 due at signing

BMW X3 Midsize SUV – $539 a month, $4814 due at signing

BMW X5 AWD SUV – $599 a month, $5824 due at signing

BMW X6 AWD SUV – $669 a month, $6394 due at signing

Remember, some deals are not available is some parts of the country. Deals may vary by dealer and your credit score.

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.

BMW

The incentives are primarily in the form of low-APR loans, as well as some excellent lease deals, which we’ll detail in another post. In this post, we’ll look at the low-interest loans being offered now by BMW. These incentives end 5/31/2009.

2009 BMW models with the best loan rates — 0.9% APR — are the BMW 5-Series, BMW 6-Series, BMW M5, BMW M6, and some styles of the BMW 3-Series (other 3-Series styles get 3.9%)

The BMW 128i gets a 2.9% APR for 24 and 60 months. The BMW 135i gets a lower 1.9% rate for 24 and 60 months.

The BMW 335i and 335d are the only models with a cash-back rebate incentive — $1500 until 5/31/2009.

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

The deal is 0.9% APR for up to 60 months. To sweeten the deal, BMW will also pay the first two monthly payments, up to $750 a month.

The BMW models being promoted with this offer are:

• 328i xDrive Sedan
• 528i Sedan
• 528 xDrive Sedan
• 535i Sedan
• 535 xDrive Sedan and Sports Wagon
• 550i Sedan
• 650i Sedan and Convertible
• M5 Sedan
• M6 Coupe and Convertible

Research these BMW vehicles, get price quotes, and find other incentives.

This is unusual for BMW to be offering such widespread incentives across a model line, especially one that is so popular. The 3-Series is BMW’s best selling line.

Let’s take a look at some examples of 3-Series lease deals:

BMW 335i Coupe – $539 a month, 36 months, 10K miles a year, $5314 due at signing ($3500 of which is down payment), and a $550 security deposit.

BMW 335i Sedan – $519 a month, 36 months, 10K miles a year, $5294 due at signing ($3500 of which is down payment), and $550 secuirty deposit.

BMW 528i Convertible – $559 a month, 36 months, 10K miles a year, $5384 dues at signing ($3500 of which is down payment), and $600 security deposit.

Research these BMW vehicles, get price quotes, and find other incentives.