These GM rebate offers end on February 29, 2012. Most of the GM vehicles also have 0% APR loan offers, although customers must choose between rebates or loan deals. You can’t have both.

Rebates can be used as down payments on a car loan which makes them nice if you are short on down payment cash. Rebates, if more than about $2000-$2500, can be better than 0% APR interest loans in terms of lowering monthly payments (see 0% APR Loans – Good Deal or Not? for more details).

Here are the largest rebates currently being offered by General Motors:

2012 Buick Regal – $4425

2012 Buick LaCrosse – $4300

2011 Buick Lucerne – $4000

2012 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V – $5450

2012 Cadillac Escalade – $5175

2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Escalade Hybrid - $4575

2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade ESV - $4000

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 1500 Hybrid – $4750

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 1500 Hybrid – $4005

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche – $4000

2011 Chevrolet Impala – $4000

2012 Chevrolet Tahoe – $3850

2012 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 – $3850

 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban 1500, HHR - $3500

2011 Chevrolet Malibu – $3000

2012 Chevrolet Impala – $3000

2012 GMC Sierra 1500 and 1500 Hybrid – $4750

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 and 1500 Hybrid – $4005

2012 GMC Yukon XL 1500, XL 2500 – $3850

2011 GMC Yukon, Yukon Hybrid, Yukon XL 1500, Yukon XL 2500 – $3500

2011 GMC Canyon – $3000

In terms of percentage of MSRP, rebates on the 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 are the highest at about 19%-21%. This represents a substantial savings for these vehicles and is well worth your consideration if you are in the market for a truck.

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

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Everywhere.

Nearly every car company is currently offering incentives of some kind. Deals are actually not hard to find if you know where to look.

Some of these deals are outstanding, some very good, and others only so-so.

Luxury Brands

High-end luxury car companies, such as Porsche, Audi, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Mercedes, don’t normally offer common incentives for fear of looking like a discount car brand. When they do, it’s in the form of “bonuses” or “allowances” but not “rebates.” Or it might be in the form of special leases, where the “discounting” is not so obvious.

For example, at the time of this writing, Mercedes is offering a number of very attractive lease deals across its model lines. They are also offering 1.9% APR loan deals but in these days of record-low finance rates, 1.9% is good but not really an outstanding deal, especially when it’s limited to 24-36 month loans. The lease deals are better.

Same for Infiniti, who is currently (January 2012) offering a number of very good lease deals (all $0 cash due at signing) on all 2012 models except hybrids, and 1.9% APR loans for up to 60 months (better than Mercedes). Depending on where you live, there may be deals on left-over 2011 models.

Audi currently has no incentives for January (at the time of this writing) but even those for December 2011 were not very interesting – a few mediocre lease deals in which they make the first month’s payment and waive the security deposit (who doesn’t). Not much to get excited about.

BMW actually has some outstanding lease deals going on at this time (see New BMW Lease Offers for January) and some factory-to-dealer cash on a few models that translate into purchase price discounts.

Acura offers good lease deals on one selected style within each of its model lines. These are of the $0-$0-$0 variety ($0 down, $0 first payment, $0 security deposit) and are genuinely good deals.

Lexus has no deals worth mentioning, except possibly on a few left-over last-year’s models, or certified used cars.

Land Rover has lease deals on the Ranger Rover Sport and LR4 that are only rated Good by LeaseGuide.com, as well as 1.9% APR loan rates for only 36 months. Nothing here to jump up and down about.

Non-Luxury Brands

The very best deals in 2012 will come from American car brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, and Ram. They offered some of the best incentives in the business in 2011 and are expected to do the same or better in 2012.

The most recent deals from these American companies include generous rebates, 0% APR loans (and other low-interest loans), special lease deals (although usually not as good as foreign car brands), and factory-to-dealer cash that dealers use to discount prices. Cadillac is offering a number of good $0 down leases. Left-over 2011 models are especially good deals right now.

At this time, Honda and Toyota are offering a few good deals, especially on leases, but you’ll have to wait until they’ve fully recovered from last years disasters in Japan before you see the best deals. Honda continues to offer their popular “$0 due at signing“ leases. These are genuinely good lease deals — much better than customers could negoitate for themselves.

Hyundai is coming on strong with some great deals on selected models. Their award-winning Elantra model is now being offered with a special lease deal (see Car of the Year for Only $179).

Nissan has 0% APR loan rates — for up to 60 months — on nearly every model, including 2012 and left-over 2011 models.

Subaru’s current incentives include 42-month lease deals on one style of each of its models or 1.9% APR loan rates. However, we don’t recommend 42-month leases on vehicles that only have 36-month warranties. You’re exposed for 6 months to paying for expensive out-of-warranty repairs near the end of the lease.

Mazda currently has a whole variety of new incentives including a number of moderately attractive 36 month leases with relatively low down payment requirements, a few 1.9% APR loan deals for up to 60 months, and a number of 0.0% APR loan deals that are combined with up to $1000 customer cash (rebate).

Mitsubishi is offering outstanding 24-month leases on its 2012 Lancer ES and SE ($189/month) and Lancer Sportback ES ($196/month). There are also 0% APR loan deals for up to 36 months on 2012 models and up to 60 months on 2011 models. Also available are rebates of up to $3500 on 2011 models and customer loyalty bonuses of $500. All in all, a nice set of deals from Mitsubishi.

Volkswagen usually has a nice selection of special lease deals across its model line. These are nearly always good deals and are better than customers could negotiate for themselves. They also offer a number of 0% APR loans for up to 72 months, which is a bit unusual.

Saab, the car company, has filed bankruptcy but dealers still have left-over vehicles at low, low prices.

Fiat has announced new $0 down leases its 500 and 500c models.

Deals Can Change

As you probably already know, car deals and incentives can (and usually do) change month-to-month, and sometimes week-to-week. Deals can vary depending on the region of the country you live in and can differ by dealer.

One of the best ways to know exactly what deals are best in your area is to use an online service such as TrueCar that not only shows you what local people are paying for specific car makes and models, but also the lowest price you should expect to pay, factoring in all current incentives. It’s free and they give you a guaranteed price quote that will be honored at local dealers.

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Chevrolet

The deals come in the form of special leases and 0% APR loans on selected 2012 models (and some 2011 models). All deals expire on January 3, 2012. All the leases being offered are $0 due-at-signing leases, meaning there no down payment, no security deposit, and no first month’s payment – sign and drive.

Following are the latest Chevrolet incentives:

2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS (manual transmission) – Special lease: $199/month, 39 months, 39,000 miles

2012 Chevrolet Malibu LS - Special lease: $229/month, 39 months, 39,000 miles

2012 Chevrolet Traverse LS - Special lease: $299/month, 39 months, 39,000 miles

The above leases have been evaluated by LeaseGuide.com using the Lease Value Calculator. All of the deals have rated as Excellent or Outstanding. Specifically, the Traverse lease scores a 96 which rates Outstanding. The Malibu scores a 94 which is also Outstanding. The Cruze deal scores a bit lower at 83 but still rates as Excellent.

Special leases such as those being offered by Chevrolet are made possible by discounted lease prices, low money factors, and high lease-end residual values. These are better deals than customers could negotiate for themselves since dealers are not authorized to negotiate money factors and residual values, only price.

Chevrolet is also offering a few special 0% APR loans, some with delayed payments. Here are the vehicles with these incentives:

2012 Chevrolet Equinox – 0% APR for up to 36 months, with delayed payments

2012 Chevrolet Traverse and Impala LS – 0% APR for up to 60 months, delayed payments

2011 Chevrolet Traverse, Avalanche, Silverado, Tahoe, and Suburban – 0% APR for up to 72 months, $500 bonus cash

2011 Chevrolet Camero Convertible - 0% APR for up to 72 months, $1000 bonus cash

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

For more information and details about $0 down car leases, visit LeaseGuide.com.

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Fortunately, a number of car makers announced deals at the beginning of November that are good through December 2011. At the time of this writing, we expect to know about deals from all the car companies during the first week of December.

General Motors (Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC) in particular has a number of good $0-down lease deals on selected models good until 1/3/2012. Actually, it’s even better; it’s zero cash due at lease signing — sign and drive — which means no down payment, no security deposit, and no first month’s payment — on most but not all of the lease deals. There are also a few 0% APR loan deals.

Of the companies who have already announced new-car incentives that we’ve previously discussed on this web site are:

BMW (http://best-car-deals.buyerreports.org/bmw-offers-outstanding-leases-november-and-december)

Chevrolet (http://best-car-deals.buyerreports.org/new-chevrolet-deals-for-november-and-december-2011)

Honda (http://best-car-deals.buyerreports.org/special-honda-leases-for-november-and-december)

Other December car deals are available as follows:

2012 Buick Regal w/LEA – Special lease: $313/month, 39 months, 39K miles, $0 due at lease signing

2012 Buick Regal w/LHU – Special lease: $337/month, 39 months, 39K miles, $0 due at lease signing

2012 Buick Lacrosse - Special lease: $331/month, 39 months, 39K miles, $0 due at lease signing

2012 Buick Enclave – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Buick Lucerne – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2012 Cadillac CTS Coupe – Special lease: $419/month, 36 months, 30K miles, 0$ due at lease signing

2012 Cadillac CTS Coupe – 0% APR loan rate for up to 36 months

2012 Cadillac Escalade – Special lease: $749/month, 36 months, 30K miles, $0 due at signing

2012 Cadillac Escalade – 0% APR loan rate for up to 36 months

2012 Cadillac SRX – Special lease: $479/month, 36 months, 30K miles, $0 due at signing

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe – Special lease: $288/month, 39 months, 39K miles, $0 due at lease signing

2012 Chevrolet Corvette – Special lease: $559/month, 39 months, 39K miles

2012 Chevrolet Cruze – Special lease: $199/month, 39 months, 39k miles

2012 Chevrolet Impala – Special lease: $299/month, 39 months, 39K miles

2012 Chevrolet Impala – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2012 Chevrolet Malibu – Special lease: $229/month, 39 months, 39K miles, $0 due at lease signing

2012 Chevrolet Malibu – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

Similar deals are also available on selected 2012 GMC models. Toyota and Volkswagen have a few current 0% APR loans deals on selected models that are good through December, but we expect more incentives to be announced in the first week of December.

As we always remind our readers, car deals and incentives sometimes vary from region to region.

We also remind that special lease deals and zero-percent loan rates are only available to “qualified” customers, which means customers who have a good credit score. It’s always a good idea to know your current credit score before you visit a dealer to get any special deal. Fortunately, you can get your most recent credit score online at web sites such as FreeCreditScore.comwhere you can see your score immediately with a simple sign on.

Stay tuned as we announce more new-car incentives later.

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November brings a number of large rebates, especially on left-over 2011 models.

Typically, rebates only apply to selected models and styles, and only for a limited time.

Dealers apply rebates at the time of purchase. Rebates act as a down payment and reduce the amount a customer pays.

Rebate amounts can vary, depending on how strongly the manufacturer wants to promote that particular model.  

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest and most attractive rebate offers for November 2011:

2012 Jeep Liberty – $3000

2011 Chrysler 200 – $4000

2011 Ford Flex – $3000

2011 Lincoln Town Car – $3000

2012 Chevrolet Impala – $3000

2011 Buick Lucerne – $4000

2011 Buick LaCrosse, Regal – $3000

2011 Cadillac Excalade EXT – $4000

2011 Chevrolet Silverado – up to $4500

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche – $4500

2011 Chevrolet Impala – $4000

2011 Chevrolet HHR – $3500

2011 Chevrolet Corvette, Malibu – $3000

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 – up to $4500

2011 GMC Yukon – $3500

2011 GMC Sierra 2500HD, 3500HD – $3000

2012 Mitsubishi Galant – $3000

2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor – $4500

2011 Mitsubishi Galant – $3500

2012 Nissan Titan – up to $3000

2011 Nissan Titan – up to $5250

2011 Nissan Armada – $4000

2011 Nissan Frontier – up to $3000

2011 Suzuki Equator – $3000

Since car companies are the ones funding rebates, customers should dealers to also contribute with an additional price discount funded from his own pockets. Dealer discounts on top of manufacturers’ rebates make for some very sweet deals.

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 available.

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Chevrolet

Although the rebates apply to selected models and styles of 2012 vehicles, the best deals are on leftover 2011 versions of the same models. Since very little changed between 2011 and 2012 models, the 2011 deals are especially good.

Some of the rebates are in the form of “secret” factory-to-dealer cash that is nearly always given to customers as a price discount. In either case, you should always ask your dealer to chip in an additional discount from his own pocket. Otherwise, he makes his full profit and lets the manufacturer take the entire financial hit.

Let’s take a look at the best Chevrolet deals for November and December:

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche – $2500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche – $4500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Aveo LS – $1500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Aveo LT – $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Camero – $1000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Camero – $1500 rebate and $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Colorado – $2000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Colorado – $3000 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Corvette – $2000 rebate and $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Chevrolet Corvette – $3000 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox (incl. 2011), Express, Suburban, Tahoe – $1000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet HHR LS - $3500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet HHR LT – $4000 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Impala LS – $3000 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Impala LT, LTZ – $1000 rebate and $4000 factory-to-dealer cash 

2011 Chevrolet Impala LS – $4000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Impala LT, LTZ – $1000 rebate and $4000 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Malibu – $2500 rebate and $1000 factory-to-dealer cash (except LS)

2011 Chevrolet Malibu – $3000 rebate and $1000 factory-to-dealer cash (except LS)

2012 Chevrolet Silverado – $2000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Silverado – up to $4505 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Tahoe Hybrid - $3500 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Traverse – $1500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Traverse – $2000 rebate

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

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In any given month, some manufacturers really want customers to buy, offering very large rebates that represent a significant discount off of sticker price.  These are deals worth considering if you are in the market for a new car.

Rebates are applied at the time a customer buys a car and, in effect, reduce the amount of money needed to purchase the car although, technically, do not reduce the price as would an ordinary price discount. This may seem a trivial distinction but rebates are therefore taxable while discounts are not. In other words, you pay the same sales tax on a car with a rebate as on the same car without a rebate. Just so you know.

Oftentimes, a car manufacturer will offer rebates and low-interest loans at the same time. Customers must choose one or the other, but not both. Generally, large rebates are preferable — and the customer doesn’t have to “qualify” with a high credit score as he does with the low-interest loan.

Here are some of the best rebates being offered for October 2011. In some cases, particularly with the Ford offers, the total rebate may consist of multiple separate rebates and bonuses, such as a trade-in bonus.

• 2011 Chrysler 200 – up to $3000
• 2011 Dodge Journey – $3500
• 2011 Dodge Nitro – $3000
• 2011 Jeep Liberty – $5000
• 2011 Ford Expedition – $5000
• 2011 Ford F-150 and Edge – up to $4000
• 2011 Ford Flex – $3000
• 2012 Chevrolet Impala – $3000
• 2011 Buick Lucerne – $3000
• 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Avalanche – up to $4500
• 2011 Chevrolet Impala and HHR – $3500
• 2011 Chevrolet Colorado – up to $3000
• 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 – up to $4500
• 2011 GMC Canyon – up to $3000
• 2011 Kia Sedona – $6000
• 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor – $4500
• 2011 Mitsubishi Galant – $3500
• 2011 Suzuki Equator – $3000
• 2011 Toyota Tundra – up to $3250

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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Dealers are allowed to use the “secret” cash almost any way they want, but the intent is that most, if not all, of it goes into price discounts for customers. This can mean some great car deals.

If a particular vehicle has factory-to-dealer cash and rebates or low interest lows, all the better. In most cases, but not always, dealers are allowed to combine the incentives.  Then, of course, dealers can kick in some discount out their own pockets to sweeten the deals even further.

This month, September 2011, we find some of the best factory-to-dealer cash incentives (sometimes called “marketing support”) to be the following. All of these deals are on 2011 and 2012 models. We previously reported on some really outstanding deals on leftover 2010 models in our article, Incentives on Leftover 2010 Vehicles.

2011 Ford Focus – $2000

2011 Ford Mustang – $1500-$2000

2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

2011 Mercury Mariner and Milan – $3500

2011 Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Milan Hybrid – $1500

2012 Chevrolet Impala – up to $4000

2012 Chevrolet Corvette – $1500

2012 Chevrolet Colorado – up to $1000

2011 Cadillac STS – $9000

2011 Cadillac DTS – $7000

2011 Chevrolet Impala – up to $4500

2011 Chevrolet HHR – up to $4000 

2011 Chevrolet Aveo and Camaro – up to $1500

2011 Land Rover Range Rover – $2000

2011 Infiniti FX50 – $3000

2011 Infiniti EX35 and FX35 – $2000

2011 Nissan 370Z – $1500

2011 Saab 9-3 – $4000-$5000

2011 Saab 9-5 – $3500

2011 Saab 9-4X – $1500

2011 Subaru Legacy – up to $1250

2011 Tribeca and Forester – up to $1000

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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Chevrolet

We list and rate the leases below.

Each Chevrolet lease is is for 39 months and requires a down payment which is due at signing along with the first month’s payment, and any official tax and tag fees. No security deposit is required for customers with good credit. All special lease incentives expire on 9/6/2011.

Although these deals are “national” deals, be aware that General Motors (Chevrolet’s parent company) and its dealers are just getting back on their feet with leasing after the collapse of GMAC (GM’s financing company) a few years ago — which means deals can vary from region to region, or even dealer to dealer. If you don’t find the “national” deal at one dealer, try others.

In the listing of Chevrolet lease incentives shown below, we also include a rating of each deal by LeaseGuide.com. It is impossible to determine whether a lease deal is good or bad simply by looking at the monthly payment. LeaseGuide used a unique lease calculator, the Real Lease Value Calculator, for scoring and rating these leases.

Here are the current Chevrolet leases:

2011 Malibu LS – $179/month, $1820 down — Rated Outstanding (score = 93)

2011 Traverse LS – $299/month, $1970 down — Rated Excellent (score = 79)

2011 Cruze LS – $169/month, $1470 down — Rated Excellent (score = 77)

2011 Equinox LS – $269/month, $1590 down — Rated Good (score = 71)

Clearly, the Malibu lease is the best of all four deals. What this means is that you get more car for your lease money with this vehicle. Not so much so on the Equinox lease but even that deal is better than a deal that you could negotiate for yourself for that vehicle.

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General Motors  announced incentives in July that are good through August 2011. The company’s brands, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC,   have deals on most of their vehicles, many on new 2012 models. However, the best deals are on 2011 models. All GM incentives expire on September 6, 2011. 

Here are some of the best GM car deals on 2011 models: 

Buick Lucerne – $2500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Buick Enclave – $2000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Buick LaCrosse – $1500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Cadillac DTS and STS – $7000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Cadillac Escalade – $3500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Cadillac CTS – $2000 rebate or 0% APR financing

 

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – $4000-$4500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Chevrolet Avalance – $4000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Chevrolet HHR (selected styles) – $3500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD – $3000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe – $3000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Chevrolet Impala (selected styles) – $3000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Chevrolet Malibu – $2500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

GMC Sierra 1500 – $4000-$4500 rebate or 0% APR financing 

GMC Sierra 2500/3500HD – $3000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

GMC Yukon – $3000 rebate or 0% APR financing 

Furthermore, there are good factory-to-dealer cash incentives available on a few 2011 GM vehicles for August 2011: 

Buick Regal – $1000 

Chevrolet HHR and Impala – up to $4000 

Chevrolet Corvette – $3000 

Chevrolet Aveo – up to $1500 

Chevrolet Malibu – up to $1000 

Honda, Acura, Volkswagen, Audi, and Volvo are other companies whose July incentives extend through August. 

Honda (most models) and Acura (selected models) are offering low-interest loan rates (0.9%-1.9% APR) on both 2012 and 2011 models.  Volkswagen offers 0% APR loan rate on the 2012 CC and Eos, 0% APR on the 2011 Eos, Routan, CC, and Tiguan, and low interest rates (1.9%-4.9%) on other 2011 models. Audi offers low interest rates (0.9%-3.5% APR) on 2012 models and 0.9%-2.9% on 2011 models. Volvo offers low interest rates on the 2012 S60 (0.9%-1.9%) and 0.9%-2.49% on all 2011 models. 

Other incentives worth considering in August are as follows:

BMW is offering lower interest rates on most its 2011 models, including 0.9% APR on the Z4 and 1.9% APR on the 3-Series and M3.

Ford and Lincoln have 0% APR loan deals on nearly every 2011 and 2012 model. Other models have very low interest rates. The company also offers rebates on most models as well, ranging from $500-$3000. Of course you much select either the rebate or the low interest loan, not both.

Kia has good rebate offers and low interest loans on most models, including $3000 rebate on the 2011 Kia Sedona and $2500 on the 2012 model.

Jaguar offers 0% APR loans on the 2011 Jaguar XF, XJ, and XK.

Mitsubishi stands out with 0% APR loans or nice large rebates on all models, including a $4500 rebate on the 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor and $3500 on the 2011 Galant.

Nissan comes on strong in August with 0% APR loan deals on nearly every model including 2012 versions of the Altima and Sentra. Alternatively you can select from some very attractive rebates on most models including up to $5250 on the 2011 Titan, up to $4000 for the 2011 Altima Hybrid, $3500 on the 2011 Armada, and up to $3000 on the 2011 Frontier and Maxima.

Suzuki  also has 0% ARP loans or rebates starting at $1000 up to $2000 on the 2011 Equator.

Toyota has 0% APR loan deals on the 2011 Tundra, Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Sienna, Venza, and Corolla.

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.

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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.

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.

Chevrolet

The deals shown below may not apply to all customers in all regions or on all styles within a model line.

Chevrolet Impala LS – $3500 rebate or 0% APR loan rate for up to 72 months

Chevrolet HHR LS – $3500 rebate or 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months 

Chevrolet Avalanche – $3000 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab or Crew Cab – $2500 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Malibu – $2500 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Colorado Extended Cab -$2500 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet 2500HD, 3500HD – $2000 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Traverse – $2000 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe – $2000 rebate or 0% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Aveo LS – $1500 rebate or 3.9% APR for up to 60 months

Chevrolet Cruze – 2.9% APR for up to 60 months

All the above Chevrolet new-car deals expire on February 28, 2011.

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.

General Motors

The deals apply to most new 2011 models as well as leftover 2010 models. All deals expire on February 28, 2011.

Following are examples of some of the best current GM new-car deals:

2011 Buick Lucern – $4000 rebate or low interest rate loans

2011 Buick Enclave – $2000 rebate, or 0% APR loan rate up to 60 months — $399/month, 39 months lease deal

2011 Buick Lacrosse CX - $309/month, 39 months lease deal

2011 Buick Regal CXL – $249/month, 39 months lease deal

2011 Cadillac (most models/styles) – 1.9%-4.9% loan rates — $7000 factory-to-dealer cash on DTS and STS models

2011 Chevrolet – rebates $1500 to $3500, or 0% APR loans on most models — up to $5000 factory-to-dealer cash on Corvette, Impala, HHR (up to $2000 on Aero, Colorado, Malibu)

2011 GMC – rebates $1500-$2500 on most models, or low-interest loans (including some 0% APR) on many models

2010 Buick Lucern – $4500 rebate, or low-interest loan rates

2010 Buick Enclave, Lacrosse – $2000 rebate, or 0% APR loan

2010 Chevrolet trucks – $5000 on most models

2010 Chevrolet Corvette, HHR, Impala – up to $4000 rebate or 0% APR loan rate

2010 GMC – up to $5000 rebate or 0% APR loan rate on most models

2010 Cadillac DTS, STS – $10,000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Cadillac Escalade – $8000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, and CTS – up to $7000 factory-to-dealer cash

These are excellent deals being offered by General Motors for January 2011, as well as for February.

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

However, there is one kind of incentive that is not advertised, at least not directly. We often call it a “hidden rebate” or “secret rebate.” In the auto industry it’s called marketing support or factory-to-dealer cash.

The rebate is “hidden” because it flows directly from the car company to dealers. It is provided to dealers as a way of helping them sell or lease cars. The rebate is not a constant and is not offered on all makes and models. It’s offered on a month by month basis, the same as direct customer rebates. It might be offered one month, and not another. The amount of the “hidden” rebate can vary widely, depending on how badly the manufacturer wants to help sell a particular model vehicle.

Dealers can use marketing support money almost any way they want if it helps sell cars. They could use it to pay for advertising, tent sales, or special promotions. However, most if not all of the money is given to customers as a price discount. When a dealer kicks in his own discount, added to the marketing support discount, customers can walk away with a terrific deal. This is how dealers can sell cars at “below invoice price.”

At the time of this writing, the following manufacturers are providing “hidden rebates” to dealers. These rebates may not apply to all models or styles and often require that the customer finance their purchase or lease through the manufacturer’s finance company (example: Ford Motor Credit).

• 2010 BMW M6, 6-Series, X3 – $4000-$$12,500
• 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser, Sebring – $1000
• 2010 Jeep Wrangler – $750
• 2011 Cadillac CTS, DTS, STS – $3500
• 2011 Cadillac Escalade – $2000
• 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, Corvette, HHR, Impala – up to $4000
• 2010 Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, HHR, Impala – up to $5000
• 2010 Pontiac Vibe – $3000
• 2010 Acura RL, TL, ZDX – $2000-$4000
• 2010 Honda Odyssey, Ridgeline, Civic Hybrid – $1500
• 2010 Honda Accord, Crosstour, Civic, Insight – up to $1200
• 2011 Mazda Tribute – $1500
• 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata, RX-8, Tribute – $3000-$3500
• 2010 Mazda CX-7, CX-9, Mazda5, Mazda6 – $1500-$2000
• 2010 Mercedes CL, CLS, R-Class, S-Class, SLK – up to $10,000
• 2010 Mercedes C-Class, E-Class, GL, GLK, M-Class – $1500-$5000
• 2010 Saab 9-5 – $2000
• 2010 Subaru Impreza – $1000
• 2011 Toyota Camry – $1500
• 2010 Toyota Tundra – $4000
• 2010 Toyota Avalon, Camry – $2000
• 2010 Toyota Corolla, Highlander, RAV4 – $1500
• 2010 Volvo  C70, S80, V70, XC70, XC90 – $1000-$5500
• 2010 Volvo C30, S40, V50, XC60 – $1000-$1500

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 cars from

Most dealers now have large incentives on leftover 2010 models where 2011 models are already out.  Ford even has some big deals on leftover 2009 models, where available. The deals are outstanding but you might not have a big choice in colors or styles. Being flexible is the key to getting the best deals.

However, this doesn’t mean that good deals can’t be had on new models too.

For example, we’re seeing some great incentives and rebates on 2011 models from Chrysler and General Motors. These deals expire on November 1, 2010.

Chrysler currently has rebates in the range of $1000-$2000 on the 2011 Dodge Dakota and Nitro, Jeep Liberty, and Ram 1500,2500, and 3500. Chrysler also is offering low-interest loans on these 2011 models.

General Motors has rebates of up to $2500 on Buick Lucerne, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Malibu, Traverse, Impala, Colorado, Aveo, and Cruze. Reabtes up to $2500 are also available on GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon and Canyon.

In addition, General Motors also has “hidden” factory-to-dealer” rebates on the 2011 Cadillac CTS, DTS, STS ($3500), Cadillac Escalade ($2000), and Chevrolet Aveo, Corvette, HHR, and Impala ($4000).

General Motors is also offering low-interest loans, including 0% APR rates, on most of the above 2011 models.

It also appears that GM wants to take advantage of Toyota’s recent problems, hoping they can convince some Toyota and Lexus owners/leasers to switch over. For most models, they are offering a $1000 bonus rebate to switchers.

Let’s take a look at some of the best Chevrolet deals for June. All the deals are for 2010 model cars except where noted otherwise, and the deals expire on June 30, 2010.

Chevrolet Impala – $3000 customer rebate + $1000 bonus for current Toyota/Lexus owners/leasers — and 3.9% APR loan rate that can be combined with the rebates — or 0% APR loan rate that cannot be combined with the rebates — or $199 a month special lease, 39 months, 10K miles per year, $2119 due at signing — or $299 a month lease, 39 months, 12K miles per year, $2869 due at signing

Chevrolet Cobalt coupe – $3000 customer rebate + $1000 for customers who finance through GMAC at standard rates + $1000 for current Toyota/Lexus owners/leasers — and 3.9% APR loan rate that can be combined with $3000 rebate — or 0% APR loan rate than cannot be combined with $3000 rebate — or $179 a month special lease, $2469 due at signing, 39 months, 12K miles per year . Other styles of the Cobalt get $3000 factory-to-dealer cash (which typically is given back to customers as a price discount) + $1000 for financing through GMAC at standard loan rates.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – $4500-$5000 customer rebate + $1000 to current Toyota/Lexus owners/leasers — or 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60/72 months — or $299 a month lease (Reg Cab 2WD), $2199 due at signing, 39 months

Chevrolet Traverse - $2000 customer rebate + $1000 to current Toyota/Lexus owners/leasers — or 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months — or $299 a month lease (LS model), $3449 due at signing, 39 months

Chevrolet Aveo – $2500 customer rebate + $1000 to current Toyota/Lexus owners/leasers – or 3.9% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months. Some Aveo styles get the above $2500 rebate but other styles get a $2500 factory-to-dealer rebate, which typically is given back to the customer as a price discount.

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

General Motors

The GM deals are in the form of direct customer cash rebates and low-interest loans, with a number of 0% APR loan deals as well. All the current January incentives end on 2/1/2010.

Here are some of the best General Motors deals at this time:

2010 Buick  Lucern $2000 rebate

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche, Suburban, Tahoe, Cobalt, Impala – $2000 rebate

2010 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra – $2000 rebate

2010 Pontiac Vibe – $4000 rebate

2009 Buick Lucerne – $4500 rebate 

2009 Buick Lacrosse – $4000 rebate

2009 Cadillac XLR, XLR-V – $10,000 rebate

2009 Cadillac Escalade – $6000 rebate

2009 Cadillac CTS-V, DTS, STS, STS-V - $5000 rebate

2009 Cadillac SRX – $4000 rebate

2009 Chevrolet Avalanche, Impala, Tahoe – $3500 rebate

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt – $3000 rebate

2009 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL – $4000 rebate

2009 GMC Envoy – $3500 rebate

2009 Hummer H3 – $6000 rebate

2009 Pontiac (most models) – $4000 rebate

2009 Saturn (most models) – $4000 rebate

Furthermore, low-interest loans are available on all the above 2010 models and 0% APR deals available on all the 2009 models above. Of course, you know that you can accept either the rebates or low interest loans, but not both. With these GM rebates being so large, it is usually better to accept the rebate instead of the loan deal, especially if you need down payment money (rebates count towards your down payment).

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

Chevrolet

The current Chevrolet deals are good for January 2010, and end on 2/1/2010.

Here are the current 2009 Chevrolet deals:

Chevrolet Aveo – $1500 rebate – 0% APR loan for 36/48/60/72 months

Chevrolet HHR – $2000 rebate – 0% APR loan for 36/48/60/72 months

Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox, and Malibu – $2500 rebate – 0% APR loan for 36/48/60/72 months

Chevrolet Cobalt – $3000 rebate – 0% APR loan for 36/48/60/72 months

Chevrolet Avalanche, Impala, Silverado 1500, Trailblazer, and Traverse  - $3500 rebate – 0% APR loan for 36/48/60/72 months

Chevrolet Corvette, Suburban, and Tahoe – $4000 rebate – 0% APR loan for 36/48/60/72 months

As a reminder, the above deals allow you to accept either the rebate or the 0% APR loan, but not both. Generally, it’s better to accept the rebate, especially if you need down payment money.

You can get free dealer 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.

Another incentive is a little unusual — a $500 cash rebate if the buyer wants to decline the General Motors 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. We would advise buyers who are not absolutely, totally, unquestionably sure they will want to keep the car to keep the 60-day guarantee and turn down the $500.

In general, the incentives are somewhat better than last month’s and apply in many cases to both 2010 and 2009 models, although the 2010 deals are not as good. In some cases, such as on the hot new 2010 Camaro, there are no incentives except the previously mentioned $500 for waiving the GM 60-day satisfaction guarantee.

All current GM incentives end on November 2, 2009 and are subject to change during that time. Furthermore, incentives may vary, depending on the area of the country. Low-APR loans are also subject to customer credit score requirements.

Following are examples of current (October) Chevrolet new-car incentives (2009 models except where noted) :

Chevrolet Avalanche – $3500 customer cash-back rebate or 2.9% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months and 4.9% for 72 months

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche – $1000 rebate or 4.9% APR (36/48/60 months) and 6.9% for 72 months

Chevrolet Aveo – $1500 rebate or 5.9% APR

Chevrolet Cobalt – $1500 rebate

Chevrolet Corvette – $4000 cash-back rebate or 0% APR for 36/48/60 months (3.9% for 72 months)

Chevrolet Equinox – $2500 customer rebate or 4.9% APR for 36/48/60 months

Chevrolet HHR – $2000 rebate or 3.9% APR for 36/48/60 months

Chevrolet Impala – $2500 rebate or 4.9% for 36/48/60 months

Chevrolet Malibu – $1500 rebate plus $1000 bonus cash or 3.9% APR for 36/48/60 months

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – $3500 rebate plus $1000 bonus or 2.9% APR for 36/48/60 months and 4.9% for 72 months

Chevrolet Tahoe – $1500 rebate plus up to $4500 bonus cash or 5.9% APR for 36/48/60 months

Chevrolet Trailblazer – $3500 rebate or 2.9% APR for 36/48/60 months and 4.9% for 72 months

Chevrolet Traverse – $2000 rebate or 5.9% for 36/48/60 months

You can get free dealer 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.