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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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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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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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.

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.

Therefore, it is very useful to know which makes and models currently receive marketing support from the manufacturer. Prices on those vehicles will be lower than normal without having to do hard negotiating. If the dealer also adds his own discount, the deals can be even sweeter.

Actually, getting this kind of discount from a dealer is preferable to getting a direct-to-customer rebate. A rebate is not the same as a price discount. Sales tax on a new car is calculated on the selling price, after discounts are subtracted, but before rebates are deducted. A discount is a real price reduction, while a rebate is more like down payment money coming from the manufacturer’s pocket, not yours.

For example, if you buy a $12,000 car with a $2000 rebate, you pay sales tax on $12,000, although you only pay $10,000 of your own money for the car. On the other hand, if you buy a $12,000 car and you receive a $2000 discount, you only pay sales tax on $10,000.

Here are some of the best current (December 2010) factory-to-dealer rebates, all ending on January 3, 2011:

• 2010 BMW 6 Series, M6 – $10,000-$12,500
• 2010 Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Sebring – $1000
• 2010 Dodge Avenger – $1000
• 2010 Ford Flex, Taurus – $2000-$3000 (ends December 31, 2010)
• 2011 Cadillac CTS, DTS, STS, Escalade, Escalade ESV - $2000-$5000
• 2011 Cadillac Escalade EXT – $3000
• 2010 Acura RL, TL – $2500-$4000
• 2010 Acura MDX, RDX, TSX, ZDX – $750-$2500
• 2010 Honda Civic – $1500-$2500
• 2010 Honda Insight, Ridgeline – $1500
• 2010 Honda Accord, Crosstour – $1200
• 2010 Honda CR-V, Odyssey – $1000
• 2010 Land Rover LR2, Range rover – $2000-$4000
• 2011 Infiniti FX35, FX50, G37 – $3000
• 2011 Toyota Tundra – $2500
• 2011 Toyota Camry – $1500
• 2011 Toyota RAV4 – $1000
• 2011 Toyota Highlander – $500
• 2011 Volvo C30, C70, C80 – $500

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.

Ford

As usual, if you like one of the Ford deals, you must choose either the rebate, or the low-interest loan, but not both. However, Ford is doing something a little different in that they are offering conventional rebates (which cannot be combined with low interest rates) with a special “Promotional Bonus” of $1000 which can be combined with low interest rates.

Here are the current Ford deals. Keep in mind that, in addition to the rebates shown below, there is the $1000 promotional bonus cash mentioned above on each of the vehicles. These deals are all for 2010 model vehicles.

Ford Edge – $2000 customer rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Escape – $1000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months

Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford F-150 – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 3.9% for 48 months, 4.9% for 60 months

Ford Flex – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months

Ford Focus – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 4.9% for 48 months, 5.9% for 60 months

Ford Fusion – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

Ford Mustang – $500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months

Ford Ranger – $2500 rebate, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Taurus – no rebate (but $1000 promo bonus cash), 0% APR loan for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

You can get free dealer 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.

Ford’s

There are some decent customer rebates, but the best news are the zero percent loans on their new 2010 models. All the current deals expire on 2/1/2010.

As you probably know, you can’t take both a rebate and a low-interest loan. You have to choose one or the other.

Here are some of the current Ford deals. These are all on 2010 models except where noted.

Ford Edge – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Escape – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford F150 – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 3.9% for 48 months, 4.9% for 60 months

2009 Ford F150 – $3000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Flex – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Focus – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 4.9% for 48 months, 5.9% for 60 months

Ford Fusion – $1000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

Ford Mustang – $500 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months.

Ford Taurus – 0% APR loan rate for 36months. 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

You can get free dealer 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.

They’ve been doing it for 60 years and their opinions are well respected in the industry, and by automotive buyers.

Some of the categories that Motor Trend uses in making it’s decisions are: engineering excellence, design advancement, interior, performance, ease of use, efficiency, safety, and value. They thoroughly test the vehicles, measure everything that can be measured, and compare each vehicle to other vehicles in the same category.

This year, there were 23 cars contending for the title, including Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Golf, Subaru Legacy, Porsche Panamera, Hyundai Genesis, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Buick LaCrosse, BMW Z4, Volkswagen Routan, Suzuki Kizashi, Nissan Cube, Nissan 370Z, Mazda3, Mercedes-Benz E, Lexus HS 250h,Kia Soul, Kia Forte, Honda Insight, Ford Taurus, and BMW 7 Series.

To those car buyers who are less technical or not especially interested in details,  and want to get to the bottom line quickly, the winner of the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year is …….(drum roll)…….. the 2010 Ford Fusion. You can read more details in the January issue of the magazine.

One of the most important factors that helped decide the Ford Fusion‘s win was value — what you get compared to what you have to pay. With the Ford Fusion, you get a lot of car, a lot of performance, a lot of quality, a lot of safety for the money you spend — more than almost any other car.

So, what the Motor Trend people are saying is that even if you paid full MSRP (sticker price), you were getting great value.

But you can pay less because Ford has some outstanding promotional incentives on the Fusion right now.

For a 2010 Ford Fusion, the Ford Motor Company is currently offering $1000 customer cash rebate, plus another $1000 bonus cash that can be combined with a 0% APR loan offer (36 months) or 4.9% for 48 months, or 5.9% for 60 months. There are additional bonuses available for military/police members or college students.

Also remember that you should negotiate additional dealer price discounts on top of the manufacturer-provided rebates and bonuses. In this way, you should be able to get at least $3000 off the MSRP of the car, which is an outstanding deal on this award-winning vehicle.

You can get free price quotes on the 2010 Ford Fusion from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any cash-back rebates, bonuses, and discounts that are currently available.

There are many very generous rebates, bonus rebates, and promotional rebates, all of which add up to some incredible deals.

To top it off Ford is also offering 0% APR loans on most of its vehicles, both 2009 and 2010 models, as well as attractive low-interest loans in other cases.

The special “Promotional Bonus” rebates being offered on most vehicles, which amounts to $500 – $1500,  can be combined with 0% and low-interest loans as well as with other rebates, which can make an even better deal.

Following are some examples of Ford incentives for November and December 2009:

2009 Ford Edge – $1500 rebate plus $1000 bonus rebate (if you finance with FMCC) plus $1500 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford Edge – $2000 rebate plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2009 Ford Escape – no incentives

2010 Ford Escape - $1000 rebate plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2009 Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate plus $1000 bonus plus $1500 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2009 Ford Explorer – $3000 rebate plus $1000 bonus plus $1500 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2009 Ford Flex – $1500 rebate plus $1000 bonus plus $1500 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loans for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford Flex – $1500 rebate plus $1500 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months, and 3.9% for 72 months

2009 Ford Focus - no incentives

2010 Ford Focus – $1000 rebate plus $500 bonus plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 4.9% for 48 months

2009 Ford Fusion – no incentives

2010 Ford Fusion – $500 rebate plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months

2009 Ford Mustang – no incentives

2010 Ford Mustang – $500 bonus rebate plus $500 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months

2010 Ford Taurus – $500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 3.9% for 48 months

2010 Ford F-150 – $1500 rebate plus $1000 bonus plus $1000 promotional rebate, and 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 3.9% for 48 months

You can get free dealer 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.

Some vehicles have 0% APR loans for other loan terms. For example, the 2009 Ford Explorer gets 0% for 36, 48, and 60 months.

Ford’s current deals are a little strange in that some vehicles get better incentives on the 2010 models than on 2009 models. This might be explained by a shortage of 2009 inventory as a result of the very successful “cash-for-clunkers” program in August and September. There’s no need to put incentives on vehicles they don’t have to sell.

Following are some examples of current Ford new-car deals for October (until 11/02/2009). As usual, customers must accept either the rebate or the low-interest loan, but not both. We advise that, in most cases, rebates are usually a better deal, especially if the customer needs down payment money — which the rebate can serve for.

2010 Ford Edge – $2000 customer rebate, 0% APR  loan rate for 36 months, 0.9% for 60 months, 1.9% for 60 months, and 3.9% for 72 months.

2009 Ford Edge – $1500 rebate, 0% APR for 36/48/60 months, 1.9% for 72 month

2010 Ford Escape – $1000 rebate, 0%/1.9%/2.9%/4.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Escape – no special incentives

2010 Ford Expedition – $3000 rebate, 0%/1.9%/2.9%/4.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate, 0%/0.9%/1.9%/3.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2010 Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate, 0%/1.9%/2.9%/4.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Explorer – $3000 rebate, 0% APR for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford F150 – $2000 rebate, 0%/2.9%/3.9%/5.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford F150 – $2500 rebate, 0% APR for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford Flex – $1500 rebate, 0%/0.9%/1.9%/3.0% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Flex – $2500 rebate, 0% APR for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

2010 Ford Focus – $500 rebate, 0%/4.9%/5.9%/7.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Focus – $1000 rebate, 0%/4.9%/5.9%/7.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2010 Ford Fusion – $500 rebate, 0%/2.9%/3.9%/5.9%  for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Fusion – no special incentives

2010 Ford Mustang – $500 rebate, 0%/2.9%/3.9%/5.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Mustang – $1500 rebate, 0%/1.9%/2.9%/4.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2010 Ford Taurus – $500 rebate, 0%/3.9%/4.9%/6.9% for 36/48/60/72 months

2009 Ford Taurus – no special incentives

2009 Ford Taurus X – no special incentives

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.

Ford

Many of the deals are somewhat complicated with various combinations of cash rebates, bonus rebates, a variety of low-interest loans, some of which can be combined with some rebates, a few 0% loans, and some strange specialty rebates for such things as being a member of the American Quarterhorse Association.

Rebates and low interest loans are also available for Ford’s 2010 vehicles, although the deals are understandably not as good as on the 2009 models.

Here are some examples of Ford deals for 2009 models for September:

Ford Edge – $1500 customer cash rebate plus a $1500 Drive the Difference bonus rebate, or 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months, and 1.9% for 72 months.

Ford Escape – $1000 rebate plus $1500 Drive the Difference bonus rebate, or 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months, and 1.9% for 72 months.

Ford Expedition – $1000 rebate plus $1500 bonus, or 1.9%/2.9%/3.9%/5.9% loans for 36/48/60/72 months.

Ford Explorer – $2500 rebate plus $1500 bonus rebate, or 0%/0.9%/1.9%/3.9% APR loan rates for 36/48/60/72 months

Ford F150 truck – $1500 rebate plus $1500 bonus, or 0.9%/1.9%/2.9%/4.9% APR loans for 36/48/60/72 months

Ford Flex – $1500 rebate plus $1500 bonus rebate, or 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months.

Ford Focus – $1000 rebate plus $15000 bonus, or 3.9%/4.9%/5.9%/7.9% loan rates for 36/48/60/72 months.

Ford Fusion – $2000 rebate plus $1500 bonus, or 0% APR for 36/48/60 months and 1.9% for 72 months

Ford Mustang – $1500 rebate plus $1500 bonus, or 1.9%/2.9%/3.9%/5.9% APR for 36/48/60/72 months.

Ford Taurus – $1500 rebate plus $1500 bonus, or 0%/0.9%/1.9%/3.9% loan rates for 36/48/60/72 months.

In general, deals on 2010 Ford models have a $500 rebate, no bonus, and higher APR loan rates than on 2009 models.

You can get free dealer 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.

Ford

Ford’s incentives are somewhat complex and apply differently to various models and customer situations. The incentives come in the form of some good cash-to-customer rebates,  and low interest rates on loans, although customers must select one or the other, but not both.

We usually advise taking the rebates over the low interest rates, especially if the customer is short of down payment cash. But if Ford’s rebates are not especially large on the model you want, and if you can get a 0%-3% loan, it might be a better choice. There are also some “bonus” rebates, usually about $1500, that are not restricted by taking a low interest rate. 

In general, the incentives are in the form of $1500-$2500 rebates on 2009 models, $500-$1000 on 2010 models. The lowest interest rates, including some at 0% APR, are on the 2009 models. Rates are higher on 2010 models, but still lower than normal rates. Just so that you know, you must have a good credit score to get the lower rates.

For many Ford models, there is also a $1500 “Drive the Difference” bonus rebate that can be applied to the first 3 months’ payments.

Here are some examples of Ford incentives for July 2009:

2009 Ford Mustang – $1500 rebate plus $1500 bonus rebate, plus another $500 bonus. Interest rates are 0% for 36 months, 5.9% for 48 months, 6.9% for 60 months, and 8.9% for 72 months (not really a great rate for 60 and 72 months). Smaller rebates and higher interest rates are available for the 2010 Mustang.

2009 Ford Fusion – $2000 rebate, plus $1500 bonus rebate. Interest rates are 0% for 36, 48, and 60 months, and 1.9% for 72 months. Smaller rebates and higher interest rates are available for the 2010 Fusion.

2009 Ford Exlporer SUV – $2500 rebate, plus $1500 bonus rebate. Interest rates are 0% for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months, and 5.9% for 72 months. Smaller rebates and higher interest rates apply to the 2010 Mustang.

Similar incentives — rebates, bonuses, and low APR loans — apply to most other 2009 and 2010 Ford models.

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

Many good cash-back rebates, as well as low interest loans, are on the table at this time. Many are genuinely great deals if you are in the market for a new 2009 Ford.

For example, the Ford Flex has a $3000 rebate OR 0% interest rate all the way up to 60 months, and 1.9% for 72 months. You can take either the rebate or the zero interest loan, but not both. And you must have a good credit score.

The popular Ford Explorer SUV gets a $3000 rebate OR 0%-3.9% interest rate, depending on loan term.

Most other 2009 Fords, such as the Escape, Expedition, and Mustang,  get a $2500 cash-back deal, or a zero-interest or low-interest promotional loan rate. Nearly every model in the entire Ford lineup is being promoted on these deals that end on 5/4/2009.

There are no lease deals from Ford Motor Credit in these offers, but if you want to lease, most Ford dealers have arrangements with banks or credit unions to provide leases. Remember, you can use the cash-back rebates being offered to lower your lease price, even if you lease from a bank or credit union.

Also remember that Ford just announced a new buyer protection plan that makes your payments should you lose your job.

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.

Ford announced today a new buyer protection plan to provide assistance to people who buy a new Ford vehicle after today, until June 1, and who lose their jobs later.

Ford will make as many as 12 monthly payments, up to $700 a month, for customers who lose their jobs. They call it the Ford Advantage program. Any Ford, Mercury, or Lincoln vehicle qualifies. It is being offered with 0% financing on many models. Of course, customers must have good credit to get the loans, through Ford Motor Credit.

Hyundai began offering a similar buyer protection program in January and it has been popular. General Motors is also offering a similar plan.

Free Price Quotes on any Ford Vehicle at Edmunds.com
Get free price quotes from Edmunds.com that automatically include any incentives and rebates currently being offered.

The Chevrolet Tahoe is a sturdy SUV with a gentle ride and good handling. It has a third-row seat and plenty of room inside for the kids and cargo. There are a number of engine options to meet different needs, including towing.

GM is also offering alternative low-interest loans on the Tahoe — from 1.9% APR for 36 months to 3.9% APR for 72 months. Of course these loan rates are available only to ‘qualified’ buyers with good credit scores. As we’ve mentioned before, most customers will find that taking the cash-back rebate will be the better choice, especially if funds are tight for a down payment.

Taking the rebate also gives you the flexibility, in most cases, to find your own financing and maybe get a better rate than the dealer’s non-promotional rate.

Be aware that if you decide to go for one of the good 2008 leftover deals, dealers may not have exactly the model you would most want. So you have to be a little flexible, spend extra time looking, and maybe be a little bit lucky.

For example, on the popular Ford Flex, you can get $4000 cash back, plus an additional $500 if you are in active military or are a college student.

With such a large rebate, this is a great way to get into a car with little or no down payment. The rebate can be used as your down payment. It’s treated as if it came out of your own pocket.

Other models with large cash-back rebates are:

• Ford Fusion
• Ford Explorer
• Ford F-150
• Ford Taurus and Taurus X
• Ford Expedition
• Ford Escape
• Ford Mustang
• Ford Focus

Many models in Ford’s Lincoln and Mercury line also have high rebates, such as the Lincoln Navigator with $4000 cash back, and the Mercury Grand Marquis with a whopping $5000 back — and these are all 2009 models, not 2008.

However, you want a leftover 2008 Ford you can get even better deals — up to $6000 and $7000 back on such models as the Ford Explorer and Ford F-150, or up to $8000 back on a nice Lincoln Navigator luxury SUV. Practically every 2008 model in the line has large rebates available that are designed to get them off dealer’s lots and out of Ford’s inventory.

Nearly all models also have low-interest rate loan deals available too, but you can’t take the rebate and the low-APR loan together. It’s one or the other. However, for most people the rebate is nearly always the better deal, especially if you are short on down payment cash.

Note that rebate amounts and availability might vary depending on your area of the country.