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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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.

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.

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.

General Motors

Deals are especially good on 2009 models, which GM apparently still has plenty of inventory. Don’t expect to see outstanding deals on 2010 models until most of the 2009 models are gone. In many cases, there is very little difference between 2009 and 2010 models. Therefore you can save a lot of money by going with last year’s leftovers. The catch is that you might not be able to get exactly the style, trim level, and color that you want. You are limited to the cars that dealers have in stock.

2010 Models

Let’s look at some of the best General Motors deals on 2010 models first.

 The best rebates of about $2000 are available on a wide range of makes and models, including the Buick Enclave and Lucerne; Chevrolet Avalanche, Cobalt, Impala, Malibu, Suburban, and Tahoe;  all GMC models except Savana and Terrain; and Pontiac Vibe ($3000).

Zero percent (0% APR) loans are available for the Buick Enclave and Lucerne, Chevrolet Avalanche, Cobalt, Impala, Malibu, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra, Acadia, Canyon, and Pontiac Vibe.

2009 Models

Now, let’s look at some even better General Motors deals on leftover 2009 models.

Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne – up to $4500 rebate

Chevrolet Avalanche, Impala, Suburban, Tahoe, Trailblazer, Silverado - up to $4000 rebate

Chevrolet Corvette – up to $4000 rebate

Chevrolet Cobalt, Traverse – up to $3500 rebate

GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra – up to $4000 rebate

Hummer H3 – $6000 rebate, H3T – $5000 rebate

Pontiac (all models) – up to $3000 rebate

Saab 9-3, 9-5, 9-7X – up to $8000 rebate

Saturn Aura, Outlook, Sky, Vue – up to $4000 rebate

Dealer Cash

Furthermore, General Motors is offering some hefty factory-to-dealer cash on some models. These direct-to-dealer rebates typically are passed along to customers in the form of additional price discounts.

2010 Cadillac CTS, DTS, STS, and Escalade – up to $2500 dealer cash

2010 Hummer H3, H3T – up to $3000 dealer cash

2009 Cadillac XLR, XLR-V, Escalade – up to $7000 dealer cash

2009 Cadillac CTS-V, DTS, STS, STS-V – up to $6000 dealer cash

2009 Cadillac CTS, SRX – up to $5000 dealer cash

2009 Hummer H2, H2 SUT – $5000 dealer cash

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.

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.

This is money they will use to provide customer price discounts.

It’s being called a “fire sale.”

As you may know, the Saturn and Pontiac brands have been discontinued by GM. However, dealers still have inventory of 2009 vehicles of these brands.

As we understand it, dealers have until January 4, 2010 to take the deal. The dealers, in effect, become titled owners of the vehicles. Then, the dealers can sell the vehicles after January 4 to customers at huge discounts — up to 46% off MSRP on the less expensive models. Technically, the cars will be “pre-owned” or “used” vehicles since the dealer is the first owner.

If you are in the market for a Saturn or Pontiac, the time to buy is NOW. We like the Pontiac G6 sedan, one of the hottest cars for 2009.

It just doesn’t get any better than this. Brand new cars for fire sale prices.

In many cases, you’ll be able to do better than the $7000 discount when the dealer throws his own discount on top. Understand, they NEED to get rid of these cars ASAP. 

What’s the catch?

The catch is that some dealers don’t have much inventory of these vehicles left on their lots. That means you might not have a lot of choice as to models, equipment, and colors. But for $7000+ discount, maybe you don’t care.

Not to worry about warranties and service. GM dealers will continue to have parts, honor warranties, and provide service for Saturns and Pontiacs for years to come.

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.

General Motors

This is a brand new idea in the automotive sales business and is obviously aimed at customers who may have lost confidence in GM’s products. It amounts to a kind of try-and-buy program.

The company is clearly taking a risk but feels that customers will like the cars and not return them.

Here’s the way the program works.

You buy a GM vehicle, drive it for at least 30 days for less than 4000 miles. Then if you don’t like it, you return it before 60 days have expired and you get all your money back.

There are some restrictions. We mentioned the 4000 mile limit. If you exceed 4000, the vehicle loses it’s qualification for the program. Also, if the vehicle has more than $200 in damages or has been involved in an accident, it will be disqualified. Normal wear and tear is okay.

Leased vehicles do not qualify for the program. Vehicles purchased by businesses do not qualify.

It’s also important to know that if you traded an old vehicle and you decide to return your new vehicle, you do not get your old vehicle back.

The GM 60-day Satisfaction Guarantee Program ends November 30, 2009.

UPDATE: For October, GM is offering a $500 factory-to-customer rebate if the customer is willing to waive the 60-day satisfaction guarantee. Unless you are absolutely, positively certain that you will not want to return the car, we don’t advise taking the rebate offer.

Generally, the better deals are on 2009 models where both 2009 and 2010 models are available.

General Motors — Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Hummer, Saturn, Saab, and Pontiac — has announced a slew of low APR loans, including many 0% deals, and customer rebates on many models. There are no special lease deals in the mix, however.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the GM deals:

Chevrolet – Cash rebates of $1500 are offered on the Chevrolet Cobalt, Aveo, and Tahoe. The Traverse gets you $2000 rebate, and the Equinox, Impala, and Equinox get you $2500. The Trailblazer has the highest rebate at $3500. Additionally, 0% APR loans are offered on nearly all models.

Hummer – Incentives on the Hummer come only in the form of factory-to-dealer cash, sometimes called “marketing support.” As you may know, this is money that a dealer can use in any way he chooses but he usually gives it to customers in the form of price discounts. The Hummer H3T gets $3500, the H2 gets $5000, and the H3 gets $6000. This could make for some nice discounts.

Pontiac – Incentives for Pontiac for September come in the form of customer rebates for all models ($2500, except for the G6 with $3500), $500 factory-to-dealer cash (possible extra price discount), and low-interest loans (2.9% for 12/36/48/60 months).

Saab – The only incentives on Saab models are in the form of high factory-to-dealer cash — $5000 for the Saab 9-3, $7000 for the 9-5, and $8000 for the 9-7X.

Saturn – In keeping with Saturn being known as a “fixed price” brand, there are no direct customer rebates but there are hidden factory-to-dealer cash that ends up being price discounts. Dealers get $3000-$3500 depending on model. 

GMC – Customer rebates are being offered on most models, such as $1500 on the GMC Canyon and Yukon, and $2000 on the Acadia. 0% loans are available on many models as well. For example, the Yukon gets 0% for 12/36/48/60 months.

Cadillac – Most Cadillac models now have some excellent rebates in the range of $2000-$3500 (the Cadillac XLR gets a whopping $10,000 rebate). Most also have alternative 0% APR loan offers for 12/36/48/60/72 months.

Buick – Buick models get direct customer rebates for September, as well as 0% APR loans on the Buick Enclave (LaCrosse and Lucerne get 4.9% APR loans).

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

General Motors car dealers were forced to establish individual relationships with local or national banks, credit unions, and finance companies if they wanted to continue to offer leases.

Now GMAC says times are better and they will get back into car leasing again, but in a limited way at first.  First, this new lease financing will be available in only 45 states, except for Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, where the company already has a trial program already going on.

Furthermore, the new lease financing will only be offered on a few select GM vehicle makes and models — 2009 versions of the Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Malibu, and Traverse, as well as 2010 versions of the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Buick LaCrosse.

It’s yet to be seen if the leases that will be offered will be good deals or not. In the past, GMAC offered “subvented” lease deals that included good price discounts, low money factor, and high lease-end residual values, all of which contributed some excellent deals with low monthly payments.

If you have never leased before or don’t understand how car leasing works, we suggest that you educate yourself so that you will know a good deal when you see it, and so that you don’t make mistakes. A good web site to learn about leasing is LeaseGuide.com.

General Motors

However, keep in mind that current incentives can change at any time, even in the middle of the month. So keep a watch here on this web site for later improvements. Chrysler is expected to announce some agressive incentives this week and GM might possibly be waiting to see what it looks like before making any further moves.

The incentives apply to all vehicles in the General Motors stable — Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Hummer, GMC, and Cadillac — and expire on June 1, 2009. All are for 2009 model vehicles.

In general (no pun intended), GM’s incentives are in the form of modest cash-back rebates and semi-low APR loans.

The rebates come in the range of $750 (Saturn) to $1000 and $15000, to $2000 for some models such as the Cadillac DTS.  A couple of exceptions: $7000 cash back on the Chevrolet Suburban and $5000 cash back on the Hummer H3.

There are also some “hidden” rebates that apply if you want to lease. GMAC no longer leases, but most dealers have alternative lease companies (large national banks) through which they can lease. The bank lease deals are not that great, so GM is sweetening the deal with the hidden rebates, which reduces lease prices, which lowers monthly payments and makes for some decent, although not great,  lease deals.

The “low” APR loan deals are not so low — only 6.9%. It’s certainly better than the near 8% normal rate (depending on the customer’s credit score) but nothing to write home about. There are some 0% offers on some selected models in some parts of the country however.

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

EDIT: See Saturn and Pontiac – $7000 Discounts for the most recent news.

The incentives come in the form of cash-back rebates and reduced-interest loans, but no lease deals. Just to remind, you can accept a rebate OR a reduced-interest loan, but not both. However, if you can find a good loan at a bank or credit union, you can get the rebate too.

In general, we usually recommend accepting a rebate over a low APR loan, especially if the rate on the loan is not very low or 0%, and if you need the rabate as part of a down payment.

Here are the current (until June 1, 2009) Pontiac incentives. Note that the incentives apply to 2009 models and nearly all styles within a model line. Also note that interest rates on long loans (72 months) will be higher than the rates shown below.

Pontiac G5 – $1500 rebate, 2.9% APR

Pontiac G6 – $1250 rebate, 4.9% APR

Pontiac G8 – $1500 rebate, 5.9% APR

Pontiac Torrent – $1000 rebate, 5.9% APR

Pontiac Vibe – $500 rebate, 6.9% APR

Pontiac Solstice – $500 rebate, no special ARP offered

If you want a Pontiac now, the above deals are not bad but we expect (hope) the deals will be better later on. However, after Pontiac shuts down its manufacturing plants this summer, dealers may run low on inventory and your selections will be limited. So, if you want a specific style, with specific options and colors, now might be the best time to buy.

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

The Saturn incentives come in the form of factory-to-customer cash rebates and reduced-interest loans. Of course, we all know that you can accept either the rebates OR the reduced-interest loan, but not both. There are no lease deals from GM at this time.

Here are the current (until June 1, 2009) incentives for 2009 Saturn vehicles. The incentives apply to nearly all styles within each model line.

Saturn Aura – $1250 rebate, 2.9% APR

Saturn VUE – $1250 rebate, 5.9% APR

Saturn Outlook – $750 rebate, 6.9% APR

Saturn Sky – $500 rebate, no reduced interest loan

We always remind you that some promotional deals and incentives may not be available in your region of the country — and that you must have good credit to qualify for low APR loans.

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

General Motors

There are new cash-back deals and zero-interest or low interest loans on almost all brands and most models, including GMC, Buick, Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn. Strangely, as of this writing, there are no new deals on the Chevrolet brand. However, we expect those will appear in the next day or so.

Overall, the GM deals are not very impressive with rebates generally in the $1000-$2500 range (except a whopping $3000/$5000/$6000 on the Hummer H3/H3T), and moderately interesting promotional loan rates. These deals are not going to make people break down dealer’s doors to get them but if you are in the market already for a GM vehicle, it’s a good to time to buy. However, the deals might get better, pending the outcome of GM’s current financial difficulties.

If you are interested in leasing, you may already know that GMAC is not writing new leases any longer (until further notice) but GM dealers have arrangements with large national banks, local banks, and credit unions to provide competitive leases. You can combine any cash-back rebates you receive with these leases to lower your payments. If you need more information and advice about car leasing, please visit LeaseGuide.com, a sister site to this site.

In addition to promotional loan rates, the Hummer H3 get a whopping $6000 factory-to-customer rebate ($3000 on H3T). (In some regions, it’s $5000 on both) If you want this model and are having a hard time coming up with a good down payment, that $5000 goes a long way to getting you going. The $5000 can act as a down payment just as if it came out of your own pocket.

Remember, these deals can vary depending on the region of the country in which you live. In some cases, the deals might be better that those we mention.

The deals on the larger Hummer H2 model are not as exciting but will certainly help if that’s the model you want. There is no direct factory-to-customer rebate, but there is $3500 factory-to-dealer cash that can be used as the dealer sees fit. If you ask, you might be able to get the dealer to part with most or all of that money in discounting your purchase price or lease price. Furthermore, he should be willing to kick in with some of his own money for a further discount. Hummers are not exactly jumping out of dealer showrooms and good deals are to be had, if you ask.

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

General Motors announced today a new incentive program aimed at protecting customer who buy cars and then lose their jobs. It’s their Total Confidence program.

It’s modeled after a similar program created by Hyundai earlier this year. The program has been well accepted.

The program allows customers to buy any GM vehicle (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Saturn, Buick, GMC, Hummer, and Cadillac) and, if the customer loses his/her job within 2 years, GM will pick up as many as nine monthly payments on a loan or lease — up to $500 a month. The job loss must be for “economic” reasons to qualify.

And there’s another nice part to the new incentive. To protect customers from being unable to trade due to being upside down in their loans, GM will protect the trade-in value of the vehicle and cover the difference between loan balance and vehicle value, up to $5000. The customer will qualify at the half-way point in the loan. This is a sweet deal, especially for people who must trade an upside down loan to begin the new loan. It can be a way to get out of the vicious negtive-equity cycle that many people frequently find themselves caught up in.

Free Price Quotes on GM Vehicles at Edmunds.com
Get free price quotes that automatically include any available incentives and bebates from Edmunds.com.