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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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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Honda

They’ve also brought back one of our favorite kind of lease deals — a choice of making a down payment, or no up-front cash at all. They call this deal their $0-$0-$0-$0 lease. This means you pay no money at lease signing, no down payment, no security deposit, and no first month’s payment. However, if you choose to pay money at signing, you lower your monthly payments a bit. 

All of the current Honda car leases are for brand new 2012 models, for 36 months and 36,000 miles. If you exceed the 36,000 miles, the excess-miles fee is a very sensible $0.15 mile. You would pay only $150 for every 1000 miles you are over your allowed miles — cheaper than a rental car.

Here are the new Honda lease deals for November and December 2011:

Honda Accord Coupe EX – $249/month, $2019 due at signing – OR - $310/month $0 due at signing (90 – Outstanding)

Honda Accord Sedan EX – $199/month, $1999 due at signing – OR – $260/month $0 due at signing (92 – Outstanding)

Honda Civic Sedan LX – $179/month, $1999 due at signing - OR – $230/month $0 due at signing (86 – Excellent)

Honda Crosstour 2WD EX V6 – $259/month, $3199 due at signing – OR - $340/month $0 due at signing (91 – Outstanding)

Honda CR-V 2WD LX – $219/month, $1999 due at signing – OR - $270/month $0 due at signing (85 – Excellent)

Honda Odyssey LX – $299/month, $1999 due at signing – OR - $260/month $0 due at signing (84 – Excellent)

Honda Pilot 2WD LX – $289/month, $1999 due at signing – OR - $340/month $0 due at signing (87 – Excellent)

The numerical score you see at the end of each of the above listing is the Lease Value rating by LeaseGuide.com. It rates each lease deal in terms of its value when compared to other leases. Ratings are Poor / Average / Good / Excellent / Outstanding. As you can see the Honda lease deals are some of the best in the industry.

If you are looking for a Honda, you can’t beat the brand in terms of quality, reliability, and value.

As a reminder, you must have good credit in order to take advantage of the above Honda lease deals. If you don’t know your most recent credit score, you should. Don’t let a dealer know more about you than you know about yourself. You can get your current free credit score at FreeCreditScore.comwith a simple signup.

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

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However, the September deals from Honda are not so much brand new deals as a continuation of many (but not all) of the good deals from August.  Actually, the deals are good for both September and October. All deals end on October 31, 2011

Honda’s familiar “zero due at signing” or “$0-$0-$0” leases are back on three models:

2012 Crosstour EX V6 – $330/month (also available at $319/month with $2699 due at signing)

2011 Odyssey LX – $370/month (also available at $259/month with $1999 due at signing) 

2012 Pilot EX – $330/month (also available at $259/month with $2699 due at signing) 

Other special leases are available on the following models:

2012 Accord Sedan LX – $199/month, $1999 due at signing

2011 CR-V LX – $219/month, $1999 due at signing

These are genuinely good lease deals as determined by LeaseGuide.com. Before you decide to lease, visit LeaseGuide.com to make sure you understand how leasing works and if you are a good candidate for leasing. You should also know your most recent credit score to know if you meet the credit requirements to qualify for these lease deals. You can get your credit score online from companies such as FreeCreditScore.com.

Other than special lease incentives, Honda is also offering low-interest loans on at least one style within each model line. For example, you can get 0.9% for 24-36 months or 1.9% for 37-60 months for the 2011 Accord Coupe, 2011 Accord Sedan, 2011 CR-V, 2011 Fit, 2011 Odyssey, 2011 Crosstour, 2012 Crosstour, and 2011 Pilot. Special rates of 1.9% for 24-36 months or 2.9% for 37-60 months are offered on 2012 models of the Civic Coupe, Civic HF, Civic Sedan, and Civic Si. Low interest loans also require a good credit score, which you can always get online at FreeCreditScore.com.

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However, that’s about to change.

Car deals are about to get even better.

You see, Toyota and Honda had been market leaders until the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March. Production was impacted, inventory dwindled, and sales suffered. There was little need to offer aggressive sales  incentives if their cars were in short supply. Taking advantage of the situation, American (GM, Ford, Chrysler) and Korean (Hyundai/Kia) car companies have been offering some attractive incentives to capture customers and maket share.

Other Japanese brands such as Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura have also been impacted in varying degrees.

However….Japanese car makers are rapidly recovering. Manufacturing production is growing steadily month to month. Supply is increasing at dealers. Between now and the end of 2011, full recovery is expected.

The Japanese are going to be very eager to regain lost sales and customers. As a result, we expect to see some of the best new car deals and incentives of the year starting as early as September and rolling past the end of the year into the first months of 2012. The companies will not only be competing with other Japanese car makers but with the American, European, and Korean companies who have tried to take business away while they were incapacitated. Everybody will have to rachet up their ante to stay in the game.

The result could be an all-out food-fight with dueling rebates, low interest rates, and special lease deals, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time — maybe ever. Some experts discount this idea, saying it won’t be as significant as all that due to the repressed economy. We’ll have to wait and see.

However, there is no doubt that we’ll see some of the best car deals we’ve seen this year during the coming months of 2011. These deals will be on leftover 2010 models (best deals), new and leftover 2011 models, and even new 2012 models.

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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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Honda

They are offering their famous incredibly attractive car lease deals that require no cash money at lease signing (except for the usual official tag and registration fees).

This means $0 for first month’s payment, $0 down payment (lease cap cost reduction), and $0 for security deposit. It’s what they call their $0-$0-$0 lease that other companies only rarely offer. Honda offers these special leases almost monthly.

The Honda leases are for 36 months and 12,000 miles/year. By not paying the first month’s payment, you only make 35 payments, not 36.

For August (until September 6, 2011) the current Honda $0-$0-$0 lease deals are as follows:

2011 Honda Accord LX Sedan (5-speed Auto) – $240/month lease

2011 Honda Accord LX-S Coupe (5-speed Auto) – $270/month lease

2011 Honda CR-V 2WD LX (5-speed Auto) – $280/month lease

2011 Honda Crosstour EX 2WD (5-speed Auto) – $310/month lease

2011 Honda Pilot 2WD LX (5-speed Auto) – $340/month lease

2011 Honda Odyssey LX (5-speed Auto) – $360/month lease

Of the above leases, the Accord and Crosstour deals are the best, rated as “Outstanding” by LeaseGuide.com. The CR-V, Pilot, and Odyssey all are rated “Excellent”, with the Pilot being the best deal of these three.

If you are in the market for a great car lease deal, always check with Honda because they consistently, month after month, offer some of the best deals in the business.

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Honda

The recent earthquake in Japan has affected all Japanese import car companies, as well as many American companies due to a shortage of parts from Japan.

Honda was one of the hardest hit and the slowest in its recovery process. Although many of Honda’s vehicles are made in the U.S., parts shortages have impacted them as well.

As a result, many Honda dealers are experiencing shortages on some models and styles. 

The new Honda Promise Program benefits customers who want to take advantage of current incentive programs, but can’t find the vehicle they want in stock at dealers. If customers commit to a future vehicle purchase or lease, June and July incentives will be made good through October, or until the vehicle becomes available.

As you may know from visiting this web site, Honda typically offers excellent incentives every month on selected models and styles. The incentives come in the form of low-interest (or 0% APR) loans, rebates, and special lease deals (some with $0 down payment).

Honda is also offering current lease customers up to 12 months lease extension and $500 cash to customers who move into a new lease. The lease extension allows loyal customers to continue driving their current vehicle while they wait for a new vehicle that may not be immediately available.

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These have slightly higher monthly payments than the same deals with a down payment.  Whether you make a down payment or not doesn’t change the value of the deal. A good deal is still a good deal with or without a down payment.

The car companies with the $0 down lease deals are Honda, Acura, BMW on selected models/styles, and Volvo (only on C70 model). The deals are offered both with a down payment and without.

However, these deals are a little different in how they are implemented.

For example, Volvo, Honda and Acura offer their special leases as $0-$0-$0 ($0 down, $0 first month’s payment, and $0 security deposit). This means that you owe nothing at lease signing except the usual official tag and registration fees specific to your home location. Not having to pay the customary first month’s payment means you only make 35 payments on a 36 month lease.

BMW’s $0 down leases simply means you pay no down payment (cap cost reduction) but you still pay the first month’s payment, plus possible security deposit, plus any official tag and registration fees at the time of lease signing.

What’s the catch with these special limited-time leases? Nothing except that not all models and styles are offered with the special deals. If you like the models being offered, fine. If not, you’ll have to settle for a non-promotional normal lease deal.

All of the special lease deals being offered by Honda, Acura, BMW, and Volvo have been rated “Good” or “Excellent” by LeaseGuide.com.

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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.

We’ll show you some of the best and cheapest car lease deals available now. The Honda deals expire on 5/2/2011 but the others are only good for March and end either on 4/4/2011 or 3/31/2011 depending on the car company.

Nearly all of the special leases require a down payment (cap cost reduction) as well as the first month’s payment and official fees. These up-front costs, all together, are called “cash due at signing.”  All are for 36 month terms and 12K miles per year except where noted.

Honda, however, offers their special leases two ways — one with the normal up-front costs, and another with $0 up-front (no first payment, no security fee, and no down payment, but you still have to pay official registration and tag fees).  Of course, your monthly payment is higher with the $0 up-front cash option but it doesn’t change the value of the deal. A good deal is still a good deal with or without a down payment.

Here are some of the cheap leases — under $190/month — we’ve found for March 2011 (and April for Honda):

2010 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl 5A) – $139/month, $1999 due at signing 0r $190/month, $0 due at signing

2010 Honda Civic DX-VP 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5A) – $139/month, $1999 due at signing 0r $190/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SR 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) – $139/month, $1999 due at signing

2011 Suzuki SX4 LE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6M) – $149/month, 39 months, $1999 due at signing

2011 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 5A) – $149/month, $1999 due at signing

2011 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl 5A) – $159/month, $2499 due at signing

2011 Nissan Versa 1.8 S 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 4A) – $159/month, 39 months, $1999 due at signing

2011 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 5M) – $178/month,  42 months, $1177 due at signing

2011 Volkswagen Jetta S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M) – $179/month,  39 months, $1999 due at signing

2011 Nissan Cube 1.8 S 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl CVT) – $179/month, 39 months, $2499 due at signing

2011 Suzuki Kizashi S 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 6M) – $189/month, 39 months,  $2531 due at signing

2011 Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5A) – $189/month,  $1783 due at signing

2011 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) – $189/month, $2688 due at signing

These deals are all rated “Excellent” by LeaseGuide.com. Many other lease deals being offered at this time are not shown here — many under $200/month. The car companies offering these other good deals are primarily Honda and Subaru, with BMW and Mercedes at the high end of the payment scale (although still good deals), and a few other companies in between. 

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While the Honda interest rates are not 0% APR, most are at 0.9% APR which is about as close to zero percent as you can get. And some are offered for as long as 60 months, which is rare. The actual amount you will pay over the life of the loan is very small when you consider that the normal national new-car loan interest rate is currently over 5.0% (Source: Bankrate.com).

Here are some of the current Honda special loan rates being offered for March and April 2011, ending on May 2:

Honda Crosstour – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Accord Sedan – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Accord Coupe – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Civic Hybrid – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Civic Sedan – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Civic Coupe, Civic GX, Civic Si Coupe, Civic Si Sedan – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda CR-V – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Fit – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Insight – 0.9% APR for 24-60 months

Honda Element – 1.9% APR for 24-36 months

Honda Pilot – 0.9% APR for 24-36 months

Honda Ridgeline – 1.9% APR for 24-36 months

Honda is currently not offering rebates so you don’t have the problem of choosing between a low-interest loan or a rebate. However, you might want to consider one of the special lease deals that Honda is now offering (see Honda Brings Back $0-$0-$0 Leases).

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The new special leases from Honda come in the form of $0 down, $0 security deposit, and $0 first month’s payment with 12K miles allowed per year. These are all genuinely good lease deals, as verified by LeaseGuide.com.

Interestingly, Honda also offers the same deals but with a lower monthly payment and an up-front down payment requirement.  It doesn’t change the value of the deal; it simply allows you to lower your payment if you can afford to pay some cash up front — or if you have a trade-in vehicle.

Notice the new lease deal on the most-popular Odyssey minivan. We haven’t seen any kind of deal on the Odyssey in quite a while, so this is hot.

What’s the catch with these great deals? Although the special leases are available on many of Honda’s vehicle models, they typically only offer the deals on one style within a model line. If you like that model/style, fine. If not, you’ll have to get a normal non-promotional lease, which is not all bad since Hondas always make good lease vehicles due to their high lease-end residual values.

Here are the current (3/1/2011 through 5/2/2011) special deals from Honda. All are for 2011 vehicles except where noted.

Honda Crosstour EX - $130/month or $239/month with down payment

Honda Accord LX Sedan – $250/month or $209/month with down payment

Honda Civic Hybrid – $260/month

Honda Civic VP Sedan – $190/month, or $139/month with down payment, or $149/month for LX style with down payment

Honda CR-V LX – $270/month or $219/month with down payment

Honda Fit – $220/month or $159/month with down payment, or $139/month for 2010 model with down payment

Honda Insight – $230/month

Honda Odyssey LX – $380/month or $319/month with down payment

Honda Pilot – $380/month or $299/month with down payment

Again, these Honda lease deals end on May 2, 2011 which gives you some time to think about them. Just be sure you know how car leasing works and if you are a good candidate for leasing. See LeaseGuide.com for a free consumer guide to car leasing.

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Honda currently is giving its dealers factory-to-dealer cash on particular models and styles until February 28, 2011. As expected, the best deals are on leftover 2010 models or 2010 models that have not been replaced yet with 2011 models.

Following are the most recent Honda dealer cash incentives:

2011 Honda Accord – $750

2011 Honda Crosstour – $750

2011 Honda Civic – $1000

2011 Honda Civic Hybrid – $1500

2010 Honda Accord – $1200

2010 Honda Crosstour – $2000

2010 Honda CR-V – $750

2010 Honda Civic – $1000

2010 Honda Civic Hybrid – $2500

2010 Honda Fit – $750

2010 Honda Insight – $1500

Of course, these “hidden” price discounts are in addition to any other incentives or negotiated discounts you might be offered by a dealer.

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

Listed below are the leases with the lowest monthly payments. In most cases, the leases require a down payment in order to get the low payment. You can always choose to make no down payment but your monthly payments will, of course, be higher. Honda actually offers lease deals both ways – with down payment, and with $0 down payment.

All of the deals shown below have been evaluated as “Excellent” by the Lease Evaluator calculator, which is part of the Lease Kit offered by LeaseGuide.com. These factory-sponsered deals are better than you could negotiate for yourself at a dealer.

Here are some of the current low-payment car lease deals being offered:

2011 Honda Civic DX-VP 4dr Sedan (4cyl automatic) – $139/month, 36 months, $1999 due at signing — or $170/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SR 4dr Sedan (4cyl CVT) – $139/month, 39 months, $1999 due at signing

2011 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (4cyl automatic) – $139/month, 36 months, $1999 due at signing — or $190/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Honda Civic LX 4dr Sedan (4cyl automatic) – $149/month, 36 months, $1999 due at signing — or $200/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Nissan Versa 1.8 S 4dr Hatchback (4cyl automatic) – $159/month, 39 months, $1999 due at signing

2011 Susuki SX4 LE 4dr Sedan (4cyl manual) – $159/month, 39 months, $2004 due at signing

2011 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (4cyl CVT) – $169/month, 36 months, $2768 due at signing

2010 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 4dr Sedan AWD (4cyl manual) – $169/month, 42 months, $1477 due at signing

Before you decide to lease, it is important to understand how car leasing works and how to determine if leasing is right for you. We suggest looking at the LeaseGuide.com web site where you’ll find a free Lease Guide, lease vs. buy calculator, and expert advice.

Honda

As usual, Honda offers good deals each month on most it models with the popular Odyssey being the only exception this month. In fact, we don’t expect to see any incentives on the Odyssey any time soon. You can, however, negotiate a price discount from your dealer, as you should be able to do with any incentive.

Following are the current Honda low-interest incentives for January and February 2011:

Honda Civic Coupe, Sedan, Hybrid, Si Coupe, and Si Sedan – 0.9% APR interest rate for 24-60 months

Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan – 0.9% APR interest rate for 24-60 months

Honda CR-V -  0.9% APR interest rate for 24-60 months

Honda Element – 1.9% APR interest rate for 24-36 months, or 2.9% APR for up to 60 months

Honda Insight – 0.9% APR interest rate for 24-60 months

Honda Pilot – 0.9% APR interest rate for 24-36 months, or 1.9& APR for up to 60 months

Honda Fit – 0.9% APR interest rate for 24-60 months

Special lease deals, including some “sign-and-drive” deals, are being offered on selected models and styles. All are for 36 month terms, 12K miles per year. Listed here are the lease incentives for January 2011 and February 2011:

Honda Civic LX Sedan – $200/month, $0 first month, $0 down, $0 security deposit, or $149/month, $1999 due at signing

Honda Accord LX Sedan – $199/month, $1399 due at signing, or $270/month, $0 due at signing

Honda Accord LX-S Coupe – $199/month, $3499 due at signing, or $300/month, $0 due at signing

Honda CR-V 2WD LX – $219/month, $1999 due at signing, or $270/month, $0 due at sigining

Honda CR-V 4WD LX – $280/month, $0 due at signing

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.

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.

Honda

The catch, as always, is that the deals don’t apply to all models and styles. The lease deals only apply to selected styles of certain models, usually the middle-of-the-line LX styles.

If you can be a little bit flexible and not be too particular about the style, you can take advantage of these great incentives from Honda. 

Here are some of the current Honda lease deals. All are for 36 months, 36,000 miles and are good through November and December, ending on January 4, 2011.

2011 Honda CR-V LX – $219/month, $1999 due at signing — or $270/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Honda Civic LX sedan – $169/month, $1999 due at signing — or $220/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Honda Civic DX-VP sedan – $159/month, $1999 due at signing — or $210/month, $0 due at signing

2010 Honda Fix Base – $139/month, $1999 due at signing — or $190/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Honda Odyssey LX – $319/month, $1999 due at signing — or $360/month, $0 due at signing

2011 Honda Pilot LX – $299/month, $2999 due at signing — or $380/month, $0 due at signing

These are genuinely good lease deals made possible by reduced lease price, low money factor (finance charge), and boosted lease-end residual values. However, if you don’t understand how leasing works and don’t know to determine if leasing is right for you, you should read the Lease Guide at LeaseGuide.com.

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

Honda

This month, one of the best lease deals is on the 2010 Honda Civic LX 4-door sedan at only $159 a month, with $1840 required as a down payment. When you add in the required first month’s payment, the total amount due up front is $1999. 

If the $1999 is a little too much for you, you can opt for a higher monthly payment – $210 a month – and owe $0 up front. It’s the same deal as above except for the elimination of the down payment and first payment requirement. 

Either way, this is an outstanding lease deal from Honda. In order to create this low monthly payment on the Civic, they have significantly reduced the price that the lease is based on. Furthermore they have set a low interest rate (lease money factor), and boosted the residual value.

What’s the catch with the monthly Honda lease deals?

The catch is that the special deals only apply, typically, to a single style within each model line, usually the middle-of-the-line model, the LX. And if it’s the end of the model year, the deal is typically on the older model. However, since models do not change significantly from year to year, this is not a great sacrifice.

Honda vehicles nearly always make great lease vehicles, even without special deals, because they have some of the highest lease-end residual values (resale values) of any car brand. Compared to other brands, such as Chevrolet or Ford, at the same price points, Honda will always win the lease cost battle.

If you don’t understand how car leasing works, we strongly recommend that you visit LeaseGuide.com before making a decision to lease.