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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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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Factory-to-dealer cash, sometimes called “marketing support”, is a form of cash rebate from car companies to dealers to help promote the sale of certain vehicles. Dealers can use the cash in almost any way they like — TV advertising, tent sales, mailings — but most, if not all of the money usually is given back to customers in the form of price discounts.

Factory-to-dealer cash incentives are offered on a month-to-month basis, as needed, and expire at the end of the month. A particular vehicle model might have an incentive one month but not the next.

The largest factory-to-dealer cash incentives are offered on slow-selling vehicles, leftover previous year’s models, models with large inventory, or models that will soon be eliminated or replaced.

Here are some of the best factory-to-dealer incentives being offered for May 2011, ending on May 31:

2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – $2000

2011 Dodge Dakota – $4500

2011 Mercury Grand Marquis – $5500

2011 Cadillac DTS, STS – $7000

2011 Chevrolet Corvette, HHR, Impala (selected styles) – $4000

2011 Land Rover Range Rover – $2000

2010 Mercedes CL, S-Class (selected styles) – $10,000

2010 Mercedes C-Class, CLS, R-Class, SLK (selected styles) – $5000

2011 Infiniti FX50 – $3000

2011 Saab 9-3, 9-5 – $3000 – $4000

2010 Audi A6, A8, Q7, S6, TT, TTS (selected styles) – $9700

These incentives can be combined with any available customer rebates, low interest rates, and additional dealer contribution (dealer-provided price discount).

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

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.

Infiniti

This month, the good lease deals are on the Infiniti G models.

The best deal is on the 2011 Infiniti G25 Journey Sedan with Moonroof. The lease has a $319 monthly payment, 39 months, $2999 due at signing.

Similar deals are available on the 2011 Infiniti G37 Journey Sedan with Premium Package. The monthly payment is $359 a month, 39 months, $3499 due at signing.

The Infiniti G37 Journey Coupe with Premium Package is available for $339 a month, 39 months, $3499 due at signing.

If you prefer not to lease, the 2010 G37 Coupe is available with a 0% APR loan rate for up to 36 months. Note that this deal is on a leftover 2010 model, not the new 2011 model.

If you think you might like one of the above lease deals but don’t quite understand how car leasing works, we suggest you take a look at the LeaseGuide.com web site before you finalize your decision.

Infiniti

As always, Infiniti doesn’t want to be viewed as a “discount brand” and doesn’t offer direct customer rebates. But it does offer dealer cash, which are  ”hidden” rebates from the manufacturer to the dealer. The dealer then gives most or all of the money as a price discount to customers.

Infiniti is also offering some generous 0% APR loan rates on all of it’s models for January, February, and March. 

Here are the current deals being offered by Infiniti: 

2010 Infiniti EX35 – $3000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 1.9% for 48/60 months

2010 Infiniti FX35 – $4000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 1.9% for 48/60 months

2010 Infiniti FX50 – $5000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 1.9% for 48/60 months

2010 Infiniti M35 – $5000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 0.9% for 48/60 months

2010 Infiniti M45 – $6000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 0.9% for 48/60 months

2010 Infiniti QX56 – $6000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 0.9% for 48/60 months

2009 Infiniti G37 – $3000 dealer cash, or 0% APR loans for 12/24/36 months, 1.9% for 48/60 months

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2009 Chrysler Aspen, PT Cruiser – $4500

2009 Chrysler Sebring, Town & Country – $3500

2009 Dodge Sprinter – $5000

2009 Dodge Avenger, Durango, Nitro – $4500

2009 Dodge Dakota, Grand Caravan, Jpourney – $3500

2009 Jeep Commander, Grand Cherokee – $5000

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

2009 Mercury Grand Marquis, Milan, Sable – $3500

2009 Hummer H2, H2 SUT – $5000

2009 Saab 9-3, 9-5, 9-7X – $8000

2009 Land Rover Ranger Rover – $9000

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

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

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

2009 Infiniti EX35, G37 – $4000

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

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

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

2009 Audi A5, A8, Q5, Q7 – $5000

2009 Volkswagen CC, Eos, Routan – $6000

2009 Volkswagen New Beetle, Tiguan, Passat – $6000

2009 Volkswagen Jetta, Touareg 2,  GTI – $5000

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

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

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

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

Infiniti

All these deals are being offered for July, August, and September, until September 30, 2009.

Infiniti likes to be seen as a luxury, non-discount brand, so you won’t see any direct factory-to-customer rebates (except for a “loyalty” rebate for previous Infiniti owners). Therefore, it’s incentives are a little more subtle but nevertheless very significant. If you are in the market for an Infiniti vehicle, this is a great time to buy or lease.

Let’s look at some examples of these Infiniti deals:

2009 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD – $500 loyalty bonus rebate for current Infiniti owners/lessees, 0% APR loans for 24/36 months (0.9%, 1.9%, 2.9% for 48/60/72 months), $399 a month lease deal, and a whopping $4000 factory-to-dealer cash rebate that dealers can give to customers as price discounts.

2009 Infiniti FX35 AWD SUV – $2000 loyalty rebate for current Infiniti owners/lessees (Wow!), 0% APR and low interest loans as for the EX35 above, $539 a month lease, and a big whopping $5000 factory cash to dealer (Wow!!!), which translates into heavy price discounts for customers.

2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD SUV – $2000 loyalty rebate, 0% APR and low-interest loans, $719 a month special lease deal, and $6000 factory cash to dealer (Wow!!!!!!!).

2009 Infiniti G37 Journey Coupe – 0% and low-interest loans like the EX35 above, $419 a month lease deal, and $2500 factory-to-dealer cash rebate which can be used by dealers to give to customers as a price discount.

2009 Infiniti M45 – $2000 loyalty cash, $1000 bonus cash rebate, 0% APR and low-interest loans, $759 a month lease deal, $6000 factory to dealer cash, and $2250 factory to dealer cash for leasing customers. Similar incentives are available for the Infiniti M35.

2010 Infiniti QX56 SUV – $1000 loyalty cash, 0% APR and low interest loans like the EX35 above, $799 a month lease deal, and $6000 dealer cash, which can be used by dealers to discount customer prices.

Similar deals are available for most other Infiniti models and styles. Make no mistake about it, these are the best deals we’ve seen on Infiniti vehicles ever. If you want an Infiniti, now is a fantastic time to buy or lease.

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

These cash rebates can be used by dealers in a number of ways —  advertising, promotional events (tent sales, “red tag” sales, etc.), or price discounts to customers.

When those factory-to-dealer rebates are large, as they are now with Infiniti vehicles, customer’s can count on a large part, or all, of those rebates being shared with customers as a nice price discount.

Infiniti currently — until June 30, 2009 — has some of the highest factory-to-dealer rebates on all its 2009 model cars of any car brand (other brands have such high incentives on leftover 2008 models, but not on all brand new 2009 models).

Here are the Infiniti factory-to-dealer rebates now being offered:

• Infiniti QX56 – $6000
• Infiniti FX50 – $5000
• Infiniti EX35 – $5000
• Infiniti M45 – $5000
• Infiniti FX35 – $4000
• Infiniti M35 – $4000
• Infiniti G37 – $2000

These “hidden” rebates are very large for these luxury brand vehicles, and can make for some very good deals if dealers are willing to share with customers — and they are. Infiniti almost never offers other kinds of incentives because it doesn’t want to appear to be a “discount” brand.

How can you take advantage of these Infiniti factory-to-dealer price discounts? Get dealer price quotes from Edmunds.com. The quotes will automatically include any incentives or discounts that are currently available.