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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However, the Mercedes-Benz company does offer special lease deals from time-to-time that  are genuinely good deals but hide the fact that the vehicles are being discounted. Such is the case here in July 2011.

A number of excellent leases are being offered on a variety of models and styles for July. All have a 10,000 miles/per/year allowance for 33 months, although some are for other terms as can be seen in the list shown below.

Notice too that a few of the Mercedes-Benz leases have no down payment requirement and no “due-at-signing” amount, which means the first month’s payment is waived for that deal.

Here is the list of current Mercedes-Benz lease deals for July 2011:

If you don’t understand how car leasing works or how to determine if leasing is right for you, we suggest you visit LeaseGuide.com before you make your decision.

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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.

Mercedes

That being said, Mercedes is currently offering – for January 2011 – a large number of excellent lease deals on specific styles within most model lines. These deals are made possible by a combination of lease price reductions, low money factor (finance fee), and high lease-end residual values.

Here are examples of the current Mercedes-Benz lease incentives for January. There are also other special leases on other models and styles. All these deals are rated “Excellent” by the Lease Evaluator in LeaseGuide.com’s Lease Kit.

2011 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 7A) – $539/month, 36 months, $3750 down payment

2011 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 7A) – $529/month, 36 months, $3750 down payment

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Sport 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 6M) – $349/month, 33 months, $2750 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Sport 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 6M) – $439/month, 33 months, $0 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Sport 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl 7A)- $369/month, 33 months, $2825 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Sport 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl 7A) – $459/month, 33 months, $0 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 BlueTEC 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A) – $569/month, 27 months, $2500 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class SL550 2dr Convertible (5.5L 8cyl 7A) – $1299/month, 36 months, $4999 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E350 2dr Convertible (3.5L 6cyl 7A) – $749/month, 36 months, $3913 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S550 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (5.5L 8cyl 7A) – $1349/month, 36 months, $4999 down

2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S550 4dr Sedan (5.5L 8cyl 7A) – $1299/month, 36 months, $4400 down

All the above Mercedes-Benz special lease deals are for 10K miles per year. If you don’t understand car leasing or if it is right for you, please visit 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

Mercedes

As you know, Mercedes likes to be viewed as a luxury brand and rarely offers direct rebates or explicit price discounts. However, by offering special lease deals, which is a more subtle way of providing discounts, they keep their luxury-brand image intact. These deals are based on discounted prices, low money factor (interest rate), and high lease-end residuals — all of which results in a low monthly payment.

Here are the current (February) Mercedes lease deals. All deals are based on 36 months and 10K miles per year (30K miles total).

Mercedes C300 Sport – $379 a month, $4924 due at signing

Mercedes C300 Sport  4MATIC – $399 a month, $4944 due at signing

Mercedes C350 Sport – $479 a month, $5024 due at signing

Mercedes E350 – $699 a month, $3744 due at signing

Mercedes E350 4MATIC – $729 a month, $3674 due at signing

Mercedes CLS550 – $1099 a month, $5889 due at signing

Mercedes CLK350 – $469 a month, $5014 due at signing

Mercedes GLK350 4MATIC - $489 a month, $5034 due at signing

Mercedes GL450 4MATIC – $749 a month, $6543 due at signing

Mercedes ML350 – $549 a month, $5094 due at signing

Mercedes ML350 4MATIC – $569 a month, $5114 due at signing

Mercedes R350 – $659 a month, $5453 due at signing

Mercedes S400 – $1259 a month, $7053 due at signing

Mercedes S550 – $1399 a month, $7193 due at signing

Mercedes S550 4MATIC – $1449 a month, $7243 due at signing

Even though these are good deals, if you don’t understand leasing, you should either take the time to learn, or not lease. Leasing works very well for many people, but not for everyone. We recommend LeaseGuide.com as a good source of car leasing advice and information.

Mercedes

They don’t offer direct factory-to-customer rebates but, instead, offer some very good low-APR loans and a number of very hefty hidden factory-to-dealer cash rebates, which dealers usually give back to customers as price discounts. All the current deals end 11/02/2009 and apply to most Mercedes models, but not all.

The factory-to-dealer cash incentives are all on 2009 models that need to be sold to make room for new 2010 models. However, most 2010 models have low-interest loan deals. Be aware that all the Mercedes low-interest rate deals contain a 1% reserve (dealer markup) and you might be able to negotiate some or all of that markup out of your deal. For example, you might be able to turn a 1.9% rate into a 0.9% rate.

 Here are examples of the new October Mercedes incentives. Remember, these incentives may not apply to all styles within a model class.

2009 Mercedes C-Class -  $3500 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Mercedes C-Class – low-interest loan rate: 1.9% APR for 24/36 months and 2.9% for 60 months

2009 Mercedes E-Class – $10,000 dealer cash

2010 Mercedes E-Class – 3.9% APR loan rate for 24/36/60 months

2009 Mercedes GL-Class – $10,000 dealer cash

2010 Mercedes GL-Class – 2.9% APR loan rate for 24/36 months and 3.9% for 60 months

2010 Mercedes GLK-Class – 1.9% APR loan rate for 24/36 months and 2.9% for 60 months

2009 Mercedes M-Class – $6000 dealer cash

2010 Mercedes M-Class – 1.9% APR loan rate for 24/36 months and 2.9% for 60 months

2009 Mercedes S550 – $14,000 dealer cash

2009 Mercedes SL550 – $15,000 dealer cash

2009 Mercedes R-Class – $10,000 dealer cash

2009 Mercedes SLK-Class – 1.9% APR loan rate for 24/36 months and 2.9 loan rate for 60 months

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

Mercedes

For May 2009 Mercedes is offering what appears to be two different low-interest rate loan deals.

One is a 0.9% APR across the entire model line for 24 months, 36 months, or 66 months (a little strange!).  And this can be combined with any discount contribution that the dealer is willing to make from his factory-to-dealer cash on certain models (C350, CLK550, CLK350, E550, E350, and S550 4MATIC). The dealer cash ranges from $2000 to $6000, depending on model.

The other option seems to be a 1.9% APR which is combined with two months payments on certain models, up to a maximum of $1300 or $1500, depending on specific model.

There are also special lease deals (all available until 6/1/2009) on specific versions of the C300, ML350, ML320, CLK350, SLK300, SLK350, GLK350, R350, R320, GL450, GL320, and GLS550.

The Mercedes lease deals are based on a reduced lease price, low money factor, and high residual. Most of the leases are based on 36 months (a couple are 39 months) and 32.5K miles per year. Normal due-at-signing charges apply — down payment, first month’s payment, and a lease acquisition fee ($795). Although these are genuine good lease deals, you should not lease unless you understand how car leasing works and how to determine if you are a good leasing candidate. The following web site can help: LeaseGuide.com.

Of course, the low APR loans and lease deals being offered by Mercedes require that customers have good credit. Be sure you can live with any restrictions the deals might require.

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

Here’s the details:

$379 a month lease payment
39 months
10K miles per year
$0 security deposit
$4524 due at lease inception, of which $3350 is down payment (cap cost reduction)

This is an outstanding deal from Mercedes, a company that doesn’t ordinarily offer such deals. But Mercedes, like all other car companies, is having a hard time moving cars right now. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.

To make a good lease deal requires a manufacturer price discount, a high lease-end residual factor, and a low money factor (interest rate). This deal has all of that. But it also requires the dealer to kick in with $1015 of his own discount to sweeten the deal even more. This is how they can get down to $379 a month.

Of course, you know that there are some state DMV fees, tax, tag, and registration fees that must be added, but overall, this is an outstanding lease.

Research the Mercedes C300, get specs, reviews, and more at Edmunds.com.