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.

There are no special lease deals.

All 2009 model Pontiacs get a 5.9% APR loan rate for qualified customers for 36/48/60/72 months. This is lower than the current average new-car loan rate of about 7.5%, but not significantly less. Most customers will be better to take the alternative rebate.

All Pontiac models also get a $500 factory-to-dealer rebate, which dealers can do with as they like. However, these direct-to-dealer rebates usually end up being passed on to customers as a price discount (not rebate).

There are also factory-to-customer rebates as well. The amount varies by model. The 2009 Pontiac G3, G5, Solstice, Torrent, and Vibe all have a $2500 rebate, while the 2009 Pontiac G6 and G8 have a $3500 rebate.

The above Pontiac incentives end November 2, 2009.

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

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

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.

What does this mean for those who would like to own a Pontiac and how good are the deals going to get? I don’t think it’s even remotely possible to predict that at this time.

Currently GM has incentives on Pontiacs until 4/30/2009, including cash-back rebates and low interest loans. The deals are not spectacular but certainly worth considering if you are in the market for a Pontiac. 

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

Here are the current April incentives:

• Pontiac G5, G8 – $1500 rebate or 2.9%-5.9% APR (depends on loan term)
• Pontiac G6 – $750-$1250 rebate or 4.9%-6.9% APR
• Pontiac Torrent – $1000 rebate or 5.9% APR
• Pontiac Vibe – $500 or 6.9% APR
• Pontiac G3 – 5/9% APR

Will the deals get better next month? Maybe.  When will GM actually stop making Pontiacs? We don’t know yet. Will Pontiac buyers be protected in the future by warranties, parts, and dealer service? More than likely.

It’s a shame that a car brand that has been a part of the American landscape for almost a century will disappear. For those who grew up in the 1960′s and 1970′s, you’ll know that Pontiac literally created the muscle car scene with the Tempest GTO.