There are a number of good rebates being offered now, until 1/3/2012, that are worth considering.

As you might expect, some — but not all — of the largest rebates are on “leftover” 2011 models. However, considering that there are very few, if any, differences between most 2011 and 2012 models, the 2011s make great buys.

Let’s take a look at some of the best customer rebates currently being offered:

2011 Acura RL and ZDX – $2000

2011 BMW 335d – $3500

2011 BMW 760 – $10,000

2011 BMW Alpina B7 – $10,000

2011 Buick Lacrosse – $3000

2012 Buick Lacrosse – $3825

2011 Buick Lucerne – $4000

2011 Buick Regal – $3000

2012 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V – $5100

2012 Cadillac Escalade – $5250

2012 Cadillac Escalade EXT and Hybrid – $4650

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 – $4500

2011 Chevrolet Corvette – $3000

2011 Chevrolet HHR – $3500

2011 Chevrolet Impala – $4000 (2012 model: $3000)

2011 Chevrolet Malibu – $3000

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Hybrid – $4505

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – $4850

2011 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 and 2500 – $3500

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe – $3500

2012 Chrysler 300 and 300C – $3500

2012 Dodge Avenger – $3000

2012 Dodge Durango – $3500

2012 Dodge Journey – $2250

2011 Ford Flex – $3000

2011 GMC Canyon – $3000

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 and Hybrid – $4505

2012 GMC Sierra 1500 and Hybrid – $4850

2011 GMC Yukon, XL 1500, and XL 2500 – $3500

2011 GMC Yukon Hybrid – $3500

2011 Hyundai Equus – $3750

2011 Hyundai Veracruz – $3000

2012 Jeep Liberty – $4500

2011 Kia Sedona – $3500

2012 Kia Sedona – $3000

2011 Lincoln MKS – $2500

2011 Lincoln Town Car – $3000

2012 Ram 1500 – $3000

2011 Suzuki Equator – $3000

2012 Volkswagen Touareg – $2500

Just a reminder: Incentives on 2011 model vehicles are subject to availability from your local dealers. Generally, you must select from a dealer’s inventory which might limit your choices of features, options, and colors. The earlier you shop, the better your choices.

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

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Chevrolet

Although the rebates apply to selected models and styles of 2012 vehicles, the best deals are on leftover 2011 versions of the same models. Since very little changed between 2011 and 2012 models, the 2011 deals are especially good.

Some of the rebates are in the form of “secret” factory-to-dealer cash that is nearly always given to customers as a price discount. In either case, you should always ask your dealer to chip in an additional discount from his own pocket. Otherwise, he makes his full profit and lets the manufacturer take the entire financial hit.

Let’s take a look at the best Chevrolet deals for November and December:

2012 Chevrolet Avalanche – $2500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche – $4500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Aveo LS – $1500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Aveo LT – $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Camero – $1000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Camero – $1500 rebate and $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Colorado – $2000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Colorado – $3000 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Corvette – $2000 rebate and $1500 factory-to-dealer cash

2011 Chevrolet Corvette – $3000 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox (incl. 2011), Express, Suburban, Tahoe – $1000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet HHR LS - $3500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet HHR LT – $4000 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Impala LS – $3000 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Impala LT, LTZ – $1000 rebate and $4000 factory-to-dealer cash 

2011 Chevrolet Impala LS – $4000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Impala LT, LTZ – $1000 rebate and $4000 factory-to-dealer cash

2012 Chevrolet Malibu – $2500 rebate and $1000 factory-to-dealer cash (except LS)

2011 Chevrolet Malibu – $3000 rebate and $1000 factory-to-dealer cash (except LS)

2012 Chevrolet Silverado – $2000 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Silverado – up to $4505 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Tahoe Hybrid - $3500 rebate

2012 Chevrolet Traverse – $1500 rebate

2011 Chevrolet Traverse – $2000 rebate

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

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Nissan

The rebates apply generally across the entire product line, although the amount of the rebate varies by model and style.

But that’s not all the good news. Nissan is also offering 0% APR interest rates on all the same models. However, as you know, you must choose between the rebate and the 0% loan. You can’t have both.

How do you choose between a rebate and a 0% loan?

Generally, if the rebate is about $2000 or more, you’ll be better with the rebate — especially if you are short on down payment money. The rebate acts as a down payment. Furthermore, if your credit score is not so great — less than about 700 or 720 (you can check your credit score at FreeCreditScore.com), you won’t qualify for the 0% loan rate.

Here are the current Nissan rebate deals:

Nissan Titan – $3500-$4500

Nissan Altima – $0-$4000

Nissan Frontier – $2500-$3000

Nissan Pathfinder – $2000-$2500

Nissan Xterra – $2000

Nissan Maxima – $1000-$1500

Nissan Murano – $500-$1000

Nissan Quest – $750

Nissan Rogue – $500-$750

Nissan Sentra – $500

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

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However, this means the hot-months are one of the best times to buy because car dealers and manufacturers are offering some great incentives to help boost sales during these normally slow times.

Rebates, in particular, are in good supply right now from a number of carmakers. Some of the best are from General Motors (Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC).

Let’s take a look at some of the best rebate offers currently available for July 2011. Most of these deals expire August 1 (except Volkswagen – August 31, and General Motors – September 6). All are for 2011 models except where noted otherwise.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 – $7500

Dodge Nitro – $3000

Dodge Journey – $2000-$3000

Dodge Grand Caravan – $1500-$2500

Jeep Liberty – $3000

Ram 2500/3500 – $2000-$3000

Ford F-150 – up to $3000 (selected styles)

Ford Expedition – $2000

Lincoln Town Car – $3000

Lincoln Navigator – $2000-$3000

Lincoln MKS – $1500-$2500

Buick Lucern – $2500

Cadillac DTS, STS – $7000

Cadillac Escalade – $3500

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – $4000-$4500

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD – $3000

Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe – $3000

Chevrolet Colorado – up to $3000 (selected styles)

Chevrolet Malibu – $2500

Chevrolet Impala – up to $3000 (selected styles)

Chevrolet Avalanche – $4000

Chevrolet HHR – up to $3500 (selected styles)

GMC Sierra 1500 – $4000-$4500

GMC Sierra 2500/3500HD – $3000

GMC Yukon – $3000

GMC Canyon – $1500-$3000

Mitsubishi Endeavor – $4500

Mitsubishi Galant – $3500

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder – $2000

Nissan Titan – $3500-$4500

Nissan Altima – up to $3000 (select styles)

Nissan Frontier – $2500-$3000

Nissan Pathfinder – $2000-$2500

Nissan Xterra – $2000

Suzuki Equator – $2000

Toyota Tundra – up to $3000 (selected styles)

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.

BMW

All incentives expire on February 28, 2011. Most incentives are in the form of very low interest loan rates and special zero-down leases. However, there are a number of rebates as well, and a huge factory-to-dealer cash incentive on the 2010 6-Series and M6.

Following is a summary of the current BMW new-car deals and incentives:

Low-interest loan rates – 1.9% APR for 36 months, 2.9% APR for up to 60 months, and 3.9% APR for up to 72 months. These rates apply to various models of the BMW 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, 7-Series, X5, X6, Z4, M3, X5 M, and X6 M.

Rebates (called “Option Credit” or “Eco Credit”) – 335i Sedan, Coupe, and Convertible ($1305), 335i xDrive Sedan and Coupe ($1840), 335d Sedan ($3500), 335is Coupe ($1495), 740i/740Li Sedan ($3185), 750i/750Li/750 xDrive ($3460), 750i/750Li ActiveHybrid ($7500), X5 xDrive 35d ($3500), X6 ActiveHybrid ($4500).

Special lease deals – Special leases are being offered on every model line. These leases require $0 down payment, although the first month’s payment and official fees are due at signing. All leases are for 36 months, 10K miles per year. The leases are all rated ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ by the Lease Evaluator in the LeaseGuide.com Lease Kit. Some of the lowest monthly payments are on the BMW 1-Series ($449-$569/month), and 3-Series ($479-$769/month). BMW Z4 leases are available for $609-$839/month. 

Factory-to-Dealer cash – BMW currently is offering dealers huge factory-to-dealer rebates on the 2010 BMW 6-Series and M6 ($15,000-$17,500). Most if not all of this money is being given to customers as price discounts on these models.

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 BMW vehicles from

General Motors

The deals apply to most new 2011 models as well as leftover 2010 models. All deals expire on February 28, 2011.

Following are examples of some of the best current GM new-car deals:

2011 Buick Lucern – $4000 rebate or low interest rate loans

2011 Buick Enclave – $2000 rebate, or 0% APR loan rate up to 60 months — $399/month, 39 months lease deal

2011 Buick Lacrosse CX - $309/month, 39 months lease deal

2011 Buick Regal CXL – $249/month, 39 months lease deal

2011 Cadillac (most models/styles) – 1.9%-4.9% loan rates — $7000 factory-to-dealer cash on DTS and STS models

2011 Chevrolet – rebates $1500 to $3500, or 0% APR loans on most models — up to $5000 factory-to-dealer cash on Corvette, Impala, HHR (up to $2000 on Aero, Colorado, Malibu)

2011 GMC – rebates $1500-$2500 on most models, or low-interest loans (including some 0% APR) on many models

2010 Buick Lucern – $4500 rebate, or low-interest loan rates

2010 Buick Enclave, Lacrosse – $2000 rebate, or 0% APR loan

2010 Chevrolet trucks – $5000 on most models

2010 Chevrolet Corvette, HHR, Impala – up to $4000 rebate or 0% APR loan rate

2010 GMC – up to $5000 rebate or 0% APR loan rate on most models

2010 Cadillac DTS, STS – $10,000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Cadillac Escalade – $8000 factory-to-dealer cash

2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, and CTS – up to $7000 factory-to-dealer cash

These are excellent deals being offered by General Motors for January 2011, as well as for February.

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

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.

The program is officially called the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) and went into effect on July 24, 2009, although some dealers were offering the program earlier.

Here is how the cash for clunkers rebate program works:

Your car must be less than 25 years old. It must be driveable. You must have owned it and had insurance on it for the last year. It must have had an original 18 MPG overall city/highway fuel rating, or less.

You must trade your old car for a new car with at least 4 MPG higher rating ($3400 credit) or 10 MPG higher rating ($4500 credit). SUVs, small pickups, and minivans only require a 2 MPG improvement, and vans and large trucks only 1 MPG improvement.

The new vehicle must be a brand new vehicle that has never been titled — not a used car. The list price (MSRP) must be less than $45,000. The minimum mileage rating for a new car is 22 MPG, or 18 MPG for a SUV, small pickup or minivan, or 15 MPG for large vans and trucks.

Your clunker trade-in vehicle must be destroyed by the dealer. It cannot be fixed up and resold. The idea is to get it off the road, forever.

The CARS cash for clunkers program is funded for “only” $1 billion. The program is over when the money runs out, or on November 1, 2009, whichever comes first.

[UPDATE:  The CARS program exhausted the entire $1 billion in the FIRST MONTH. The government has now added $2 billion more to keep it going — probably only for two more months. If you are thinking of taking advantage of this program, do it SOON.]

If your car qualifies, the $3500 or $4500 government rebate on top of any other manufacturer rebates and dealer discounts can make for some incredible car deals. You might even be able to work  out an almost free car.

What’s the catch with the program? If your old car is worth more than $3500 as a trade-in vehicle, the CARS cash for clunkers program is not advantageous to you. For example, if your old car is worth $5000 as a trade-in vehicle, it’s better to accept a dealer’s trade offer of $5000 rather than accept the government’s $3500 rebate.

Here’s are some of the best deals:

By far, the best deals are on left-over 2008 models (see Leftover 2008 Models for Cheap). We’re not talking about used cars here. We’re talking about brand new 2008 vehicles that are still on dealers’ lots waiting to be sold. Some dealers have a large number of leftovers, some only have a few, and some have none. Of course your choices are limited but the prices are the best.

Next, for 2009 models, Infiniti, Hummer, Saab, Mercedes, Nissan, and Land Rover have the highest factory-to-dealer cash on most of their vehicle models — in the $2000-$9000 range ($13,000 on some Mercedes models), depending on vehicle. This is “hidden” money given to dealers by the manufacturer to help him sell vehicles. Dealers can use the money for advertising, tent sales, or discounts. Most of the money goes back to customers in the form of large price discounts.

For direct factory-to-customer cash rebates, Chrysler, Infiniti, Nissan, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota, and GM are currently offering the best rebates on most models. For example, Nissan has $5000 on the Armada and Titan, $2500 on the Pathfinder, and $2000 on the Sentra. Acura, GM, Mitsubishi, and Subaru also have some very attractive rebates on many 2009 models.

The best 0% APR and low interest loans are being offered by Chrysler, GM, Ford, Suzuki, Toyota, Lexus, and Land Rover. Remember, in most cases, you can’t take the low interest loan AND rebates. You choose one or the other.

The best lease deals are being offered by Honda and Acura (on a select few models and styles), BMW (some models), Infiniti, Mazda, and Mercedes. These deals have highly discount prices, low money factors, and high lease-end residuals — all of which makes for low monthly lease payments. If you are interested in leasing, make you understand how it works so that you don’t make mistakes. See LeaseGuide.com for explanations and advice.

In our opinion, the best overall deals are now on Honda, Infiniti, and Mazda vehicles. Surprisingly, the American brands, GM, Chrysler, and Ford are offering only so-so deals, not great deals.

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.

This means that manufacturers have heaped some pretty incredible deals on those types of vehicles to help boost sales, and clear out old inventory. Deals are even better on left over 2008 trucks and SUVs.

If this is the kind of vehicle you need or want, now is an excellent time to buy.

Most of the deals end on April 30, 2009 and, as we always remind, some deals are not available in some parts of the country.

Here is a sample of some of the best cash-back rebate deals on large trucks and SUVs (2009 and 2008 models):

• 2009 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 – $3500
• 2009 Ford F-250/350/450 – $3500
• 2009 Ford Ranger – $4000
• 2009 Lincoln Navigator – $4000
• 2009 Nissan Armada – $6000
• 2009 Nissan Titan – $5500
• 2008 Nissan Titan – $6000
• 2008 Ford F-150 – $7000
• 2008 Ford Expedition – $5000
• 2008 Ford Explorer – $5000
• 2008 Ford Ranger – $4500
• 2008 Ford F-250/350/450 – $8000
• 2008 Lincoln Navigator – $7000
• 2008 Cadillac Escalade – $8500
• 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer – $7250
• 2008 Chevrolet Silverado – $7000
• 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe – $6000
• 2008 GMC Sierra – $7000
• 2008 Hummer H2 – $8000
• 2008 Hummer H3 – $7000
• 2008 Toyota Tundra – $6000

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