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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It’s not just that the new Passat is being introduced with a special lease deal but also that it’s a special car.

Volkswagen is building the new Passat at a brand new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee — “Made in USA” — which has been rolling out Passats now for about six months.  They plan to grow to producing 100,000 vehicles a year. We applaud foreign companies who bring  jobs to the U.S.

The new Passat has new styling, new technology, and new safety features that make it a top pick among auto reviewers. It is often compared to its more-expensive Audi A6 cousin.

Volkswagen is currently offering a special car lease deal on the 2012 Passat that is good only during the month of October 2011.

Monthly payment is $219 for 36 months and 36,000 miles total. The deal requires $1999 due at time of lease signing. Of this amount, $1780 is down payment (cap cost reduction) and $219 is the first month’s payment.

LeaseGuide.com has evaluated this promotional lease deal as “Excellent.”  It has a nice combination of reduced lease price, low money factor, and high lease-end residual value.

The deal is only for the Passat 2.5L S with automatic transmission and the Appearance Package option. This is the low-end Passat model but if you don’t need high-end features and options, this can be a deal to consider.

If you don’t want to lease, Volkswagen is also offering a special loan rate of 1.9% for up to 60 months, with no down payment to “qualified customers.” What this means is that qualified customers must have a good credit score. If you don’t know your credit score, you should get it before you go for one of these special car deals. You can get your credit score online with a simple signup from services such as FreeCreditScore.com . Your credit score is also important if you lease, since leasing is also a form of financing.

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Volkswagen

What makes the new offers unusually attractive is that these special no-interest deals are offered for as long as 72 months.  Some are limited to 60 months. Maybe you haven’t noticed but most other car companies offering zero interest loans typically restrict them to 24 or 36 months. If you want a longer loan, you pay a higher rate.

When you buy a car with a 0% interest loan, it’s really easy to figure your monthly payments — simply divide the amount you’re financing by the number of months in your loan. But if you have a loan with any other interest rate, you must use an online loan calculator or business calculator — no more simple manual calculations.

Normally, if Volkswagen were offering rebates (which they aren’t) we would recommend that you consider the rebate over the 0% loan (see 0% Loans – Good Deals?). But since we don’t have that dilemma here, it’s not an issue.

Here are the current (until September 30, 2011) Volkswagen 0% APR incentives:

2011 Volkswagen Eos Komfort (0% for up to 72 months)

2011 Volkswagen CC (0% for up to 60 months)

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan (0% for up to 60 months)

2011 Volkswagen Routan (0% for up to 72 months)

Other Volkswagen models including 2012 models have 1.9% APR deals for up to 60 months. The 2012 New Beetle gets 2.9% for up to 60 months.

One of the conditions for qualifying for these 0% or reduced interest deals is that you have good credit. If you don’t know your most recent credit score, you should. Don’t let dealers know more about you than you know about yourself. You can get your instant credit score online at companies such as FreeCreditScore.com.

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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Volkswagen

All the current Volkswagen lease deals shown below expire on August 31, 2011, are for 36 months and 36,000 miles (except where noted).

Note that both 2011 and 2012 VW models are being promoted. We would have expected the deals on the 2011 models to be significantly better than for the 2012 models, but that is not the case. The deals on the 2012 CC and Eos are actually better than on the 2011 models (surprise!). The remaining 2011 deals are only marginally better  than the 2012s — not enough to make a serious difference. In other words, in you are looking for a VW lease, selecting a newer 2012 model is a good choice.

In the listing below, you’ll see a rating and a score. These are calculated using the Real Lease Value Calculator  at LeaseGuide.com. Scores generally range from 50-90 and ratings range from Poor, Average, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding. Notice that only some of the Volkswagen lease deals rate Excellent. The remaining deals are lower rated as Good.

Current Volkswagen special lease deals:

2011 Volkswagen CC Sport - $289/month, $2999 due at signing (30,000 miles) - Rated - Excellent (83)

2011 Volkswagen Eos Komfort - $369/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated - Excellent (79)

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan S – $279/month, $2499 due at signing – Rated - Excellent (75)

2011 Volkswagen Routan S – $309/month, $2499 due at signing – Rated - Excellent (75)

2011 Volkswagen GTI – $279/month, $2199 due at signing – Rated - Good (74)

2011 Volkswagen Jetta S – $179/month, $2199 due at signing – Rated - Good (73) 

2011 Volkswagen Golf 2-door - $209/month, $2199 due at signing – Rated - Good (71)

2012 Volkswagen CC Sport - $289/month, $2999 due at signing (30,000 miles) - Rated - Excellent (84)

2012 Volkswagen Eos Komfort - $359/month, $2999 due at signing – Rated - Excellent (80)

2012 Volkswagen GTI 2-door – $289/month, $2199 due at signing – Rated - Good (72)

2012 Volkswagen Jetta S – $189/month, $2199 due at signing – Rated - Good (71)

2012 Volkswagen Golf 2-door – $219/month, $2199 due at signing – Rated - Good (68)

In summary, the 2011 and 2012 Volkswagen CC leases are the highest scored and the best deals. In contrast, the Golf deals are only slightly above being rated only “Average.” However, all the deals (except possibly the Golf  and Jetta S) are better than you might expect to negotiate for yourself at a dealer. Therefore, if you are in the market for a VW lease, these deals are well worth considering.

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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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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.

Volkswagen

These deals expire on 5/2/2011.

The special car lease deals being offered are all for 36 months (except where noted), allow 12,000 miles per year, and require a modest down payment as well as first month’s payment and offcial fees to be paid up-front.

All the current Volkswagen lease deals are rated “Excellent” by LeaseGuide.com.

Here is a sampling of the best Volkswagen deals for March and April:

2012 Volkswagen CC – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $299/month special lease

2011 Volkswagen CC – 0% APR loan rate for up to 72 months — $289/month special lease

2010 Volkswagen CC – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months 

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $279/month special lease

2011 Volkswagen Jetta S – $179/month, 39 month special lease

2010 Volkswagen Jetta – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Volkswagen GTI – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $279/month special lease

2011 Volkswagen Touareg – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $519/month special lease

2010 Volkswagen Touareg – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Volkswagen Golf – 1.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months — $199/month special lease

2010 Volkswagen Golf – 0% APR loan rate for up to 60 months

2011 Volkswagen Routan – 0% APR for up to 72 months — $299/month special lease

2010  Volkswagen Routan – 0% APR for up to 72 months

2010 Volkswagen New Bettle Convertible – 0% APR for up to 72 months

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

Volkswagen

These are limited-time incentives that Volkswagen is using to help promote sales of the new line of 2011 models.

The special lease deals are all on 2011 models, are for 36 month terms, 10K miles per year, and require $0 at signing.

You must have a good credit score to qualify for these deals.

As you might already know, leasing offers significantly lower monthly payments that buying with a loan. With leasing, you only pay for the depreciation of a car’s value, rather than paying for the entire car. It’s a great option for many automotive consumers.

Here are the current Volkswagen lease specials:

Volkswagen Jetta S (not including TDI models) – $239/month

Volkswagen CC Sport – $359/month

Volkswagen Tiguan – $329/month

Volkswagen GTI – $349/month

Volkswagen Touareg – $579/month

Volkswagen  Golf (not including TDI models) – $269/month

Volkswagen Jetta SportsWagen – $309/month

Volkswagen EOS – $489/month

These are genuinely good lease deals because the lease price has been reduced, the money factor (finance charge) is lowered, and the lease-end residual has been boosted. The combination of these factors makes for a low monthly lease payment.

If you don’t understand how leasing works or how to determine if leasing is right for you, we strongly suggest you take a look at the Lease Guide at LeaseGuide.com.

Volkswagen

Additionally, other models that don’t get 0% APR loans, do get low-interest (typically 1.9%) loan deals. Not all styles get such deals.

The above mentioned lease rebates (typically in the $500-$1500 range) only apply if the customer leases through Volkswagen’s captive finance company, VCI. The lease deals include reduced money factors (finance rates) and improved lease-end residual values to create low monthly payments.

If you don’t understand how car leasing works, we recommend that you read the Lease Guide at LeaseGuide.com.

Here are a few examples of current Volkswagen lease deals:

2010 Volkswagen Jetta – $199 a month, 36 months, 36K miles total allowance, $1999 due at signing

2010 Volkswagen Routan S - $289 a month, 36 months, 36K miles total allowance, $2499 due at signing 

2010 Volkswagen New Beetle – $199 a month, 36 months, 36K miles total allowance, $1999 due at signing 

2010 Volkswagen GTI – $279 a month, 36 months, 36K miles total allowance, $2299 due at signing 

2010 Volkswagen Golf – $199 a month, 36 months, 36K miles total allowance, $1999 due at signing

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.

Leases are especially attractive to people who need to finance a car at the lowest possible monthly payment. Leases are always less expensive than a similar loan. Why? Because you pay for only part of the car’s value — the part you “use up” — and you return the car (with it’s remaining unused value) back to the lease company. It sounds like renting, but it is not.

If you don’t understand how car leasing works, you are advised to do so before you lease. Leasing is a little more complicated than buying with a loan, which makes it easier to make mistakes if you don’t know what you are doing. To learn everything you need to know about car leasing, visit our sister web site, LeaseGuide.com.

Now, on with the good lease deals for June. These deals end June 30, 2009. Deals may vary by dealer and region.

Although there are some great lease deals currently being offered on high-end cars such as BMW, Mercedes, and others, we are showing you the absolute lowest cost leases now available, which tend to be on low-medium-priced cars.

Honda has a number of good leases right now. The best lease is on the Honda Civic DX-VP 1.8 sedan – $ 149 a month, 36 months, 12K annual miles, and $2699 due at signing. You can get the Civic Hybrid sedan for $199 a month, $2299 due at signing. Or the Civic LX sedan for only $199 a month, $1999 due at signing.

Honda has lease deals on a few styles of the Accord model. The Honda Accord LX sedan comes with a nice $199 a month payment, 36 months, 12K annual miles, and $2699 due at signing.

Nissan is also offering a similar deal on the Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR – $149 a month, 39 months, 12K annual miles, and $$2499 due at signing. The similar Sentra FE+ 2.0 sedan is $159 a month, with $2449 due at signing.

Mazda offers some excellent leases on the sporty MAZDA3. You can get the MAZDA3 iSport sedan (4-speed automatic transmission)  for only $169 a month, 36 months, 12K miles a year, and $2764 due at signing. The same car with 5-speed automatic transmission goes for $189 a month, and $2784 due at signing. The slightly higher cost MAZDA3 iTouring sedan has a lease deal at $196 a month, $2791 due at signing.

Subaru is also offering some good limited-time lease deals. You can get a Subaru Impreza 2.5i sedan with manual transmission for $179 a month, 36 months, 10K annual miles, and $1120 down payment (cap cost reduction). The same car with automatic transmission goes for $188 a month. The Subaru Legacy 2.5i Special Edition sedan is being offered at $191 a month, 36 months, $1800 down.

Finally, coming in among the “under $200-a-month” crowd is Volkswagen with the Volkswagen New Beetle 2.5 hatchback and the Volkswagen Rabbit S hatchback, both at $199 a month, 36 months, 12K miles per year, and $$2699 due at signing.

Remember, before you lease you should learn how leasing works. See LeaseGuide.com where you will find tips, expert advice, easy-to-understand explanations, and even a lease payment calculator.

Nearly every 2009 Volkswagen model, style, and trim level has very attractive low-interest loan rates (0% in many cases – varies by model and loan months).  Typically, the rates are 0% for 12 and 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months, and (strangely) 4.4% for 66 months. This incentive ends 4/30/2009.

Some models and trim levels also have cash-back rebates, usually in the form of a $500 “loyalty bonus” to people who currently own late-model Volkswagens (do not have to trade in). This incentive ends 5/4/2009.

However, some of the best deals are with leases, as listed below. The “catch” with these good lease deals is that the deals are limited to only one or two styles and trim levels with each model line. For example, the VW GLI has eight different styles with different combinations of engines and transmissions. But only the base style coupe with manual transmission has a lease deal.

As we always remind, incentives can vary by region of the country you live in and, in some cases, by dealer. And you typically must have good credit to qualify.

Here are the current VW lease incentives, which are based on 36 months and 10K miles per year:

Volkswagen Jetta – $199 a month, $2499 due at signing (which includes down payment, first months, payment, fees)

Volkswagen New Beetle – $199 a month, $2499 due at signing

Volkswagen Rabbit – $199 a month, $2499 due at signing

Volkswagen Tiguan – $299 a month, $2999 due at signing

Volkswagen GLI – $299 a month, $2599 due at signing

Volkswagen GTI – $299 a month, $2499 due at signing

Volkswagen Routan – $329 a month, $2999 due at signing

Volkswagen Passat – $339 a month, $2699 due at signing

Volkswagen Eos – $399 a month, $2999 due at signing 

Volkswagen CC – $499 a month, $2999 due at signing

If you find these lease deals attractive but don’t quite understand how leasing works, we advise you to become familiar with it before you make your decision. Our sister web site, LeaseGuide.com, can help you.