However, in these times of slow sales for all, BMW manages to slip in some pretty good deals without being too obvious. The current deals — good for March and April 2010 — include various combinations of  ”Spring Drive Credit” (wouldn’t want to call it a rebate, would we), owner loyalty cash credits,  low-interest loans, and special lease deals.

In some cases, BMW makes it a little complicated with some models that have “secret” factory-to-dealer cash (they call it Build Out Dealer Cash) that can’t be combined with some special financing and lease deals. Furthermore, some deals are only available in selected regions of the country.

Here are some examples of current BMW new-car deals:

BMW 128I coupe – $1500 credit and 0.9% APR loan for 24 months (2.9% for 60 months), or $339 a month special lease

BMW 135i couple – $1500 credit and 0.9% APR loan for 24 months (2.9% for 60 months), or $399 a month special lease

BMW 335i sedan – $2500 credit and 0.9 APR loan for 24 months (3.9% for 60 months), or $419 a month special lease

BMW 335i coupe – $2500 credit and 0.9 APR loan for 24 months (3.9% for 60 months), or $439 a month special lease

BMW 550i sedan – $1500 owner loyalty cash, 2.9% APR loan for up to 60 months, $6000 factory-to-dealer cash, or $809 a month special lease

BMW 650i coupe –  2.9% APR loan rate for up to 60 months, $10,000 factory-to-dealer cash, or $1129 a month special lease

BMW Z4 sDrive351 convertible – $2500 credit and 2.9% APR loan for 24/60 months, or $679 a month special lease

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

Toyota’s

The new Toyota deals, which end on March 31, 2010, don’t pretend to be the “real” incentives that the company is likely to offer as soon as they get past their current problems.

It could be that they will modify the current incentives for March, or simply wait until April to announce new and better deals.

But it’s certain that Toyota must create incentives to get customers to come back and buy again. Full-page ads in local and national newspapers, and feel-good TV commercials simply aren’t going to do it. For sure, Toyota will come back with better safety, better reliability, and better quality control than ever before, but it will require a herculean effort and big monetary incentives to get most customers’ to start buying again.

Most of the current (until Mach 31) incentives are in the form of 0% APR and low-interest loans, and modest factory-to-dealer cash that dealers can use to offer price discounts. However, customers can’t take both. It’s the price discounts or low-interest loans, but not both.

For example, on the much maligned 2010 Toyota Camry, there is $2000 factory-to-dealer cash, or a 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months. 

The 2010 Toyota Highlander SUV gets the same loan deal but only  $1500 factory-to-dealer cash.

The 2010 Toyota Tundra gets 0% APR only for 36 months (1.9% for 48/60 months) or $3000 factory-to-dealer cash.

The 2010 Toyota Yaris gets the same loan, but instead of factory-to-dealer cash, customers get a $1000 rebate, which of course can’t be combined with the low-interest rate deal.

The 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Prius, and Sequoia get nothing.

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

And our answer is always the same each month. We don’t know and neither does anyone else. Car manufacturers don’t announce new incentive plans until the old plans expire. This month, most plans expire on March 1. The manufacturers don’t even tell their dealers in advance.

It would certainly be nice if we knew next month’s plan before the old plan expired. Then we would know whether to take the current deal or wait for the better deal next month. But we don’t have that luxury. Manufacturers want it that way.

We expect that most new car deals and incentives will be announced during the week of March 1.

One of the unknown factors this month will be Toyota’s plans. As you may know, Toyota has had sales problems due to all the publicity surrounding a couple of serious defects and resulting recalls (see our article, Toyota Fire Sales Soon?). We can be sure that other manufacturers are going to try to take advantage of Toyota’s temporary problems and will offer some interesting incentives to try to lure buyers away from Toyota.

But as soon as they fix their problems, which could be soon, Toyota will begin offering incredible incentives to get those customers back and restore confidence in the brand. That, in turn, could start a snowball effect, in which the other manufacturers could then begin offering even better incentives. And so on, and so on.

So the next month or so could be very interesting for car buyers. March could be the month that car buyers dream about — or not. As we stated at the beginning of this article, nobody knows.

The overall best car this year is the Lexus LS 460L. It is rated 99 out of a possible 100, which is outstanding.

Other top rated makes and models are as follows:

Best Sports Sedan – Infiniti G37

Best Family Hauler (wagon, minivan, microvan) – Mazda Mazda5

Best Pickup Truck – Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Best Green Car – Toyota Prius

Best Family SUV – Chevrolet Traverse

Best Fuel Economy – Toyota Prius, Smart ForTwo, Honda Insight

Best Overall Safety – Kia Soul (small car), Acura TL (family & upscale car), Honda CR-V (small SUV), Acura MDX (midsize SUV)

Best Roadtest – Lexus LS 460L, Infiniti M35 X, BMW 135i

Best Cars Under $20,000 – Ford Focus SES, Honda Civic LX, Honda Fit

Of course, the magazine has the full details of each car’s evaluation and test results. You can also get the same information (for a small fee) on the magazine’s website at consumerreports.org.  Anyone who is thinking of buying a new car should always consult CR data before making a decision. Not only will you learn which cars had the best results, but you will also discover which cars had the worst results.

Dealer cash is  ”secret” money given to dealers by car manufacturers to help them sell cars. Dealers can use the money for advertising, sales promotions, or, more commonly, as price discounts to customers. In other words, the money usually flows from the factory to dealer to customer on the sale of specific vehicles.

It’s sometimes called “factory-to-dealer rebates” or “marketing support.” These incentives are time-limited and expire on a specified date. For example, the most of the current February dealer cash incentives expire on 3/1/2010.

So what vehicles are getting the best and biggest dealer cash incentives for February? Let’s take a look.

The 2010 BMW 6-Series and M6 are getting a whopping $10,000-$12,500 dealer cash, the largest we’ve seen.

The 2010 BMW 5-Series and M5 gets $7500 dealer cash.

The 2009 BMW 6-Series, M6, and 7-Series get $7,500-$10,000

Many 2009 Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models get $3000-$7000 dealer cash

The 2009 Cadillac XLR and XLR-V gets $10,000 dealer cash. Other Cadillac models get $4000-$7000.

The 2009 Land Rover Range Rover gets $8000-$9000 dealer cash.

The 2010 Infiniti FX50, M45, and QX56 gets $2000-$6000 dealer cash (expires March 31, 2010)

The 2009 Infiniti FX35, FX50, and M45 gets $5000-$6000 dealer cash (expires March 31, 2010)

The 2010 Volvo  C70, S80, V70, XC70 gets $3000-$6000 dealer cash.

The 2009 Volvo C70, S60, S80, V70, and XC70 gets $4000-$6000 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.

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.

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.

Ford

As usual, if you like one of the Ford deals, you must choose either the rebate, or the low-interest loan, but not both. However, Ford is doing something a little different in that they are offering conventional rebates (which cannot be combined with low interest rates) with a special “Promotional Bonus” of $1000 which can be combined with low interest rates.

Here are the current Ford deals. Keep in mind that, in addition to the rebates shown below, there is the $1000 promotional bonus cash mentioned above on each of the vehicles. These deals are all for 2010 model vehicles.

Ford Edge – $2000 customer rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Escape – $1000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months

Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford F-150 – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 3.9% for 48 months, 4.9% for 60 months

Ford Flex – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months

Ford Focus – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 4.9% for 48 months, 5.9% for 60 months

Ford Fusion – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

Ford Mustang – $500 rebate, 0% APR loan for 36/48/60 months

Ford Ranger – $2500 rebate, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Taurus – no rebate (but $1000 promo bonus cash), 0% APR loan for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

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

Toyota

Unfortunately, Toyota has suffered a bit of bad luck recently with sticking gas pedals and unintended acceleration that has created a media sensation. 

Because of the extreme publicity and resulting actions by Toyota, many existing customers and potential customers are feeling a bit nervous about the brand. Sales have suffered greatly.

However, loyal Toyota fans will see through all this, will remained confident, and will continue to buy the brand. In fact, this incident will make the brand even better in the coming months and years. Toyota will continue to be an industry leader in value-priced, high quality, and reliable automobiles for many years to come.  

But what does all this mean for automotive consumers in the short term? Are there some good deals coming out of this?

Toyota will be struggling in the next few weeks and months to restore public image and recreate customer demand for their products. They must move fast or lose the opportunity.

Although the company has never offered huge sales incentives in the past (because they didn’t have to), they can’t afford to be complacent now. Without some help, sales are not going to improve on its own.

Therefore, we think we’re going to see some incredible incentives coming from Toyota very soon, probably even this month. The incentives, in the form of rebates, low interest loans, and other creative promotions, will be like nothing ever offered by the company. They must recover from this unfortunate incident quickly, or risk not recovering at all.

It is very possible that whatever Toyota decides to do will also affect the rest of the automobile industry and the kind of deals we will see. 

If Toyota begins offering irresistible deals, other manufacturers will have to react and respond with their own even-better deals.

It might be a bit of a stretch, but this could turn out to be a boon for automotive consumers — while, at the same time, further damaging an already fragile American automobile industry.

Land Rover

This is a great way to be able to drive a Land Rover luxury vehicle but, unless you understand how car leasing works, we advise taking the time to learn before you decide to go with one of these deals.

Leasing works well for many people, but not for others. See LeaseGuide.com for car leasing advice and information.

Here are the current special lease incentives from Land Rover. All are for 2010 models, 36 month lease term, and 10K miles per year (30K miles total).

Land Rover LR4 – $679 a month, $3995 due at signing

Land Rover Range Rover – $1535 a month, $5995 due at signing

Land Rover Range Rover Sport – $1099 a month, $3995 due at signing

These deals include a reduced lease price, a low lease money factor, and a boosted residual, which makes for a lower monthly payment.

If you are in the market for a Land Rover, this is a good time to consider a lease.

Suzuki

Some of the deals are on 2009 models, where you’ll find the best deals. But the 2010 model deals aren’t bad either.

Here are the current Suzuki deals for February (until 2/28/2010):

2009 Suzuki Equator – $2500 rebate, or 0% APR loan rate for 48/60 months

2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara – $2000 rebate plus $500 loyalty bonus rebate for Suzuki owners, or 2.9% loan for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

2009 Suzuki SX4 – $2500 rebate plus $500 loyalty rebate, or 0% APR loan for 48/60 months

2009 Suzuki XL7 – $4000 rebate plus $500 loyalty rebate, or 0% APR loan for 48/60 months

2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara – $1500 rebate plus $500 loyalty rebate, or 2.9% loan for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

2010 Suzuki Kizashi – $500 loyalty bonus, 3.9% loan for 60 months

2010 Suzuki SX4 – $1000 rebate plus $500 loyalty bonus, or 2.9% loan for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

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.

Honda

February 2010 is no exception.

In fact, Honda is offering more deals this month than usual. Typically, they only have special leases on one style within each of its model lines. It’s usually the low-end LX versions. However, for February (until 3/1/2010) they have also added some high-end EX models as well.

Honda leases are always genuinely good deals. They not only reduce vehicle lease price, but reduce money factor (finance charge), and raise lease-end residuals. Combined, these factors add up to a low monthly payment.

All the 2010 Honda leases listed below are for 36 months and 12K annual miles (36K miles total). All require cash due at signing. The cash covers the first month’s payment as well (in most cases) a capitalized cost reduction (down payment).

If you don’t understand how car leasing works, we strongly advise you to take the time to learn. Leasing works very well for many people, but not for everyone. We recommend LeaseGuide.com for a good, easy to understand guide to car leasing. 

Here are the current Honda lease programs:

Honda Accord LX Sedan – $199/month, $2199 due at signing

Honda Accord EX 6-cyl Sedan – $269/month, $2199 due at signing

Honda Accord EX 4-cyl Sedan – $219/month, $2599 due at signing

Honda CrossTour EX-L AWD – $429/month, $429 due at signing OR $369/month, $2499 due at signing

Honda CrossTour EX 2WD – $379/month, $379 due at signing OR $329/month, $2299 due at signing

Honda CR-V LX 2WD – $249/month, $2099 due at signing

Honda Civic LX 4-cyl Sedan – $179/month, $1799 due at signing

Honda Civic EX Sedan – $199/month, $1899 due at signing

Honda Civic DX-VP Sedan – $159/month, $1399 due at signing

Honda Fit – no lease deals but $500 dealer cash

Honda Insight LX – $199/month, $1799 due at signing

Honda Odyssey LX – $299/month, $2499 due at signing

Honda Pilot LX 2WD – $349/month, $2699 due at signing

Some manufacturers are also offering cash-back rebates but, as you may already know, you generally must choose between the rebates and the special low-interest (or no interest) loans. You can’t take both.

Usually, rebates are a better deal, especially if you need down payment money (rebates can be used as down payment cash). However, in many cases, you don’t have a choice when only a rebate, or only a low-interest loan is being offered. See our article, 0% APR Car Deals – Good Deal or Not? for more details.

Here are some of the current (February 2010) car makes and models with 0% APR loan deals. Note that the 0% APR rate usually only applies for shorter-term loans — 24, 36, or 48 month loans — and may not apply to all styles within a model line. Many apply to both 2010 and 2009 models, but some only apply to leftover 2009 models. Conditions can vary by car company. 

Following are some of the current 0% ARP loan deals. General Motors is the currently the winner in offering the most 0% deals on nearly its entire 2009 line of vehicles.

• Chrysler 300
• Chrysler Town & Country minivan
• Chrysler PT Cruiser
• Chrysler Sebring
• Chevrolet (most 2009 models
• Dodge Charger
• Dodge Grand Caravan minivan
• Dodge Journey
• Dodge Avenger
• Dodge Dakota
• Dodge Nitro
• Dodge Viper (2009)
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Jeep Compass
• Jeep Commander
• Jeep Patriot
• Ford Mustang
• Ford Flex
• Ford Explorer
• Ford Ranger
• Ford Edge
• Ford Fusion
• Ford Taurus
• Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, and F-450 trucks
• Ford Escape
• Ford Taurus X
• Ford Explorer Sport Trac
• Ford Focus
• Ford Expedition
• Ford Econoline
• Lexus ES350/IS250/IS350 (2009)
• Lincoln MKX
• Lincoln MKS
• Lincoln MKZ
• Mercury Mountaineer
• Mercury Milan
• Mercury Grand Marquis
• General Motors brands (Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, Hummer, GMC, Saturn, Saab) – 2009 models
• Honda Civic
• Kia Forte
• Kia Soul
• Land Rover LR2/LR3 (2009)
• Land Rover Range Rover (2009)
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport (2009)
• Mazda CX-8/CX-7/CX-9
• Mazda Mazda3
• Mazda Mazda6
• Mitsubishi – All 2009/2010 models
• Infiniti EX35/FX35/FX50/M35/M45/QX56
• Nissan – Most 2010 models and all 2009 models
• Subaru Forester (2009)
• Subaru Impreza (2009)
• Suzuki XL7
• Suzuki Equator
• Suzuki Grand Vitara
• Suzuki SX-4
• Toyota – 2009 and 2010 models
• Volkswagen – most 2009 models except Jetta TDI sedan
• Audi – 2009 A3, A8, Q7, TT, TTS, A4, A6

Of course, the best deals result from having both a 0% loan and a good price discount. Many car buyers are so happy to get a great loan deal that they overlook the fact that they should also be getting a price discount (not rebate) from their dealers. Shop for or negotiate your best price, even when you are getting a zero-percent loan. Don’t let dealers try to tell you that you can’t have both.

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.

And we tell them the same thing every month.

Car manufacturers never announce a new month’s incentives (rebates, low-interest loans, lease deals) until the old incentives expire. They don’t even tell their dealers until the day of the announcement to the public. They want to be able to analyze the success of the last incentive program so that they can fine-tune it or replace it with something that’s going to work better.

Some manufacturers announce muti-month programs. For example, BMW now has incentives that are good during January and February 2010. Infiniti’s current program goes all the way through March. See other articles here on this web site for details.

What can we expect for the coming months?

Of course, car sales are still in a slump as they have been for many, many months. Therefore, until sales are significantly better, we’ll continue to see good incentive programs from nearly all car companies. Sometimes the deals will be better than last month’s — sometimes not as good. There is no way to tell in advance what we’ll get.

It’s very unusual to see continuing month-to-month incentives as good as we’ve seen in the last year or so. In the “old days” a car manufacturer might only have incentive programs a couple or three times a year, not every month as it is now. And some companies never had incentives. Not now. Now is one of the best times ever to buy a new car. The deals have never been better.

Right now, and for the next few months, the best new car deals will be on remaining 2009 models, particularly on brands that have been discontinued or sold by their manufacturer. These include Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, and Saturn. If you like the brand and the price is right, there’s no reason not to buy. The manufacturer will still honor it’s warranties, you will still be able to get parts and service, and in a few years your car could be considered a “classic.”

As always, we will let you know when the new February car deals and incentives are announced. Check back here often because all new programs are not announced at the same time.

You can get free price quotes on any new vehicle from Edmunds.com.The quotes will automatically include any rebates or discounts that are currently available.

Since cars typically don’t change much from one model year to the next, a dealer with both 2009 models and similar 2010 models sitting on his lot has to make the 2009 models attractive to potential customers. How does he do it? He and the manufacturer offer incentives that significantly reduce the cost of the older models. The incentives can be direct customer rebates, price discounts, low-interest (or zero interest) loans, and factory-to-dealer cash.

Because of the incentives being offered on the leftover models, some great deals can be had without a lot of messy negotiating.

What’s the catch?

If there’s a catch, it is that dealers may not have exactly the model, style, and color you want in their inventory of leftover 2009 cars. You might have to be a little flexible since your choices may be limited. Since different dealers have different leftover styles and colors, you could shop around to try to find the model that best fits your needs.

 Here are examples of some of the best deals currently being offered on leftover 2009 vehicles:Nissan - Customer cash rebates of $1250-$5000 or 0% APR loans on most 2009 models

Infiniti – 0% APR loan rates on 2009 Infiniti G37

Mazda – $1000-$5000 rebates, or low-interest loans on many 2009 models

Kia – $1500-$5000 customer rebates on most 2009 models, depending on the model

Suzuki – $1000-$4000, or 0% APR loan rate on most 2009 models

Acura – Low-interest loans on 2009 Acura MDX, TL, and TSX

Honda – Low interest loans on 2009 Honda Odyssey and Pilot

Buick – $2500-$4500, or 0% APR loans on most 2009 models

Cadillac – $3000-$10,000 rebates, or 0% APR loans on most 2009 models, depending on model

Chevrolet – $1500-$4000 rebates, or 0% APR loan rates on most 2009 models, depending on model

GMC – $1500-$4000 rebates, or 0% APR loans on most 2009 models

Hummer – $6000 rebate on 2009 Hummer  H3, $3500 on H3T, or 0% APR loan rate – $5000 dealer cash on 2009 Hummer H2 and H2 SUT

Pontiac – $4000 rebate, or 0% APR loan on most 2009 models

Saab – $7500 rebate, or 0% APR loan on 2009 Saab 9-3, 9-5, and 9-7X

Saturn – $4000 rebate, or 0% APR loan on 2009 models

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.

However, BMW offers “back door” price discounts by giving dealers money (“dealer cash” or “marketing support”) in the form of factory-to-dealer rebates on certain models during a promotion period. Dealers can use the money for advertising or sales events but most, if not all, of the money goes back to customers in the form of price discounts.

Currently, BMW is offering some incredibly large factory-to-dealer incentives, good during January and February 2010, ending on March 1, 2010.

Let’s look at some of the BMW dealer rebates:

2010 BMW M6 – $12,000 dealer cash

2010 BMW 6-Series – $10,000 dealer cash

2010 BMW 5-Series and M5 – $7500 dealer cash

2009 BMW 6-Series and M6 – $10,000 dealer cash

2009 BMW 7-Series – $7500 dealer cash

2009 BMW X5 and X6 – up to $5500 dealer cash

2009 BMW Z4 – $5000 dealer cash

2009 BMW 3-Series and M3 – up to $4500 dealer cash

2009 BMW X3 – $3500 dealer cash

2009 BMW 1-Series – up to $3500 dealer cash

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

Most people go to car dealers because they want to know about that dealer’s brand of cars, what models are offered, what options are available, about gas mileage and safety ratings, about benefits his cars have over a competitor’s, about what cars the dealer has in stock, and at what prices. Some people also want to know how they might finance their purchase and if they can buy within their monthly budget.

In other words, we look to a dealer sales person — repeat, sales person —  to educate us about the car we might want and how to finance it. Sales people usually do a pretty good job at educating us but keep in mind that everything a sales person does and says is aimed at only a single objective — selling a car for the best possible profit for the dealership.

When you visit the dealer’s showroom or sales lot, you are on their home turf where they have the advantage. That’s where they want you to be. That’s where they can be more effective in what they do best, selling cars. Most customers who come in to buy a car on their own terms, get sold a car on the dealer’s terms.

So, how can we as car buyers retain control over the car buying process?

Don’t visit the dealer until the deal is done and you must go in to sign papers and pick up your car. Even those last steps can be avoided if you ask the dealer to send you the papers and deliver your car to you.

Fortunately, with the availability of the telephone, fax, the Internet, email, and FedEx, automotive consumers can now buy cars without setting foot in a dealer’s showroom — and stay in control of the process. It’s done every day by smart car buyers.

You can do all your research about cars on the Internet. With web sites such as Edmunds.com, Cars.com, Yahoo Autos, Consumer Reports, and hundreds of car enthusiast forums, not to mention car manufacturers’ web sites and dealer web sites, you can find everything you need to know without setting foot in a dealer’s showroom.

You can find out what models are available, in what styles, in what colors, with what options, and at what safety and reliability ratings. On some sites, you can compare one model against others. You can find retail prices, invoice prices, True Market Value prices (Edmunds), available incentives, and find out what other people are paying on owner forums. 

You can get test-drive and reliability reports and ratings from Consumer Reports and other car magazine web sites. On many dealer web sites, you can even find out what car models and styles/colors are available in inventory. You can also find online car loan calculators to compute monthly payments — and even shop for car loans online (you don’t have to use a dealer’s loan sources).

When you know exactly the car you want, contact local dealers and ask for price quotes. You can do it through the Internet via price request forms, via email, fax, or simply call the dealer and ask for their Internet sales department. By dealing with the Internet sales department you usually skip the on-floor commissioned sales staff with their heavy-handed sales tactics.

Tell the dealer exactly what you want and the price you want — or simply request his best quote. Of course, you should have already done your pricing homework and know about what you should have to pay. Unless you want to get into a long negotiating battle over the phone or via email, you should make your price expectations reasonable. If the dealer sees that you are low-balling with unreasonable price requests, you won’t get much respect from that point on.  However, if you work with more than one dealer, you will have the luxury of multiple price quotes that you can choose from.

Once you and a dealer have settled on a price, you could go down and look at the car, test drive it, sign the papers and drive away. Or you can ask the dealer to deliver the car to you at work or home, where you can inspect and drive it.

If you decide to go to the dealer to sign papers, be aware that you’ll be talking to the Finance and Insurance (F&I) manager, whose job is to not only work up the papers for your purchase  but to also try to persuade you to buy “extra profit” items such as security devices, paint protectant, credit insurance, and extended warranties. You won’t need most of this stuff.

In summary, by avoiding a dealer’s showroom, you can take control of your new-car purchases and save money. It’s a little extra work but you’ll be glad you did it.

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Nissan

There are customer rebates, low-interest loans, 0% loans, and a few good lease deals. The lease deals are genuinely good deals except that only a few models and styles have the deals. So, if you like the model/stye being promoted, you can get an excellent car lease without further negotiations.

All the current Nissan deals end on 2/1/2010.

Here are some examples of the new Nissan deals:

2010 Nissan Altima – $1000 rebate, or 1.9% APR loan for 12/24/36/48/60 months — or a special lease deal on the 2.5S CVT sedan ($189 a month, 39 months, 12K miles per year, and $2889 due at signing) or a special lease deal on the 2.5S CVT coupe ($269 a month, 36 months, 12K miles per year, and $2999 due at signing).

2010 Nissan Pathfinder – $2500 rebate, or 0.9% APR loan rate for 12/24/36 months, 1.9% for 48/60 months — or a special lease deal on the Pathfinder S 4WD model ($329 a month, 39 months, 12k miles per year, $2999 due at signing)

2010 Nissan Versa – $750 rebate, or 1.9% APR loan for 12/24/36/48/60 months

2009 Nissan Versa – $1250 rebate, or 0% APR loan for 12/24/36 months, 1.9% for 48/60 months

2010 Nissan Sentra – $500 rebate, or 0.9% APR loan rate for 12/24/36/48/60 months — or a special lease deal on the Sentra 2.0 SR model ($149 a month, 39 months, 12 miles per year, $2449 due at signing)

2009 Nissan Rogue – $1250 rebate, or 1.9% for 12/24/36/48/60 months

There are similar deals on most other Nissan models. Special lease deals are available for certain models of the Nissan Rogue, Murano, Maxima, Frontier, Armada, and Cube (2009 model).

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

Ford’s

There are some decent customer rebates, but the best news are the zero percent loans on their new 2010 models. All the current deals expire on 2/1/2010.

As you probably know, you can’t take both a rebate and a low-interest loan. You have to choose one or the other.

Here are some of the current Ford deals. These are all on 2010 models except where noted.

Ford Edge – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Escape – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Expedition – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Explorer – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford F150 – $2000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 3.9% for 48 months, 4.9% for 60 months

2009 Ford F150 – $3000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months

Ford Flex – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 0.9% for 48 months, 1.9% for 60 months

Ford Focus – $1500 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 4.9% for 48 months, 5.9% for 60 months

Ford Fusion – $1000 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36 months, 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

Ford Mustang – $500 rebate, 0% APR loan rate for 36/48/60 months.

Ford Taurus – 0% APR loan rate for 36months. 2.9% for 48 months, 3.9% for 60 months

You can get free dealer 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.

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.