The Best Year-End Car Deals - No car dealer wants to carry last year's models into the new calendar year. So this is a great time to shop.
Want a great deal on a Mercedes? Now's the time to jump. This month the German carmaker is offering its dealers $10,000 in marketing support to help them clear out the last of the 2010 S-class sedans. If and when they pass that savings on to you, you can save a bundle on the outgoing model.
You'll pass up a couple of cool new safety features found on the 2011 model--lane departure warning and blind-spot detection--but the savings might be worth it to you. The base sticker price on the 2010 S550 is $91,600. Assuming you're a decent negotiator and the dealer is willing to pass on that $10,000 incentive, you can drive it home for well under $80,000.
The 2011-model S550, on the other hand, starts at $93,650. There's a $1,000 rebate if you trade in a BMW, Lexus, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover or Porsche. Or you can lease a higher-priced version of the S550 for $1,299 a month, with $6,500 due at signing.
2010 Mercedes-Benz S550
The end of the year is usually a great time to buy a car (provided you haven't already busted your holiday shopping budget). Most carmakers celebrate some kind of "year-end sales event," which is just a fancy name for a clearance sale.
No car dealer wants to carry last year's models into the new calendar year, lest their customers conclude they've got stale merchandise on the lot. This is especially true for luxury car dealers who know their customers are spending big money for a car and won't settle for leftovers. But if the changes on the newer models are relatively minor, you might be better off taking the deal on the 2010.
Slow-sellers will also often get a marketing boost at the end of the year. The Acura RL, at $46,830, is a nicely appointed, mid-sized luxury sedan packed with technology. But it's often overlooked by luxury car shoppers, so you can get some nice deals on it, especially this time of year. Now through Jan. 4, Acura is paying dealers $4,000 in marketing support for the 2010 RL, to subsidize their offers of 0.9% financing or a zero-money-down lease of $560 per month.
Or why not buy that cute little convertible you've been eyeing while the snow is flying, instead of waiting until spring, when demand is higher (and consequently, so are prices)? Mazda, for instance, is providing $3,500 cash support to dealers on its 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata in November. Most dealers will pass that on to their customers, knocking quite a bit off the $25,220 sticker price.
Pickup trucks are attractively priced across the board, but two in particular have good deals this season.
After seven years Nissan's Titan is looking a bit tired compared with pickups from Ford Motor, Chevrolet and Toyota. But it's still a very capable truck. It's priced at $34,270, but Nissan is currently offering a $5,500 rebate or 0% financing.
Chevy's Silverado pickup hasn't been updated since 2006, so it, too, has to offer generous incentives to stay up with the competition. GM is offering a $5,000 cash rebate, plus $1,000 bonus cash if you finance through Ally Bank, or 0% financing on the $31,290 Silverado now through Jan. 3.
Year-end markdowns are also useful to help carmakers that were overly optimistic about production earlier in the year get their inventory levels back in balance with seasonal demand. Next spring, when car sales tend to pick up, they'll boost production again. Carmakers usually like to keep about 60 days' worth of inventory on dealer lots. Once the supply creeps up to 75 or 100 days, you'll start seeing them slap more incentives on their models, especially this time of year.
Sales of Lexus' only dedicated hybrid, the $34,560 Lexus HS 250h compact sedan, are slower than earlier in the year. So Lexus is offering dealers $3,000 bonus cash to pass on to consumers, and even a $750 bonus to active U.S. military forces.
Occasionally you can even find a good deal on new-model-year vehicles, like the 2011 Buick Enclave, which starts at $35,615. General Motors is offering a $2,000 rebate, 0% financing or a $399-per-month lease, with $2,359 due at signing.
With prices and incentives changing so frequently, it's often tough to figure out the best deals. There are several websites, including kbb.com and truecar.com, that offer guidance on pricing and incentives. Edmunds.com has a nifty Deals of the Month feature on its site, comparing Edmunds' "total market value" feature (what people are paying in your area) to current manufacturers' suggested retail prices to come up with the best deals in seven vehicle categories. The deals are updated mid-month. ( forbes )
Want a great deal on a Mercedes? Now's the time to jump. This month the German carmaker is offering its dealers $10,000 in marketing support to help them clear out the last of the 2010 S-class sedans. If and when they pass that savings on to you, you can save a bundle on the outgoing model.
You'll pass up a couple of cool new safety features found on the 2011 model--lane departure warning and blind-spot detection--but the savings might be worth it to you. The base sticker price on the 2010 S550 is $91,600. Assuming you're a decent negotiator and the dealer is willing to pass on that $10,000 incentive, you can drive it home for well under $80,000.
The 2011-model S550, on the other hand, starts at $93,650. There's a $1,000 rebate if you trade in a BMW, Lexus, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover or Porsche. Or you can lease a higher-priced version of the S550 for $1,299 a month, with $6,500 due at signing.
2010 Mercedes-Benz S550
The end of the year is usually a great time to buy a car (provided you haven't already busted your holiday shopping budget). Most carmakers celebrate some kind of "year-end sales event," which is just a fancy name for a clearance sale.
No car dealer wants to carry last year's models into the new calendar year, lest their customers conclude they've got stale merchandise on the lot. This is especially true for luxury car dealers who know their customers are spending big money for a car and won't settle for leftovers. But if the changes on the newer models are relatively minor, you might be better off taking the deal on the 2010.
Slow-sellers will also often get a marketing boost at the end of the year. The Acura RL, at $46,830, is a nicely appointed, mid-sized luxury sedan packed with technology. But it's often overlooked by luxury car shoppers, so you can get some nice deals on it, especially this time of year. Now through Jan. 4, Acura is paying dealers $4,000 in marketing support for the 2010 RL, to subsidize their offers of 0.9% financing or a zero-money-down lease of $560 per month.
Or why not buy that cute little convertible you've been eyeing while the snow is flying, instead of waiting until spring, when demand is higher (and consequently, so are prices)? Mazda, for instance, is providing $3,500 cash support to dealers on its 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata in November. Most dealers will pass that on to their customers, knocking quite a bit off the $25,220 sticker price.
Pickup trucks are attractively priced across the board, but two in particular have good deals this season.
After seven years Nissan's Titan is looking a bit tired compared with pickups from Ford Motor, Chevrolet and Toyota. But it's still a very capable truck. It's priced at $34,270, but Nissan is currently offering a $5,500 rebate or 0% financing.
Chevy's Silverado pickup hasn't been updated since 2006, so it, too, has to offer generous incentives to stay up with the competition. GM is offering a $5,000 cash rebate, plus $1,000 bonus cash if you finance through Ally Bank, or 0% financing on the $31,290 Silverado now through Jan. 3.
Year-end markdowns are also useful to help carmakers that were overly optimistic about production earlier in the year get their inventory levels back in balance with seasonal demand. Next spring, when car sales tend to pick up, they'll boost production again. Carmakers usually like to keep about 60 days' worth of inventory on dealer lots. Once the supply creeps up to 75 or 100 days, you'll start seeing them slap more incentives on their models, especially this time of year.
Sales of Lexus' only dedicated hybrid, the $34,560 Lexus HS 250h compact sedan, are slower than earlier in the year. So Lexus is offering dealers $3,000 bonus cash to pass on to consumers, and even a $750 bonus to active U.S. military forces.
Occasionally you can even find a good deal on new-model-year vehicles, like the 2011 Buick Enclave, which starts at $35,615. General Motors is offering a $2,000 rebate, 0% financing or a $399-per-month lease, with $2,359 due at signing.
With prices and incentives changing so frequently, it's often tough to figure out the best deals. There are several websites, including kbb.com and truecar.com, that offer guidance on pricing and incentives. Edmunds.com has a nifty Deals of the Month feature on its site, comparing Edmunds' "total market value" feature (what people are paying in your area) to current manufacturers' suggested retail prices to come up with the best deals in seven vehicle categories. The deals are updated mid-month. ( forbes )
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