Wheel Deal: Don't Discount Incentives
From July 2006
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By Art Garcia
What’s more annoying on TV than ads for car dealers? Hardly anything competes with cranked-up volume, breathless shouting, a bulldog with steer horns or a striking young specimen pitching “the best deal in town.”
Turns out there are good deals these days, especially for new vehicles, thanks to the continuation of manufacturer incentives. But how do consumers know which plan works best for them? Should they take the zero percent or low annual-percentage-rate financing? Go for a cash rebate that can be applied against the sales price or used as part or all of a down payment? Just drive away with the cash?
What about those who need heavy-duty transportation, especially with gas prices busting through the $3 a gallon mark? Here’s where incentives really go to work for buyers looking for a workhorse large SUV or truck.
Big SUVs continued to have the highest average incentives in April, at $4,925 per vehicle sold, says Edmunds.com, an online resource for auto manufacturer information based in Santa Monica, Calif.
Big Trucks v. Sports Cars
The April 2006 incentive for large trucks was $3,613. Sports cars had the lowest average incentives at $765 per vehicle sold, followed by compact cars at $948.
Continued...
What’s more annoying on TV than ads for car dealers? Hardly anything competes with cranked-up volume, breathless shouting, a bulldog with steer horns or a striking young specimen pitching “the best deal in town.”
Turns out there are good deals these days, especially for new vehicles, thanks to the continuation of manufacturer incentives. But how do consumers know which plan works best for them? Should they take the zero percent or low annual-percentage-rate financing? Go for a cash rebate that can be applied against the sales price or used as part or all of a down payment? Just drive away with the cash?
What about those who need heavy-duty transportation, especially with gas prices busting through the $3 a gallon mark? Here’s where incentives really go to work for buyers looking for a workhorse large SUV or truck.
Big SUVs continued to have the highest average incentives in April, at $4,925 per vehicle sold, says Edmunds.com, an online resource for auto manufacturer information based in Santa Monica, Calif.
Big Trucks v. Sports Cars
The April 2006 incentive for large trucks was $3,613. Sports cars had the lowest average incentives at $765 per vehicle sold, followed by compact cars at $948.
Continued...
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