Cars With the Biggest Hidden Rebates
There's one incentive that's not advertised to consumers, and it's often the best incentive out there. It's called a "hidden rebate" or factory-to-dealer cash.
The manufacturer offers the hidden rebate to dealers as a way of helping them sell or lease cars.
The rebate is not offered on all makes and models - it might be offered one month, and not another, and the amount can vary widely, depending on how badly the manufacturer wants to help sell a particular model vehicle.
Dealers can use marketing support money almost any way they want if it helps sell cars. However, most if not all is given to customers as a price discount. When a dealer kicks in this discount, customers can walk away with a terrific deal. This is one way dealers can sell cars at "below invoice price."
Right now, here are the best hidden rebates available to dealers:
- 2010 BMW M6, 6-Series, X3 - $4000-$12,500
- 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser, Sebring - $1000
- 2010 Jeep Wrangler - $750
- 2011 Cadillac CTS, DTS, STS - $3500
- 2011 Cadillac Escalade - $2000
- 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, Corvette, HHR, Impala - up to $4000
- 2010 Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, HHR, Impala - up to $5000
- 2010 Pontiac Vibe - $3000
- 2010 Acura RL, TL, ZDX - $2000-$4000
- 2010 Honda Odyssey, Ridgeline, Civic Hybrid - $1500
- 2010 Honda Accord, Crosstour, Civic, Insight - up to $1200
- 2011 Mazda Tribute - $1500
- 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata, RX-8, Tribute - $3000-$3500
- 2010 Mazda CX-7, CX-9, Mazda5, Mazda6 - $1500-$2000
- 2010 Mercedes CL, CLS, R-Class, S-Class, SLK - up to $10,000
- 2010 Mercedes C-Class, E-Class, GL, GLK, M-Class - $1500-$5000
- 2010 Saab 9-5 - $2000
- 2010 Subaru Impreza - $1000
- 2011 Toyota Camry - $1500
- 2010 Toyota Tundra - $4000
- 2010 Toyota Avalon, Camry - $2000
- 2010 Toyota Corolla, Highlander, RAV4 - $1500
- 2010 Volvo C70, S80, V70, XC70, XC90 - $1000-$5500
- 2010 Volvo C30, S40, V50, XC60 - $1000-$1500
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, Edmunds Price Promise, and 1-800 Car Show are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.California Residents - Important:
There is a new online car buying service called Roadster, available only to California residents, which I highly recommend you try - especially if you hate the stress of haggling with a car salesman. They provide an expert concierge who negotiates the price of the car and delivers it to your home with zero hassle - you never have to interact with a dealership. Here is my in-depth review of Roadster and why I recommend it.- Gregg Fidan
About: Gregg Fidan
Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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