Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates
Hidden rebates, also known as "dealer cash", are rebates given to dealers by the manufacturer whenever they sell or lease a certain model. They're very similar to customer
cash-back rebates, but instead of YOU getting the rebate, the dealer gets to keep it - all while remaining hidden from the car buyer.
The purpose of hidden dealer rebates is to help vehicles sell or lease faster without the stigma of large discounts. In theory, dealers will pass the hidden bonus to consumers
through a lower purchase price, but if you don't take the time to comparison shop multiple dealers, you may never get the discount.
Hidden rebates are difficult to figure out because they're not published anywhere - only dealers know about them. However, I've been doing a lot of data analysis on incentives and pricing, and by combining a few of my data sources, I think I may have uncovered some of these hidden incentives - I've done my best to be as accurate as possible, but....
Please note this information is highly experimental and may be inaccurate, or may not be available in your region. Furthermore, some of these hidden rebates may only be available if you lease the vehicle versus buying it. This should not be considered a comprehensive list - there are probably models that offer hidden rebates which are not listed here, and models listed here with hidden rebates only available in very select regions.
What these hidden rebates suggest is that you may be able to negotiate the hidden rebate amount off MSRP as a minimum, and perhaps be able to negotiate the full hidden rebate off Invoice Price (again, some of these hidden rebates may only be available if you lease).
As always, I recommend using TrueCar No Haggle and CarsDirect to quickly see what kind of deals you can get on these vehicles in your region.
Largest Potential Hidden Rebates Right Now
| Rank | Vehicle | MSRP | Hidden Rebate (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 BMW 7 Series | $89,495 | $2,700 |
| 2 | 2023 BMW 8 Series | $88,445 | $2,700 |
| 3 | 2021 Mercedes AMG GT | $90,950 | $2,600 |
| 4 | 2022 BMW 8 Series | $86,745 | $2,600 |
| 5 | 2022 Kia Sorento | $46,445 | $2,000 |
| 6 | 2022 Kia Niro | $30,845 | $1,800 |
| 7 | 2022 Mercedes CLS | $76,300 | $1,600 |
| 8 | 2021 Mercedes CLS | $73,650 | $1,600 |
| 9 | 2021 Mercedes E-Class | $55,300 | $1,400 |
| 10 | 2022 Mercedes E-Class | $56,000 | $1,400 |
| 11 | 2021 Mercedes C-Class | $44,150 | $1,300 |
| 12 | 2022 Kia Stinger | $37,395 | $1,300 |
| 13 | 2021 Mercedes GLC Coupe | $65,950 | $1,300 |
| 14 | 2022 Mercedes C-Class | $68,050 | $1,200 |
| 15 | 2021 Mercedes A-Class | $47,700 | $1,200 |
| 16 | 2021 Mercedes GLE | $73,400 | $1,200 |
| 17 | 2021 Mercedes GLB | $40,850 | $1,200 |
| 18 | 2022 BMW 5 Series | $59,545 | $1,200 |
| 19 | 2022 BMW 3 Series | $57,445 | $1,200 |
| 20 | 2021 Mercedes CLA | $40,100 | $1,100 |
| 21 | 2022 Mercedes CLA | $41,000 | $1,100 |
| 22 | 2021 Mercedes GLC | $44,885 | $1,000 |
| 23 | 2021 Mercedes GLS | $77,050 | $1,000 |
| 24 | 2023 BMW 4 Series | $50,720 | $1,000 |
| 25 | 2022 BMW 2 Series | $50,795 | $1,000 |
| 26 | 2022 BMW 4 Series | $50,345 | $1,000 |
| 27 | 2022 Honda Pilot | $42,755 | $1,000 |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
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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