Car Incentives Down for New Cars
So, I have some good news and some bad news.
The good news is mainly for car manufacturers and dealers:
January was a very strong sales month. According to an article on The
Truth About Cars, GM and Ford both surprised analysts with
16% and 22% increases respectively, while Toyota also saw a large
increase of 26.6%. Other companies also faired very well in January,
such as Chrysler with a 16% jump, and Honda with a 13% increase.
Now for a bit of bad news - car incentives are declining. According to TrueCar.com,
the average incentive for passenger vehicles was $2,274 in January
2013, a decline of $206 (8.3%) from January 2012, and a decrease of
$317 (12.2%) from December 2012.
But not to worry, although the industry overall has been reducing
incentives, that doesn't mean you can't get a great deal on the car you
want. When you're ready to negotiate, I recommend turning to
the RydeShopper to find the very best deals on any new
vehicle.
Incentives Comparison
| Vehicle | Jan 2013 | Dec 2012 | Jan 2012 | % Change Jan 2012 to Jan 2013 | % Change Dec 2012 to Jan 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) | $2,973 | $3,102 | $3,160 | -5.9% | -4.2% |
| Ford (Ford, Lincoln) | $2,643 | $2,792 | $2,886 | -8.4% | -5.3% |
| GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) | $3,150 | $3,522 | $3,071 | 2.6% | -10.6% |
| Honda (Acura, Honda) | $1,194 | $1,657 | $2,127 | -43.9% | -27.9% |
| Hyundai/Kia | $1,243 | $1,477 | $1,198 | 3.7% | -15.8% |
| Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) | $2,084 | $2,629 | $2,764 | -24.6% | -20.7% |
| Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) | $1,660 | $1,930 | $1,717 | -3.3% | -14.0% |
| Volkswagen (Audi, Volkswagen) | $2,276 | $2,385 | $2,171 | 4.8% | -4.6% |
| Industry | $2,274 | $2,591 | $2,481 | -8.3% | -12.2% |
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and Ryde Shopper 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.- 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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