NEWS
CARS.COM — New-car sales took something of a bath in May, and June brings plenty of deals. Our survey of customer incentives found deals on a range of body styles: sedans, hybrids, SUVs and even a sports car.
Related: Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: May 2016
Certain cars we highlighted in previous months remain deal-worthy: The Dodge Dart, Ford Fiesta or Hyundai Sonata should still have substantial discounts. Here are some new ones we found:
How much can I save? From $500 to $3,000 if you buy a 2016 model. Those are the cash incentives Dodge offers on its iconic muscle car until July 5. The current generation has been around longer than its Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro rivals, but with a big Hemi V-8, it ain’t half bad.
What about discount financing? Automotive News doesn’t list any discount financing offers on the Challenger, but check with your dealer for specifics.
Are there deals on the Mustang and Camaro, too? Yes, but they’re nowhere near the Challenger’s. The Mustang’s discounts top out at $900 — and that’s for a 2015 model — while the redesigned Camaro only has a discount financing offer, per Automotive News. Crash tests are mixed for all three cars, and the Challenger has a dismal reliability history. But if you’re looking for a deal on a muscle car in time for summer, Dodge has it.
Didn’t you guys take the Challenger Hellcat to the drag strip? Oh yeah, baby. But this is about discounts.
How much can I save? Lots. Journey sales sank 30.4 percent in May, and Dodge now offers $500 to $3,250 in cash rebates on the midsize SUV until July 5. Dealers should be motivated to move the metal; in May, it averaged an eternal 148 days to sell.
What about discount financing? Rates run from zero percent to 5.9 percent, according to Automotive News.
Wait, I thought you guys didn’t like the Journey. We take issue with its drivability, and its crash-test and reliability data are also concerning. But this list highlights deals, not necessarily recommendations. The Journey has its share of bugaboos, but even at full price it’s a value proposition for SUV shoppers. Throw in these discounts, and it could be a steal of a deal.
How much can I save? For certain versions, a ton. Fusion sales fell 21.5 percent in May, and Ford now has cash discounts from $500 to $1,450 off the 2016 sedan until July 5. Amid low gas prices, the Fusion Hybrid has as much as $3,000 off, while the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid goes up to $4,000. Hunt around, and you should be able to find both: The Hybrid and Energi combined for about 18 percent of new-Fusion inventory on Cars.com as of June 7.
What about the refreshed 2017 Fusion? It’s ramping up at dealerships, accounting for roughly 19 percent of new-Fusion inventory as of June 7. As you might expect, the deals are lower: Ford offers $250 to $500 in rebates on the 2017 sedan.
What about discount financing? Ford also offers discount financing from zero to 2.9 percent on the 2016 Fusion and zero to 8.9 percent on the 2017, according to Automotive News.
Does this mean I’d have to deal with MyFord Touch? Not in the worst sense. Ford quietly replaced MyFord Touch’s aggravating touch-sensitive climate and stereo controls with real buttons a year ago, so, at minimum, you’ll be free of those. If you buy a 2017 Fusion, MFT’s lag-prone touch-screen is also gone, replaced with Ford’s new — and more streamlined — Sync 3 system.
How much can I save? A decent amount. Prius sales, including all variants of the hybrid, tumbled 36 percent in May as the Prius v averaged 70 days for dealers to sell — nearly a week past May’s 65-day average for 2016 and 2017 models. Toyota has extended May’s $1,500 in customer rebates for the 2016 Prius v until July 5.
What about discount financing? Automotive News didn’t list any discount financing offers for the Prius, but check with your local dealer for specifics.
What about other variations? The regular Prius, which Toyota recently redesigned, also has a $1,500 discount despite averaging just 38 days on dealer lots in May. The pint-sized Prius c, meanwhile, has just $500 in discounts.
Why would I buy a Prius v when gas is so cheap? Because gas prices are starting to creep back up, and the Prius v offers more than just fuel efficiency. It has nearly as much maximum cargo space as a RAV4 SUV, with good crash-test ratings and excellent reliability to boot.
To look for June deals, we considered sales in May among the top 100 best-selling cars, looking specifically at models that fared worse than the industry’s 6.1 percent overall drop. We also looked at days-to-turn data, which measures how long it takes on average for dealers to sell a given car. Both factors illustrate May’s slow sellers — cars on which dealers could be more willing to cut a deal.
Finally, we looked at customer incentives, including cash discounts and low-interest-rate financing offers that are especially high for the price of the car. (After all, $2,000 is a lot more on a Ford Focus than a Ford Explorer.)
Sales and incentives data come from Automotive News, while days-to-turn data come from J.D. Power and Associates. Remember, our numbers are national in scope, and discount financing typically requires qualifying credit. Incentives may vary by region, so check with your local dealer for specifics.
