What Are the Best New-Car Deals for March 2017?
CARS.COM — March hasn’t seen the incentives sizzle of late-summer months in recent years, but it’s seen an early-year bloom — if slight — in deals for the past five years in a row, according to Autodata Corp. Incentives have crept ever higher for the past two years, and opportunities to save are in strong supply for March. Of course, car shopping would require you to skip March Madness for a few hours, but, hey, your bracket was going to bust at some point anyway.
Related: Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: February 2017
Which cars have big discounts? We found a few:
Ford Fusion
How much can I save? Lots. Fusion sales plummeted 35.1 percent in February as non-hybrid 2017 models averaged 70 days on dealer lots — well past the 50-day average for all 2017s. Now Ford offers $250 to $2,750 in cash incentives on the Fusion, according to Automotive News. Qualified shoppers can get discount financing as low as zero percent, too. But you should act fast, because the deals in some regions expire March 15.
Are there discounts on the new Fusion Sport, too? You bet. We searched five ZIP codes, and cash rebates on the 325-horsepower Fusion Sport top out at $2,000. That’s proportionately less because of the Sport’s mid-$30,000s starting price, but it’s nothing to sneeze at. Read the fine print, though: In certain regions, the discounts require you to finance through Ford’s credit arm.
Doesn’t 325 hp seem a bit much for a family sedan? No way. The Fusion Sport is a riot. And this is America, the land of gyrating NFL robots and four “Avatar” sequels. A 325-hp Fusion is the least of your worries. Besides, the Fusion is from Mexico and James Cameron is from Canada. So there.
Nissan Altima
How much can I save? More than 10 percent, if you buy a lower trim level. Altima sales slid 6.3 percent in February as the sedan averaged 75 days on lots. This month, Nissan offers cash discounts of $2,250 to $3,000 on the Altima through March 31.
What about discount financing? Qualified shoppers can get rates as low as zero percent.
But when you compared family sedans in 2016, the Altima placed last. Like, out of nine cars. Yes, it has some issues. But you can save a lot of money. This list is about the deals, remember? Besides, if you want a car that won a comparison yet also has discounts, well, read on.
Nissan Murano
How much can I save? Between $2,250 and $3,000. That’s what Nissan is offering in cash rebates through the end of the month on the Murano, an SUV whose sales fell 25.2 percent in February versus a breakneck year-ago month. The Murano averaged 44 days on dealer lots last month, which is just under average, but it’s an SUV — which is what everyone and their mother, uncle and Facebook besties are buying these days — plus it topped rival mid-size SUVs in a Cars.com comparison last year.
What about discount financing? FICO studs can score rates as low as zero percent.
Does the Murano come in one of Nissan’s new Midnight Editions? Yes, if that’s your thing. If you want the look so you can stand out, though, we hate to break it to you: Everyone’s doing these.
The Returnees
We focus on cars new to the list or ones we haven’t highlighted in the past few months. But many cars from recent months still have high discounts in March:
How We Look for Deals
To look for March deals, we considered sales in February among the top 100 best-selling cars, specifically eyeing models whose sales underperformed the market. 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 March’s slow sellers, cars on which dealers could be more willing to cut a deal.
Finally, we looked at factory 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 and automakers’ websites, while days-to-turn data come from J.D. Power and Associates. Remember, our numbers are national in scope and reflect advertised customer discounts, not unadvertised factory-to-dealer cash. Discount financing typically requires qualifying credit, too, and incentives may vary by region and trim level. In sum: Your discounts may vary, so check with your local dealer for specifics.
