What’s the Best New-Car Deal for July 2019?

We know we’re nearly halfway through the month already and just now reporting July’s best car deals — but it’s not due to typing difficulties resulting from Independence Day mishaps involving fireworks and fingers. (We emerged unscathed, we’re happy to report.) It’s because many automakers extended earlier discounts into the weekend after the Fourth, so programs for the balance of the month didn’t show up until the week of July 8.

Related: How to Use New-Car Incentives, Rebates and Finance Deals

What about the outlook for deals at large? It’s mixed. Although July as a whole ranks historically mid-pack for new-car incentives, per Motor Intelligence, discount seekers could see an uptick. Amid tapering sales in 2019, incentives have begun to rise in recent weeks. Motor Intelligence pegged them at $3,826 per vehicle in June, which is up 1.1 percent versus the year-ago month. That breaks a nine-month streak of year-over-year declines.

Which deals demand a look? In a word (or two, rather): pickup trucks. See our highlights below.

Chevrolet Colorado

How much can I save? From $1,750 to around $3,500, depending on the specifics. Colorado sales fell 42.1 percent in June, by Automotive News’ estimate (per GM’s quarterly, not monthly, sales). That’s versus a slammin’ year-ago month, by the newspaper’s estimate, but 2019 model-year examples of the Colorado still averaged 72 days on dealer lots in June — a few ticks beyond the month’s nice 69-day average for all 2019 models. Now through July 31, Chevrolet is offering $1,750 off all 2019 model-year Colorado trims except the base model, plus variable price reductions based on the example at hand. In the brand’s advertised car, a Colorado ZR2 priced well over $40,000, the price reduction amounted to another $1,759 off, or about 8 percent off in total. Atop this, current GM-vehicle owners can get another $1,000 off.

What about discount financing? Chevrolet had no advertised incentives as of this writing, so you’ll have to contend with ordinary financing rates.

Have you tested the new ZR2 Bison? You bet. Read all about it on our sister site, PickupTrucks.com.

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

How much can I save? If you want the extended cab, a ton. Despite a recent redesign of its 1500 variant, Automotive News estimates total Silverado sales fell 11.8 percent in June. For the 2019 model year, the redesigned Silverado 1500 averaged 75 days on dealer lots, while the 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty grades averaged 83 and 87 days, respectively. Now through July 31, Chevrolet is advertising a whopping 20 percent off MSRP on the Silverado 1500 double cab, an extended-cab configuration with four doors that falls between the regular cab and crew cab. That double cab accounts for more than a third of model-year 2019 Silverado 1500s in Cars.com’s inventory, so examples should be reasonably easy to find.

What about discount financing? On certain trim levels of the double cab and crew cab, qualified shoppers can get zero percent financing for up to 72 months.

Any deals on the prior-generation Silverado 1500? Chevrolet carried that into the 2019 model year as the Silverado 1500 LD, which comes only in double-cab configuration. Through July 31, it’s eligible for $3,500 cash back or zero percent financing for up to 84 months. Dealers might not budge much more than that, however, as the LD averaged a faster 66 days to turn in June.

When does the redesigned Silverado HD hit dealers? The redesigned Silverado 2500 and 3500, both 2020 models, are trickling into dealers as you read this. Chevrolet advertised no incentives for the redesigned Silverado HD as of this writing, but the brand is offering $2,500 off the outgoing (2019) Silverado 2500 and 3500. Finance with parent company GM and you can get far more than that, with total discounts knocking 10 percent off MSRP. All offers expire July 31.

Kia Soul

How much can I save? Enough to make you feel like you’re getting a deal on a pickup truck. With a redesigned 2020 Soul making its way onto lots now, dealers are looking to make space by offloading 2019 models. Through July 31, Kia is offering $2,000 off the outgoing version, which equates to more than 11 percent off some trims.

What about discount financing? Through the end of the month, the brand is offering qualified shoppers zero percent financing for up to 48 months.

Why would I buy this when I could just get a 2020 Soul? While it’s true that we found a lot to like about the latest generation, the 2019 Soul has highlights that include a relatively quality interior, a selection of powertrains to choose from and some nice available upscale (or at least, upper-scale) features like a panoramic moonroof and heated steering wheel. But if you’ve made it this far and affordability isn’t your main motivation in car shopping, well then: Hi, mom!

Editor’s Choice: Nissan Altima

How much can I save? More than 10 percent if you finance with Nissan. Despite its recent redesign, the Altima plunged 38.6 percent in June as 2019 model-year examples averaged 73 days on dealer lots. Now through month’s end, Nissan is offering $2,500 to $3,000 off the sedan, depending on region and, in some cases, trim level. In some areas, those who finance with Nissan can get another $500.

What about discount financing? Qualified shoppers can get zero percent financing for 36 months plus — and here’s the kicker — $2,000 to $3,500, depending on region and trim level. If you have sufficient credit, that’s quite a deal.

But the Altima lost to the Honda Accord in a recent Cars.com comparison. Yes, but it beat out the third-place Toyota Camry. Frankly, all three cars ranked mighty close to each other; had we tested the whole field of mid-size sedans, it’s likely the Altima would fare relatively well.

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• How to Win the Car Financing Game

• Understanding Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
• Glossary of Car Leasing Terms
• We Bought a Genesis G70: Here’s What We Paid

The Returnees

We focus on cars new to the list or ones we haven’t highlighted in the past few months. But a few cars from recent months still have deep discounts in July:

• Chevrolet Cruze
• Ford Escape
• Jeep Cherokee
• Nissan Rogue

How We Look for Deals

To look for July deals, we considered year-to-date sales among the top 100 best-selling cars, specifically eyeing models whose sales underperformed the market in June. We also looked at days-to-turn data from June, which measures how long it takes on average for dealers to sell a given car. Both factors illustrate June’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, $3,000 is a lot more on a Ford Escape than a Ford Expedition.

Sales and incentives data come from Automotive News and automakers’ websites, while days-to-turn data come from Cars.com inventory. Remember, our numbers are current as of publication for the markets we survey (generally Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York). They 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; automakers may also change them later in the month. In sum: Your discounts may vary, so check with your local dealer for specifics.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.