What’s the Best New-Car Deal for Labor Day 2023?

Labor Day is supposed to be a weekend for the worker to relax, but the extra day off for many (and consequent unofficial bookend to summer) has evolved over the decades into a frenzy for car buyers and sellers alike. Few things feel like work more than doing research on a new vehicle, but if you’re in the market and interested purely in getting a good deal this weekend, you’re in the right place: We’ve found the month’s best cash-back offers below.

Related: What’s the Best New-Car Deal for August 2023?

In addition to the deals linked above in our main story on incentives for the month on a whole, below are three vehicles whose cash offers extend through the Labor Day weekend. Read on for details, one of which comes with a significant caveat.

2023 Chevrolet Equinox

• Factory discount: $1,250
• Approximate price after savings: $27,000-$43,500
• Approximate factory savings: 3%-4%
• Offer ends: Sept. 5

Those in the market for a new example of Chevrolet’s Equinox compact SUV should note that very little has changed for the 2024 model year, so any 2023 models still hanging around dealer lots might be worth your investigation considering the Bow-Tie brand is offering $1,250 off all four trims in the regions we surveyed. That amounts to as much as 4% off on a base LS trim and even 3% off a fully loaded all-wheel-drive Premier, which doesn’t sound like much until you take a look around at what scant other deals there are with no strings attached. Alternately, shoppers who qualify can get 1.9% financing for 36 months. Both offers extend through Monday.

2023 Dodge Charger

• Factory discount: $2,000-$3,750
• Approximate price after savings: $32,000-$55,000
• Approximate factory savings: 4%-10%
• Offer ends: Sept. 5

It wouldn’t be a deals story without a Stellantis product, and such remains the case for Labor Day, where Dodge gets in on the act with its outgoing Charger (at least for now) sedan. Through the end of the holiday weekend, Dodge is offering up to $3,750 cash back on its volume SXT, GT and R/T trims in the regions we surveyed (though given the Charger’s limited future in its current incarnation, we’d expect deals on the car to hold until dealer inventory has been cleaned out). Alternately, qualified shoppers can find 6.9% financing for up to 72 months with the same expiration date applied.

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

• Factory discount: $2,500
• Approximate price after savings: $27,500-$44,000
• Approximate factory savings: 5%-8%
• Offer ends: Sept. 5

In our explanation below of how we look for deals, we explain that we lead with cash offers available to all shoppers that don’t require financing with the automaker — but we’d be remiss in not mentioning one of the best deals of the month from Hyundai for its popular (and nearly perfect) Santa Fe compact SUV, which Hyundai is likely pushing in order to clear out inventory ahead of a radical 2024 redesign. The automaker is currently offering $2,500 off all five of the Santa Fe’s trims in most regions we surveyed, equating to savings of up to 8%. Alternately, qualified shoppers can get financing of 3.29% for up to 60 months with an additional $1,000 off in most regions we surveyed. The only catch: None of these deals are available via independent financing. You’ll have to go through Hyundai if you want to benefit from them. In all cases, however, the offers end Sept. 5.

How We Look for Deals

To help car shoppers find the best deals for Labor Day, we lead with cash offers available to shoppers at large, not those that require financing with the automaker or having certain qualifications (e.g., military or college-graduate discounts, loyalty or conquest bonuses, etc.). In calculating the overall percentage discount and pricing after incentives, we focus on the vehicle’s price range from the cheapest incentives-eligible trim level with no factory options to the priciest eligible trim with all factory options. We include the destination charge in such pricing, but we exclude a few other items: taxes and fees, which vary considerably by region, and dealer accessories, which vary considerably by automaker.

Because these are factory discounts, they should be available to all participating dealers. As such, use them as the starting point for negotiations, not a reason to skip haggling altogether.

Incentives data come from automakers’ websites. 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.

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