What’s the Best New-Car Deal for November 2021?

As the year draws to an end, the vehicle inventory shortage shows no signs of following suit. Due to the tight supply from ongoing production challenges, vehicle inventory is as fleeting as the remaining weeks of 2021. According to J.D. Power’s October report, nearly 54% of vehicles are sold within 10 days of arriving at a dealership. Shoppers able to snag a vehicle will likely pay more for the purchase, too: The average new-vehicle transaction price was expected to reach a record high of $43,999 in October. Contributing to the high average prices are reduced manufacturer incentives, which have sunk to a record low of $1,628 — 3.7% of average vehicle MSRP and 4.7 percentage points less than the same period a year ago.

Related: How Long Will the Vehicle Inventory Shortage Last?

But shoppers looking to buy a new vehicle aren’t completely out of luck, especially if they have a car to trade in. J.D. Power reports that the average trade-in value was trending up to $8,738 — a 70% increase from the previous year.

Along with offsetting some of the premium with a trade-in, shoppers can choose from the popular SUV and pickup truck models below that come with the most generous incentives for November. Read on for the details.

Chevrolet Equinox

• Factory discount: $3,000, excluding base trim
• Approximate price after savings: $25,500 to $43,500
• Approximate factory savings: 7-11%
• Offer ends: Nov. 30

Chevy’s compact SUV gets a styling refresh and some new tech features for 2022, but shoppers who are able to get their hands on the current 2021 Equinox will find the most fruitful savings this month. The 2021 models make up nearly 60% of inventory among Cars.com dealers, and all trims excluding the base L model (which is all but nonexistent in Cars.com inventory at the time of this writing) are eligible for the deal. Creditworthy shoppers who finance with Chevy’s parent company, GM, can swap the cash-back offer for 0% financing for 72 months on 2021 or 2022 models. All such offers are available through Nov. 30.

Ford Escape

• Factory discount: $1,000
• Approximate price after savings: $26,000 to $43,500
• Approximate factory savings: 2-4%
• Offer ends: Jan 3, 2022

The 2021 Escape makes its comeback as a top deal for November after landing on the roster in October. The Blue Oval’s compact SUV offers the choice of a gas-only, hybrid or plug-in hybrid engine across its SE, SEL and Titanium trims. All of these models, along with the gas-only base S trim, carry cash-back savings of $1,000 in most areas we surveyed. The 2022 Escape is not yet available, but the 2021 model makes up 95% of Cars.com new-vehicle inventory as of this writing. Shoppers who choose to finance with Ford can do so at 0% for 60 months along with $1,000 in bonus cash (excluding the PHEV in some markets we surveyed), or they can choose a 3.9% rate for 84 months in place of the cash offers. The financing and cash offers are valid through Jan. 3, 2022.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

• Factory discount: $2,000 to $2,750, excluding SRT and Trackhawk
• Approximate price after savings: $34,500-$72,500
• Approximate factory savings: 3-7%
• Offer ends: Nov. 30

Redesigned for 2022, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is expected to arrive before year’s end, but it’s the current 2021 Grand Cherokee that brings the savings this month. Another regular in our lineup of monthly best deals, the off-road-ready Grand Cherokee offers more space for families than the preceding compact SUVs on this list. It also offers between $2,000 and $2,750 in cash savings through the end of the month for most markets we surveyed. Excluded from this deal are the performance-oriented SRT and Trackhawk, as well as the stand-alone Grand Cherokee L, which packs three rows of seats. As the 2022 Grand Cherokee is not yet on sale, the 2021 model makes up nearly all of Cars.com’s new inventory for the SUV. Alternately, shoppers who finance through Jeep parent Stellantis can score a rate of 0% for 72 months, plus regional cash-back savings of up to $3,000 in the regions we surveyed. Each of the offers extends through Nov. 30.

Editor’s Choice: Ram 1500 Big Horn/Lone Star

• Factory discount: $1,500 to $4,000
• Approximate price after savings: $35,000-$74,000
• Approximate factory savings: 2-10%
• Offer ends: Nov. 30

The 2021 Ram 1500 returns as Editor’s Choice for November thanks to its smooth ride, spacious interior and user-friendly multimedia system. The updated 2022 Ram 1500 is on sale now, but the 2021 Big Horn and Texas-exclusive Lone Star models are hauling the most robust savings this month — $1,500 to $4,000 depending on the region. The 2021 variants of the Big Horn and Lone Star account for nearly 45% of Cars.com inventory among new trucks. Shoppers who finance with Ram parent Stellantis can trade the stand-alone cash offers for either 0% financing for 72 or 84 months, or 0% for 48 months with up to $2,500 in bonus cash. All cash and financing offers are valid through Nov 30.

More From Cars.com:

• What’s New for Ram for 2021?
• How to Get the Best Offer for Your Trade-In
• Car Shoppers Face Shorter Supply, Rising Prices
• How to Buy a Car Online During COVID-19
• Inventory Pinch: 25 Models Still Out There

How We Look for Deals

To help car shoppers find the best deals for November, 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, 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.