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

With September moving past the traditional season’s end of Labor Day weekend car shopping, 2023 has started the march toward its conclusion. So far, at least, there are no signs of slowing on the selling front, so consumer demand remains — but as it’s been for most of the year, that hasn’t translated to much in the way of incentives on the ground for said consumers.

Related: Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now

J.D. Power’s latest sales forecast projected there’d be a 10% year-over-year increase from August 2022 to August 2023, but transaction prices are only down 1.2% and on a whole, shoppers have spent nearly 11% more in August than they did during the same period in 2022. That’s with rising inventory levels and dealers still selling nearly 30% of vehicles above MSRP. None of it leaves much room for shoppers to haggle, though the firm indicates things are slowly loosening up.

As a result, we’ve done the legwork and found four of the best offers on the market for the month. If you’re looking to save and just want to see money off your out-the-door price, have a gander at the four vehicles below.

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

• Factory discount: $2,000-$3,000
• Approximate price after savings: $28,000-$44,500
• Approximate factory savings: 4%-9%
• Offer ends: Oct. 2

As it was with our deals story for the Labor Day weekend, so it is in September: The best of those not listed below comes with the enormous caveat that it requires financing through Hyundai, which would normally discount it from our consideration … except that the Santa Fe is Hyundai’s third most popular vehicle by volume through August, and in a competitive field of compact SUVs, we’ve deemed the 2023 model practically perfect. Now through Oct. 2, you can find savings of $2,000 (or $3,000 on the SEL) in all regions we surveyed; that equates to anywhere from 4% to 9% off. Alternatively, financing is available for 2.99% for up to 60 months and additional cash on top of that of $500 ($1,500 with the SEL).

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee

• Factory discount: $2,000-$5,500
• Approximate price after savings: $39,500-$76,000
• Approximate factory savings: 3%-11%
• Offer ends: Oct. 2

Jeep just can’t seem to help itself when it comes to discounting the Grand Cherokee SUV, and such case is no different for September. The brand is offering savings of anywhere from $2,000 to as much as $5,500, trim level and region depending. We also saw additional savings of $1,000 if you finance through Jeep parent Stellantis in a few regions. In lieu of cash-back offers, shoppers can also find financing options, though those vary widely by trim; we saw 2.9% for 36 months, 5.9% for 72 months and 7.96% for 60 months with an additional $2,000 off in the regions we surveyed. All offers expire Oct. 2.

2023 Ram 1500

• Factory discount: $4,000-$8,638
• Approximate price after savings: $36,000-$82,500
• Approximate factory savings: 5%-11%
• Offer ends: Oct. 2

Another regular to our monthly deals investigations is Ram’s half-ton full-size pickup truck, the 1500. Unlike some other months, however, cash-back offers can be found across the trim lineup, and we saw savings of anywhere from $4,000 to as much as 10% off higher-end trims that include the Laramie, Limited Longhorn and Limited in the regions we surveyed; the only exception to such cash offers is the desert-running TRX variant, but even that gets financing through Stellantis of 7.96% for 60 months. The remainder of the lineup features financing of 0%, 2.9% or 4.9% for 72 months in the regions we surveyed. All such offers also end Oct. 2.

Editor’s Choice: 2023 Jeep Compass

• Factory discount: $0-$5,099
• Approximate price after savings: $29,000-$45,000
• Approximate factory savings: 0%-15%
• Offer ends: Oct. 2

As with the other Stellantis vehicles on this list, the Compass is no stranger to monthly incentives, but it’s our Editor’s Choice for September because no other vehicle has such dramatic savings so widely available: In most regions we surveyed, cash back is available for $1,500 or shoppers can use an alternate discount of 10% across all trims except the base Sport — and even 15% on some trims (also excepting the Sport) in a few regions we surveyed. In lieu of such discounts, financing of either 1.9% for 36 months or 4.9% for 60 months (7.96% for 60 months on the Sport) is also available. As with the rest of these offers, those for the Compass expire Oct. 2.

How We Look for Deals

To help car shoppers find the best deals for September, 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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• Here Are the 10 Cheapest Pickup Trucks You Can Buy Right Now
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• Should I Buy a New or Used Car?
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