2012 Labor Day will find holiday car shoppers in a quandary.

New Cars holiday deals:

The remaining 2012 inventory is picked-over, with features and color selection very limited. Rebates on more gas intensive trucks and over-sized SUV’s run between $3000-$5000 2013 models are scarce, and the rebates, incentives or lease programs are VERY limited, however, some manufacturers have held residuals and money factors on 2012’s to make them go away, before offering any really good lease deals on 2013’s. Be prepared to find no dealer inventory on the 2013 most popular and highly ranked: MAZDA CX-5, Lexus GS350,  Porsche Boxster, Cayenne Diesel and 911,  Chevy VOLT, Toyota Prius C, Jeep Compass, AUDI Q5, A6 and VW Jetta TDI.

USED CARS, TRADE-INS:

I’ve been waiting to say this and finally I can, LUXURY used car prices are starting to fall at the auction as lease returns and rental vehicles start to show up.  WATCH your Luxury models in transition: BMW 3 series, Mercedes 300’s, Lexus ES and GS as these models have either had a body style change over or are about to get one, making the old ones cheaper.  Branded dealerships are offering GREAT deals on CERTIFIED USED, which gets you the FACTORY warranty extension and in some cases a low interest rate financing option.  Be careful when comparing models between branded dealers and non-franchise dealers selling the same model as the certification may be the reason for the lower price. You want to compare apples to apples, and that means FACTORY Certified to Factory Certified, not dealer certified… 2013 is HERE, your trade is a year older! TRADE-INS under $25k and 10-12k miles per year, no accidents, are worth great money right now, so if you have a 3-5 year old vehicle to trade, take advantage NOW. As used car prices drop, so will your trade value. Off-lease or early lease returns still have an edge on some brands, as customer loyalty or competitive incentives may ease you out of that lease ahead of schedule. SALES TAX CREDIT:  On trades that ARE NOT LEASES, watch to be sure your sales tax credit is not being included in the trade value.  If you are unsure ask “Does this include my sales tax credit?” or “Is this what you will BUY my car for even if I don’t buy a car from you?”  The truth is always a surprise! Labor Day sales including EARLY Lease terminations! If you are thinking of going back to the same brand, check to see about lease PULL AHEAD programs.  Pull aheads may get you out early with no penalty for remaining payments up to a capped value or number of payments, which is great if you are stacking on the high miles.  PORSCHE is a perfect example of this pull-ahead program in motion. Up to 12 mos. waived if you are leasing a Panamera, 3 and 6 mos on some of the other models. You don’t necessarily have to be in the factory lease to get the deal. See your dealer for details.        

LABOR DAY DEALS:

Around the country dealers are gearing up for the last of the 2012 holiday car shoppers as the model year closes out. Many dealerships will pay your first year registration, which in Nevada is 2% of the selling price of the vehicle! So call ahead and ask the sales manager, fleet manager or internet manager if their dealership is offering something similar. If you can’t seem to find what you want, ORDER IT! While the value of your trade may slip a bit, it’s still a better deal than buying something you don’t want. There should be NO premium for ordering a 2013 and you way find an incentive by the time (8-12 weeks) the car arrives. In the  meantime you can try to sell your trade on a contingency or hold off and see what happens. Specific deals for Labor Day 2012 will be coming in the next few blog posts, along with some new car 2013 reviews, pre-LABOR DAY holiday sale. ——————————————————————————————
  Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience. She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-521-7546. Join the MyCarlady newsletter to be kept up-to-date on this and other important car information. ]]>