Car sales declined in the first quarter of 2019, and as a result, there are deals to be had all across the land. Some of America’s best (and best-selling cars) have been loaded up with incentives to help dealers move them and keep. Other vehicles suffer from substantial inventory backlogs, making dealers desperate to clear them from the books.
Regardless of the why, the end result is the same: good cars at good prices. Here are 10 models on sale right that you can find on sale for a great deal below the usual asking price.
(Note: All deals were currently valid at the time this article was posted; however, they are obviously subject to change.)
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevy will launch the new mid-engine eighth-generation Corvette later this year. As a consequence, sales for the outgoing C7-gen Corvette have slowed. However, GM needs to keep production going to avoid plant closures, and dealers must accept C7 Corvettes to maintain their allotments for the C8. That’s left a backlog of thousands of C7 Corvettes that need homes.
You won’t score a sick deal on a ZR1, but lower trims are going for 10 percent off MSRP or more. It helps to look for dealers specializing in Corvettes that are leveraged with a lot of inventory. This dealer in Atlanta, for instance, has more than 30 2019 Corvettes on sale listed for $10,000 or more under MSRP.
Ford F-150
The F-150 is America’s best-selling vehicle. Ford intends it to remain that way. As such, Ford is offering a dizzying array of incentives to send you home with an F-150.
At one sample dealership — Varsity Ford in Ann Arbor, for example — Ford knocks off a few thousand dollars off MSRP. A Ford Credit incentive takes out an additional $750. Then there are conditional offers, such as the unambiguously named “Silverado, Sierra, and Ram Competitive Conquest Bonus Cash.” There’s also 0% APR financing for 72 months.
Don’t get your hopes up for a discounted Raptor, though. They’re still going for the sticker price.
Jeep Wrangler
The Wrangler had a record sales year in 2018 with the launch of the JL generation. But Jeep knew that, and cranked them out in droves — even more than they needed, as it turned out. As a result, there are a substantial number of new 2018 JL Wranglers still out there, enough for Jeep to offer a national incentive. More aggressive dealerships have been offering around $9,000 off on 2018 models. You’re even starting to see dealers, such as this one in Cleveland, offer dealer discounts in the $2,000 range on 2019 models. Keep an eye on Wrangler in the coming months, too; deals may get even better, what with the Gladiator and its super cheap lease deals about to cut into its market.
GMC Sierra Denali
The Sierra Denali may be the glimmering luxury yacht of the full-size truck segment. It has the fancy MultiPro tailgate and can be optioned with a carbon fiber bed, among other bells and whistles. Judging from dealer prices, you can win the Home Depot parking lot battle for far less than the sticker price would indicate. GM financing throws in significant incentives; dealers are adding further incentives and perks like lifetime powertrain coverage on top of that. Dealerships in the Detroit area were knocking down Denali prices by $7,000 or so during a recent check. But, dealers in Lexington, Kentucky and Denver had combined discounts north of $10,000 on Denali trims. (And in case you like your pickups less glitzy, there are similar discounts on its off-road-oriented sibling, the AT4.)
Volvo XC90
Volvo’s three-row luxury SUV has been a consistently good seller for the brand. It’s in a hot segment, and it’s a well-regarded family vehicle. But XC90 sales dipped considerably in January and February 2019, so Volvo dealers appear primed to move some inventory — particularly the “Inscription” trim that can be optioned past $70,000. Dealers in Chicago and in Minneapolis have the occasional 2019 Inscription XC90 discounts in the $7,500 range, while a Detroit dealer has prices reduced by almost $10,000.
Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 overtook the Chevy Silverado for the title of second-best-selling American vehicle in the first quarter of 2019. It’s not hard to suspect that had less to do with gimmicky features and more to do with aggressive incentives knocking down the price. This Texas dealership has a combination of manufacturer rebates and dealer incentives knocking around $10,000 off the MSRP for Big Horn and Lone Star trim Crew Cabs. Another dealer in San Fernando, California is dropping prices on that trim below $30,000.
Ram has also kept the older-generation Ram 1500 in production as the discounted “2019 Ram Classic;” prices for that for a base model work truck can dip into the mid-$20K range.
Chevrolet Silverado
GM won’t give up the Silverado’s perennial silver medal to Ram without a fight. Chevy is offering substantial incentives to keep that market share. Base work truck prices are standing pat or being modestly discounted, but Chevy is heavily incentivizing higher-level trims. At Husker Chevrolet in Lincoln, Nebraska, for example, LT-trim Silverados are getting around $5,000 or more in manufacturing and financing incentives from GM, with substantial dealer incentives on top pushing total savings north of $12,000. Chevy was also matching Ford’s 0% percent APR financing for 72 months. Farther south, this Texas dealer is offering about $10K off LT Texas Edition trim Silverados.
Fiat 124 Spider
Fiat’s American foray has not gone to plan, and one big casualty has been the 124 Spider. The concept should work — it’s a Miata restyled by Italians — but in practice, the 124 Spider has been America’s least favorite car, and suffers from a massive dealer backlog. Fiat dealers are coming as close to giving away 124 Spiders as possible. Skip the 2019s, if any even exist, and go right for the new 2018s that have been sitting on the lot for a year. At one Fiat dealer in suburban Detroit, you can get a fully loaded Abarth version with a stick for $27,750, 27 percent under MSRP. You can get a manual Classica with the same 1.4-liter engine for less than $20,000.
Buick Enclave
For whatever reason, Buick’s latest model push hasn’t quite caught on with the U.S. market. We reviewed the pleasant-to-drive Buick Enclave Avenir, one of the many GM vehicles vying for a share of the luxury three-row SUV pie, last summer; our main issue, beyond the rear visibility, was paying $60,000 for a Buick.
It turns out you probably won’t have to do that. Buick offers a $4,500 cash back offer on the 2019 Enclave. With dealer incentives, you can knock $8,000-9,000 off the price. A dealership in Scottsdale, Arizona has Enclave Avenir models listed at or below $50,000. Lower trim 2018 models can come with even bigger discounts and 0% APR deals.
Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi has a reputation for loading their cars with incentives to target buyers on a budget. That makes it hard for the brand to branch out into new, more profitable categories…but it works out well for people looking for bargains. The Mitsubishi Outlander looks like any old compact crossover, which is what many people want. You can get one for relatively little money; Mitsubishi has been offering factory incentives in the $2,000-$3,000 range, and dealers have been topping that. This Tampa dealership is offering Outlanders for about $5-6K off MSRP — quite significant on a car under $30,000. And a Houston Mitsubishi dealer is selling base ES models for $19,999.