The Car Connection
By Sean Tucker Contributor September 10th, 2010
Five thousand dollars off. Seven thousand dollars off. Twelve thousand dollars off.
They may sound ridiculous, but these figures are actually just the jumping off points for negotation on a handful of cars this month. Customer incentives and factory-to-dealer incentives (when the automaker provides the dealer with a bonus for selling the car -- which you can work into negotiations, knowing the dealership will get that money once you sign) lower the prices of some cars by thousands before you even begin discussions with a dealer.
While most cars are discounted slightly this summer, thanks to a slow economy keeping auto sales lower than expected, some are discounted much more heavily than others. Our pricing partners at TrueCar.com have helped us to find the most heavily discounted cars--and there's more variety to the list than we had expected. There may well be something in your price range.
2009 BMW M6
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BMW M6 -- $12,500 off
BMW has announced the end of production for the 6-Series, and the tuned version put out by the M division goes out with it. …They're extraordinary cars, powered by a V10 that won the International Engine of the Year award twice -- and they've never been cheaper.
Infiniti launches the 2008 QX56 SUV
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Infiniti QX56 -- $7,000 off
… Rumors have suggested several times in the last year that Infiniti will cancel its huge QX56 SUV soon. The company has denied the move each time, but it is having a hard time selling the big, ultra-luxury 'ute in today's economy. …
2010 Chevrolet Impala
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Chevy Impala -- $5,000 off
Though it's a historically great nameplate, the current Chevrolet Impala is simply outshone by most of its large car rivals -- the Ford Taurus takes the prize in that class. …
2009 Volkswagen Routan comes with college tuition voucher
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Volkswagen Routan -- $5,000 off
Volkswagen isn't known for heavy rebates, but the Routan is a special case. Essentially a Chrysler Town & Country with a few exterior and interior modifications and a mildly-reworked suspension, the Routan has never really appealed to VW's core audience of buyers looking for upscale European models without BMW price tags. [DMW note—VW is apealing to the under-30 generation, and more Routan owners are under-30 than any other vehicle except VW’s own Jetta.] In order to sell them, the company …rebates of up to $5,000. …
2010 Volvo XC70
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Volvo XC70 -- $5,000 off
… The XC70 has always been an ever-so-slightly raised V70 with all-wheel-drive, and the company plans to continue importing it. It has all the utility Volvo wagon fans love, and it's a better fit for many families in the snow belt. Still, Volvo is having trouble selling them next to more attractive XC60s, so the 70 is available at a substantial discount.
