Filed under: Car Buying, Kia, Saab
Take our cars, please: Top 10 cash-back offers
Automakers with remaining 2006 inventory are getting desperate in some cases to get rid of their lot. Cars.com has assembled the 10 best incentive offers based on the percentage off of a car's base MSRP, and Kia tops the list by offering 26.32% off the Sorento and 23.87% of off the Sedona minivan. Why so much? Because they're 2005 models! The third vehicle on the list, however, is the most appealing to us. Saab wants to get rid of the last remaining 9-2X models and is offering $5,000 off of the car's base MSRP, which amounts to a substantial 21.75% discount on what is essentially a more luxurious Subaru WRX. The rest of the list is as follows.
- 2005 Kia Sorento - $5,000 (26.32%) exp. 1/2/07
- 2005 Kia Sedona - $5,000 (23.87%) exp. 1/2/07
- 2006 Saab 9-2X - $5,000 (21.75%) exp. 10/2/06
- 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab - $4,500 (21.31%) exp. 10/2/06
- 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular Cab (excl. SRT10) - $4,500 (21.28%) exp. 10/2/06
- 2006 Ford Freestar - $5,000 (21.14%) exp. 10/2/06
- 2006 Lincoln LS - $8,000 (20.36%) exp. 10/2/06
- 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis - $5,000 (20.18%) exp. 10/2/06
- 2005 Kia Spectra - $2,500 (19.46%) exp. 1/2/07
- 2006 Ford F-150 SuperCab - $4,500 (18.66%) exp. 10/2/06
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Max Used 8:02AM (9/17/2006)
It wouldn't be bad if in front of cash-back car there was a reason of returnin
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JohnA 8:43AM (9/17/2006)
This Saab 9-2X deal is incredibly good.
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Roy 8:44AM (9/17/2006)
WHAT????
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DGTLLVR 11:26AM (9/17/2006)
The Saab 9-2x is not more luxurious in anyway. The front end is about the only things changed. I have one, it's a decent enough car. I don't know how that price compares to the WRX, if it end up being cheaper I would say buy that over the WRX wagon. If it's not cheaper then why bother?
Point of contention on this car. You buy a WRX from a Subaru dealership and the techs there know how to work on them. You buy a rebadged WRX (92x) from Saab and the techs there aren't dealing with them all the time and your service experience is fairly poor. So unless you're actually saving money on the purchase, it's better to just get the WRX.
I paid $19,425 for my 9-2x Aero when they had the GM Employee Pricing deal last year... And that $5000 rebate doesn't come close to that price.
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Bill 1:26PM (9/17/2006)
I ditto #4. I bought one last summer, and had it only 8 months. Fortunately I didn't take a bath on the trade-in. Full disclosure, I had the non-turbo Linear, not the turbo Aero version. If you really badly want a WRX, it might be a buy. It's not as ugly as a WRX, but #4 is right, the Saab dealers don't know what they're doing, and you're the ugly step-child of the brand, they're not going to go out of their way to treat you right. Other Saab drivers will give you dirty looks on the road. Someone once put a note on my windshield "Get a real Saab".
Don't get too excited, because any remaining cars for sale are probably automatics or non-turbos, so the true enthusiasts cars have probably already be snapped up long ago.
It's not a terrible car, but it's dated (interior especially) and there are better choices on the market. I feel sorry for anybody who actually paid full price for one of these.
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Scooter 1:41PM (9/17/2006)
Looks like Kia and Saab are really desparate to move those models. Its understandable because they are pretty much wierdos from Mars. If both of those marcques disappeared from the American market, no one would even notice.
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G 2:00PM (9/17/2006)
In Canada is really frustrating as Hyundai and Kia only give their rebates to the BANKS ... so that they can advertise lower interest rates. When I say the Banks, I mean they do not give it to the the client, or give retail banks access to it.
The effect is that the only way to get the rebates in to sign up to their in-house financing, which is tied to all the national banks and some credit unions.
If a person was to look at the car loan in its raw form (something the client will never see); it would show the advertised interest rate, but the value of the car would be lower then they paid. The beauty is that the client does not know for certain how much of that rebate was actually given to subsidize the finance rate -- if they had a downpayment or a trade they would not get it all.
I found this out when I tried to get the rebates and the Hyundai dealer said he would love to, but was restricted to only give it to my commercial department (that does the dealer finance).
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DPC car videos 2:47PM (9/17/2006)
I am getting ready to buy another car and this will help. Thanks
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Honess, T. 3:42PM (9/17/2006)
#6: Except maybe the Sedona, the Sorento and Spectra are AHEAD of 2005 sales(and that was a record year...as is this report/August sales)I do not see where they are having ahard time seling the vehicles because they are "weird"(in fact, Jan1, 07, I cna 99.9% bet ya Kia will hit 300,000 sales this year, or thisclose, another record year. PSL Kia has Never "wnbet backwards" since introduction in the '90's, Every Year, they sell MORE than the previous.) If ya don't like the brand, that's fine... but do not try to make it sound like the reason they are on sale is lack of interest, etc. Thanks.
http://theautochannel.com/news/2006/09/01/020576.html
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G. Snyder 4:15PM (9/17/2006)
"The Saab 9-2x is not more luxurious in anyway. "
How so? It has nicer upolstery and more sound deadening. If I recall, it also has revised suspension damping that is a little more forgiving. It also has features not available on a WRX wagon such as a sunroof and HID headlamps. Check your facts.
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Paveway 5:52PM (9/17/2006)
All of the Cusco and Cobb aftermarket tuner parts (and other Subaru parts) fit the Saab just fine. If I were in the market, the 9-2x would work real fine in my driveway. That car has heated seats!
There's a local guy here in Detroit that has one with a slew of performance parts on his that runs autocross. That thing is wicked. I also saw him getting pulled over for a ticket recently, but that's another story.....
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verdegrrl 6:24PM (9/17/2006)
One thing to keep in mind is that resale usually reflects that discount or even more. So if you get a $5K rebate, and negotiate the dealer down to within dollars of invoice, expect value of that car when you sell it or trade it, to be worth less by at least those combined amounts. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
In the case of some of these cars, it could mean paying someone else to take it off your hands;-P
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shiznannigan 6:38PM (9/17/2006)
#4 and #5... is there anything keeping you from just... taking the car to a Subaru dealership for service? I really doubt they'll say "no" to your money.
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Jason Schloer 7:53PM (9/17/2006)
Don't forget the 9-2x comes with an extra year of warranty over the WRX. And as for why it's more expensive than the deal last year, consider the fact that the motor got bumped from the 2.0l turbo to the new 2.5l, which I imagine is actually a lot more fun to drive, as my only problem with my 9-2x is the low end torque. Either way, I still think it's a great deal, all things considered.
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Bill 9:35PM (9/17/2006)
#13. Yes, you could take it to a Subaru dealer, or an independent that specializes in Subarus, but when you have a new car that's covered under warranty, you really want to utilize the warranty and not pay for stuff out of pocket.
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Dave M. 10:32PM (9/17/2006)
I agree with #13. Just take it to the Subaru dealer unless it's a warranty issue.
A yes, #10, there were a number of mods/improvements over the donor Impreza vehicle.
I almost snagged one last year during the fire sale - it drove great, pushed my sporting buttons....but at 6'3" it was just a little too small. I still think it's a smart looking car, and much more relevant to the brand than the hideous 9-7x.
#5....concerning the 'real Saab' note, they haven't made any since the 9000 stopped production. I recently drove the 9-3 convertible, and was appalled at the lack of Saab-ness (ignition keep excepted).
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Ligor Manushi 11:27PM (9/17/2006)
Out of all the cars on this list the only one that really hits me as a great buy is the Lincoln LS.
i feel sorry for those that have bought the 9-2x full price. that car is not worth shiiiit IMO, just like the WRX is not worth shiiit after you leave the lot with it.
My friend bought one adn he dislikes in now after ~6months and he can't even get 60% of what he paid for it, especially now that the 9-2x comes with $5k off.
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szyszek 2:08AM (9/18/2006)
The best deal is on the LS. According to carsdirect.com you can actually pick one up for over $14,000 off MSRP, for less than $26k (MSRP $40k). Too bad they no longer make a stick...
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Richard Warren 10:23AM (9/18/2006)
Most of the chatter here is on the imports. Quick question. Why is it so exciting that an import is offering a rebate, if a domestic offers one it's soooooooo bad?
So using the common thought process this will make your resale crap on these cars. It dilutes the brand and so on.
What I think really happens is this, someone else buys a car with a rebate=BAD You buy a car with a rebate=GOOD. In the end we buy what we like rebate or not=GOOD
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G. Snyder 12:00PM (9/18/2006)
#16...ha ha ha - the SAAB 9000 was based on a shared platform between GM, SAAB, and Alfa Romeo. So much for last real SAAB.
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