Autoblog

Employee pricing, that tricky sales tactic that helped GM post better sales figures than its competitors back in August and September, are about to work their magic for the Blue Oval. According to reports, Ford is planning to launch an employee pricing promotion on November 19 and is expected to keep it active until January 5th. Throughout that period, General Motors will be running its annual year-end Red Tag Sales Event, so the two biggest domestic automakers will be battling it out for lowest profits sales supremacy. In addition to paying the same as a Ford worker, buyers may also get an extra dollop of cash on some models to help move the last of the '08s, though the brand-new 2009 F-150 pickup truck will not be part of the promotion. Now, go find yourself a deal.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Joining Denny's, Dunkin' Donuts and Dairy Queen, Dodge has rolled out its version of a discount for the geriatric among us. While the aforementioned restaurants will cut prices for anyone generally over the age of 50, Dodge is seeking card-carrying AARP members (it's $12.50 per year, in case you need to join). Presenting a valid AARP card at the time of sale will get you "Employee Pricing" (or better) on all 2008 and 2009 Dodge vehicles except the Sprinter, Challenger, and Viper SRT 10 ACR models. According to the fine print, the program isn't compatible with other national incentives and it expires (the incentive program, not Chrysler LLC) on January 2, 2009. There's also a $200 fee just to be eligible for the offer, which our penny-pinching parents aren't going to like one bit. Thanks for the tip, MarkWeb!

[Source: Dodge, Photo by taberandrew | CC2.0]

General Motors ended its Employee Discount for Everyone bonanza at the beginning of October, but it shouldn't be too hard to get a GM vehicle for the price employees pay thanks to a new initiative meant to goose the automaker's sales during this downturn. As it's done a few times in the past, GM is allowing each of its workers to bestow the gift of employee pricing to two additional persons of their choice. With sales painfully low, this move should come as a surprise to no one. Plus, these tactics work, to a degree, as the General's sales figures were actually a few percentage points better than its rivals during September when the Employee Discount for Everyone promotion was in full effect. With that in mind, you can still get a good deal on a GM vehicle just by asking around.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Click for hi-res gallery of the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10

Cerberus may be trying to offload Viper, but not before it gives over a million Americans the opportunity to pick one up at discounted prices. Until now the Viper remained outside Chrysler's Employee Purchase and Certain Designated Individuals discount program, but that's about to change as the supercar joins the list of eligible vehicles.

While Chrysler employs over 130,000 people, we doubt many of them, especially in this economic climate, will have the means or motivation to pick up the gas-guzzling V10 muscle car. However, an arrangement between Chrysler and Wal-Mart extends the benefits program to employees of the mega-retail chain, and with over 1.2 million employees, we're sure there are a few who'll take Chrysler up on its offer. Don't go rushing to pick up an ACR, however, as the track-focused model remains outside the program.

[Source: Chrysler]

Chrysler is again relying on employee pricing to move metal from its dealer lots, but this time the promotion comes with a catch. You have to be a returning lessee, Chrysler supplier or associate, or be in the military to take part in the offer. Chrysler employees will also receive one additional discount to dole out as part of the promotion, which ends September 30. The employee pricing incentive can be used on top of any current discounts, making for a very healthy rebate on any new Dodge, Jeep, or Chrysler product. For example, the slow selling 2008 Dodge Ram can be had with $9,000 on the hood. That's enough money to partly make up for several years of bad fuel economy and rapidly depreciating value. The incentive program is also meant to help the automaker retain a greater portion of its lease customers who have been left out in the cold since Chrysler stopped leasing vehicles through Chrysler Financial on August 1, which has made already poor sales results even worse.

[Source: Chrysler, Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Wow, there are some great deals to be had at the moment from General Motors. Not the least of which is on the Corvette, specifically the Z06 model, which we've had nothing but good things to say about, even at its $72K asking price. Now that GM is offering all of its models at employee prices, that cost drops by about ten grand! A Z06 for $62,653? Yes please... if only our meager blogging budgets would allow it. Similarly, a Caddy XLR-V can be had for $84,771.80 -- about a $15,000 discount.

Need an SUV? May we suggest a Hummer H3 for about $23K? Those in the market for a luxury sedan could certainly do worse than a Cadillac STS-V for $66,640.88 after some $14K in savings. Of course, practical shoppers can take five-grand off their Saturn Aura XR sedan and end up paying just $21,634.28 for the privilege. We're having way too much fun with this and there is plenty of other news we need to cover, so visit this site, find your best deal and leave it in the comments. Update: fixed spelling mistake in the title, thanks guys!

[Sources: Kicking Tires, GM]

It is no secret that the automotive industry is hurting for sales to close out 2008. Over the past few months incentives have been thrown out left and right to draw in more buyers. The deals have not done enough to bring folks into the showroom, though. With all the media talk of bleeding Detroit, consumers know that the domestic manufacturers have been holding out on their best offers. Perhaps the memory of 2005's employee pricing incentives has kept many waiting on the fence. With 2009 models heading to dealerships as we speak, General Motors is hoping to end the stalemate. It will be testing the waters of employee pricing yet again beginning Wednesday, August 20th and running through September 2nd.

The employee discount program will apply across all 8 GM brands. Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will mark down 91 percent of their inventory on all 2008 models, along with the 2009 Pontiac Vibe and G5, Chevy Cobalt and HHR and, surprisingly, the Cadillac CTS. Chevrolet dealers can unload 90 percent of their 2008 inventory with all 2008 models eligible for the employee price. Cadillac, Saturn, SAAB, Hummer will each have their own stipulations as well, but it is certain that the discount will be widespread. The price reduction varies from vehicle to vehicle, but is typically on order of a few thousand dollars. Additional incentives will also still be offered on some slower selling items, such as, you guessed it, trucks and SUVs. So the question is, will employee pricing get you off the fence and into a dealership?

[Source: GM]

Times are tough in Detroit these days as each of the Big 3 saw drastic drops in sales for the month of May. It's not surprising, then, to see that Chrysler, Dodge and Ford have increased incentives in an effort to get those cars off its dealer's lots. For instance, prospective buyers for the Hemi-powered Chrysler 300C can now choose either $4,000 cash back or $2,000 plus Chrysler's $2.99 gas promotion, known as Let's Refuel America. Choosing Chrysler's full-size SUV, the Aspen, will net you $4,500 cash back or $1,000 in cash, plus the Let's Refuel deal. Dodge too is heavy into the incentives game, especially on fuel-gulping SUV's and trucks. The largest savings come with the 2008 Ram truck, which gets you $5,000 in cash or $3,000 plus the cheap gas card.

Realizing the sorry state that sales of the F-Series are in, Ford has chosen to offer employee pricing for its full-sizers, although they aren't telling you what how much you'll save without a trip to the dealer. Cars.com has been able to extract a few figures from Ford's web site and have figured out that nearly three-grand will be shed from the sticker of a mid-grade XLT model. After looking these rebates over, it seems clear that the few consumers still in the market for a large, V8 powered vehicle will be looking to get a great deal for the foreseeable future.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Ahh, more incentives to announce. Ford Motor Company has introduced new perks for potential truck owners, mostly relating to financing. Buyers of 2006 and 2007 Ford F-series and Ranger trucks will enjoy some of the lowest rates out there for 60-month loans, including zero percent financing for the 2006 F-series models and 2.9 percent on 2007 Super Duty and Ranger models. Alternatively, buyers can opt for a $2,000 cash rebate.

As one would expect, Ford isn't laying out that much cash on the hood for no good reason -- its inventories are so bloated, particularly with trucks, that the company has already decided to cut fourth quarter production with further cuts likely on the way. The incentives are also probable indicators that the company's September sales, which we'll get wind of later today, weren't so hot.

[Source: Reuters via Automotive News]

At a time when the "traditional" Big 3 are losing market share to imports at a feverish pace, Chrysler Group has some good news. The company expects to actually gain market share by year end, according to Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler executive vice president of global sales, marketing and service. Speaking at a launch event for the 2007 Chrysler Sebring and Aspen (pictured), Eberhardt said that the company would cut production and work with dealers to run inventory down to acceptable levels, particularly with its trucks -- currently, the automaker has a ballooning surplus of trucks and SUVs that it has so far failed to staunch.

Chrysler will also move away from incentives a la Ford Motor Company and General Motors, both of which are trying to get away from incentives in favor of lower overall transaction prices. We'll be keeping a close eye on Chrysler's performance through the end of the year starting with its performance in August, the results of which should be released tomorrow.

[Source: Reuters via Automotive News]