The Five Most Discounted Cars

By Sean Tucker

2 2,712 views Sep 10, 2010

BMW M6 Competition

BMW M6 Competition

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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.  A replacement won't arrive until 2012.  The company is in a rush to get the last examples off of dealership lots, offering dealers a $12,500 incentive to sell them.  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

From a doomed car, we move to a possibly doomed car.  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.  A combination of dealer and customer incentives knocks $7,000 off the price this month, before you even begin negotating.

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.  But it remains a reasonably-priced large car with acres of space inside and a comfortable ride.  This month, it's cheaper than ever, as GM offers $5,000 in total discounts to try to move a backlog of Impalas out of showrooms.

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.  In order to sell them, the company has resorted to rebates of up to $5,000.   If you're in the market for a Town & Country, however, wouldn't you have to consider an upscale version of the car with a hefty cash-back offer on the hood?

2010 Volvo XC70

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Volvo XC70 -- $5,000 off

There was a lot of hand-wringing among the small community of Volvo loyalists in March, when the company announced plans to pull its V70 wagon out of the U.S. market next year.  A world without Volvo wagons seemed hard for some to comprehend.  The only problem?  They weren't about to face a world without Volvo wagons.  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.