As one senior executive in Canada's auto industry notes, "It's getting silly now. No wonder the industry is 55 per cent (light) truck and only 45 per cent car. Nothing left but the kitchen sink to throw in!"
The deals in question refer to General Motors Canada. Want a 2010 Heavy Duty Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra? GM has up to $11,500 in a cash incentive on the table.
In addition, GM's deals include a 90-day deferred payment plan, plus a number of other sales sweeteners. Not all buyers will qualify for the full roster of discounts, but the list includes $500 Loyalty Cash for all current GM owners, $1,500 for GM lessees who return to the fold, $1,000 for owners cashing in one of GM's discontinued brands and/or $1,000 for current GM van owners.
Oh, and did I mention that light duty pickup buyers get $1,500 in accessories or $750 in cash? And 3.0 per cent variable rate financing, not to mention $3,000 in GM's Cash for Clunkers program. If you qualify for the latter, you'll get another $300 from the Federal Government's Recycle Your Ride promotion.
Even for those buyers who do not qualify for all the handouts - who cannot "stack" them all -- there is no question this is a good time to buy a pickup.
Here's a closer look at a common deal on a Silverado HD, plus a look at three other interesting offers. As usual, Deals obtained most pricing information from www.carcostcanada.com, though for this week other sources were also used. Here's a look.
2010 Ford F250 Super Duty XLT Crew Cab 2WD
MSRP: $43,399
Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $1,500
Dealer discount (estimated): $2,500
Factory discount: $10,000 (Delivery Allowance, factory-to-dealer rebate)
Factory discount: $1,500 (Ford Finance factory-to-customer rebate)
Taxable subtotal: $30,899
Total price with 13 per cent HST: $34,915.87
Factory discount: $3,000 (Recycle Your Ride)
Government Discount: $300 (Retire Your Ride)
Factory Discount: $1,000 (Loyalty Bonus)
Final price: $30,615.87
2010 Chevrolet Silverado HD2500 LT 2WD Crew Cab
MSRP: $44,620
Freight, dealer prep: $1,450
Dealer discount: $2,500 (The dealer discount is the estimated amount a tough negotiator may be able to achieve. There is no factory involvement here.)
Factory rebate: $10,000 (Stackable Cash factory-to-dealer rebate)
Factory rebate: $1,500 (Holiday Bonus, factory-to-customer rebate)
Taxable subtotal: $32,070
Total price with 13 per cent HST: $36,239.10
Factory discount: $3,000 (Cash for Clunkers)
Government discount: $300 (Retire Your Ride)
Factory discount: $1,500 (Discontinued Brands)
Factory discount: $500 (Canadian Forces Appreciation Program discount)
Final price: $30,939.10
Note: 3.0 per cent financing for 48 months and 90 days no payments
2010 Toyota RAV4, four-cylinder, base
MSRP: $24,595
Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $1,660
Dealer discount (estimated): $800
Factory discount: $2,500 (Non-stackable factory to customer rebate)
Taxable subtotal: $22,955
Total price with 13 per cent HST: $25,939.15
2010 Mazda6 GS I-4
MSRP: $23,195
Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $1,695
Dealer discount (estimated): $1,000
Factory discount: $3,500 (Mazda Retail Cash factory-to-dealer rebate)
Taxable subtotal: $20,390
Total price with 13 per cent HST: $23,040.70
Factory discount: $1,500 (Owner Loyalty)
Final price: $21,540.70
Pricing information source: www.carcostcanada.com. Calculations based on Ontario customers. Please note that while the information above is accurate at the time of publication, incentives are given at the discretion of individual dealers, and may be changed or discontinued at any time. Dealer discounts are negotiated with the customer on a case-by-case basis.