Ford & Chrysler Add Year End Incentives

Posted on November 18, 2005 at 9:17 am by Jeff

DEARBORN and AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Nov. 18, 2005) — Close on the heels of General Motors’ announcement of a Red Tag Event, both Ford and Chrysler announced incentives programs as well.

As for Ford, its program — Keep It Simple — started Wednesday and is set to conclude Jan. 3, according to Bloomberg. The plan covers most 2005 and 2006 models. This is the first time the automaker is offering incentives on its gas-electric hybrids.

For instance, thanks to Ford’s plan, vehicles such as the 2006 Escape, which has a $20,685 MSRP, will be offered for $19,794, along with a rebate of $2,500. The final price is $17,294.

Meanwhile, Chrysler Group announced its Miles of Freedom Plan, which is an incentive program offering discounts on select 2005 and 2006 models.

From Nov. 21 to Jan 3, the Miles of Freedom Plan offers customers who purchase select models two years of free gas, two years of free scheduled maintenance and a 5-year/60,000 mile full-mechanical warranty.

“Owning a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle should be a worry free experience for customers,” explained Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler Group executive vice president of global sales, marketing and service. “Therefore, our goal with the Miles of Freedom Plan is to provide our customers with ownership benefits unequaled in the industry. The combination of free gasoline, free scheduled maintenance and a full-warranty puts our customer’s mind at ease and allows them to fully experience the joy of driving one of our vehicles.”

Chrysler’s new incentive program will be supported by TV commercials during NFL telecasts. The commercials feature testimonials about the benefits of the Miles of Freedom Plan. Additionally, the automaker will run supporting print, electronic and Internet ads.

Finally, Chrysler executives said that customers will have a choice as to which incentives they would like to utilize at the time of purchase. Executives said all cash-back incentive offers, including November bonus cash, are still applicable on 2005 and selected 2006 units. The Miles of Freedom Plan is an alternative incentive offering the customer may opt to take advantage of instead of utilizing the November cash-back incentive offer. However, executives noted the cash-back incentive offers end Nov. 30.

In related news, Ford is also make a big push for its hybrid offerings, making a commitment to increase hybrid production ten-fold, reaching 250,000 units annually by the end of the decade.

The Mariner joins Ford’s Escape Hybrid as two of five hybrid models the automaker plans to have on the road in the next three years.

“Our goal is to build hybrid and conventional models on the same line and to offer hybrids with the same style and same functionality as convention vehicles,” explained Nancy Gioia, director of Ford’s Sustainability Mobility Technologies and Hybrid programs.

“We didn’t have to invent an entirely new vehicle to house our hybrids,” she continued. “We’re putting hybrid into mainstream products that are popular today. The Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrids were born and built in the USA, and they are the only hybrid SUVs made in America. We are very proud of this accomplishment.”

General Motors Red Tag Event

Posted on November 13, 2005 at 8:28 pm by Jeff

DETROIT — General Motors is starting a national incentive program to run through Jan. 3 despite claims that it would hold to its value pricing strategy.

The program, called GM Red Tag Event, starts Monday, Nov. 14, auto dealers say.

A GM spokeswoman declined to comment on Friday, Nov. 11.

Under the program customers can get any 2005 or 2006 Buick, Pontiac, GMC or Chevrolet car or light truck at the supplier price plus $100, several dealers say. The exceptions to the sale are the Pontiac Solstice, Chevrolet Corvette and new Buick Lucerne, they say. The supplier price is the price offered to employees of GM suppliers.

For example, a 2006 Buick LaCrosse has a sticker price of $23,595, says a Buick dealer who asked not to be named. The supplier price is $21,996, he says. Customers also can use any applicable incentives. GM offers a $1,500 rebate on the LaCrosse. Therefore, the vehicle would cost $20,596, the dealer said.

GM told dealers that it will start a national advertising campaign on Sunday, Nov.13, using the slogan, “See some red. Save some green.”

GM will send red tags to dealers to hang in the vehicles’ windows with the revived advertising phrase, “The price you see is the price you pay, not a penny more.”

“It’s not nearly as good as GM’s employee pricing sale,” says Ken Fichtner, owner of Fichtner Chevrolet in Laurel, Mont. “It’s 2 percent higher for the customer than GM employee pricing was.”

Fichtner says GM will give dealers $400 gross profit per vehicle under the promotion. He says the $400 will be less than the profit per vehicle he received with employee pricing, which was 5 percent of the sticker minus the destination charge.

But Buick dealer John Rogin says his sales staff broke into applause and cheers when GM said the salespeople’s bonuses would be $150 for each vehicle sold in November and $100 for December.

GM ran a Red Tag sale at this time last year. Under it, dealers set a vehicle’s price by combining previously announced incentives with a cash bonus between $500 and $2,000 when buyers financed through General Motors Acceptance Corp.

Many dealers were lukewarm about that program, and GM’s December sales in 2004 fell 3.2 percent despite the program.

GM will end any other existing incentives on many of the 2005 vehicles with the new Red Tag Event.

Keywords: GM, Red Tag Event

Current GM Car & Truck Rebates

Posted on March 1, 2005 at 4:21 pm by Jeff

Looking for current offers on a GM car or truck? General Motors makes this information available on their website. Check here for current GM rebates & offers. Make sure you select your appropriate region to find the appropriate incentives.

Keywords: buick rebates, chevy rebates, pontiac rebates, cadillac rebates, GMC rebates, saturn rebates, hummer rebates, saab rebates.