Top new car lease and finance deals for July 2012

If you’re shopping for a new car, several attractive manufacturer lease and finance deals as well as a couple great cash-back offers are available in the month of July to help make it easier to get into a new car this summer.

To help move inventory off the lots, manufacturers typically offer promotional deals in the form of cash back (that can help increase your down payment) or low financing rates for a defined term. Meanwhile, particular leasing deals typically offer a combination of low down payment and low monthly payment for a nice short term to keep your out-of-pocket expenses minimal.

These lease and finance deals make July a great month to shop for a new car, so if you’re having a hard time choosing, perhaps these opportunities for savings will help you decide between a lower monthly lease payment or a lower upfront and financing costs to get into your next new car.


Top Lease Deals on New Cars – July 2012

2012 Chevrolet Volt

$299/month for 36 months with $1,399 down (excludes PCV)
Mileage allotment:  36,000 miles
Expires:  9/4/12

Depending on your daily commute, it could be possible to nearly replace your monthly fuel bill with the $299 lease payment on the Chevrolet Volt thanks to its gas-free driving range of 35 miles; after that, you can still travel up to 375 miles on a tank of gas. The Volt sold 1,760 in June outselling the Nissan LEAF (535) and is especially popular in California where it is eligible for HOV lanes. Sweet lease deals like this one should keep Volt sales strong in California and growing in other states.

2012 Nissan Altima

$169/month for 24 months with $2,999 down
Mileage allotment:  24,000 miles
Expires:  7/31/12

Choose between the Nissan Altima coupe or sedan for just $169 a month, then pick between a variety of well-equipped models designed to appeal to a broad range of buyer needs and budgets. Sedan choices include the super efficient 2.5 CVT (continuously variable transmission) and 2.5 S CVT featuring a 175-horsepower 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder and the ore powerful 3.5 SR CVT with a standard 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Coupe models also offer 2.5 S and 3.5 SR engines mated to a six-speed manual transmission

2013 Mazda CX-5

$239/month for 36 months with $2,999 down
Mileage allotment:  36,000 miles
Expires: 7/31/12

Be the first person on your block to get into the 2013-model-year Mazda CX-5 compact crossover utility vehicle, now powered by the 155-horsepower 2.0-liter SKYACTIV powertrain promising 26 city/35 highway/29 combined mpg (on front-wheel-drive manual-transmission models) or 26 city/32 highway/29 combined mpg (when equipped with the optional SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission). Thanks to Mazda’s efficient SKYACTIV underpinnings and best-in-class fuel economy, the CX-5 proves that fun needn’t be sacrificed for efficiency and that compact doesn’t mean compromise. A 2000-pound towing capacity also means you can take your small craft along for the fun.

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan

$239/month for 36 months with $2,699 down
Mileage allotment:  36,000 miles
Expires: 7/31/12

Extensively redesigned for the 2012 model year, the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan is described as the GTI of compact sport-utility vehicles, and this lease offers plenty of mileage to enjoy its spirited performance. Incorporating Volkswagen’s Think Blue.® strategy, the Tiguan is powered by 200-horsepower/2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that boasts fuel economy from 18 city and 26 highway mpg with manual transmission to an EPA-estimated 22 city and 27 highway mpg for automatic transmission models.

Top Finance Deals on New Cars – July 2012

2012 Hyundai Sonata

$1,000 bonus cash plus 0% financing for 36 months
Expires: 7/31/12

Powered by a standard 198-horsepower/2.4-liter four cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the 2012 Hyundai Sonata boasts room for five inside, while the trunk holds up to 16.4 cubic feet of stuff. Fuel economy is rated at 22 city, 34 highway, and 27.3 mpg combined, making this an affordable car to fuel as well as to own, especially with a starting MSRP of $20,570 (including delivery) and 0% financing for 36 months. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s standard Blue Link technology provides convenient features accessible through the car, on your smartphone, or over the web that offer assurance, safety, and diagnostics like automatic crash notification, SOS emergency notification, enhanced roadside assistance, theft protection, parental controls, turn-by-turn navigation, traffic, weather, and an eco-coach system which advises on how to improve driving techniques.

2012 Dodge Caliber

0% financing for 60 months
Expires:  9/4/12

The versatile 2012 Dodge Caliber five-door compact utility vehicle combines a swoopy coupe-like profile with the functionality of a sport-utility vehicle but at the price of a compact sedan. With fuel economy ratings of 24 mpg city / 32 mpg highway (with five speed manual transmission) or 23 mpg city / 27 mpg highway (with CVT automatic) and a starting price of $18,130 (including destination) the 2012 Dodge Caliber offers new car shoppers an affordable, small-footprint vehicle with the right amount of attitude that’s also fun to drive. And it’s impossible to beat that 0% finance rate!

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

0.9% financing for 36 months
Expires: 10/1/12

Land Rover has branched out beyond its traditionally boxy physique to introduce the 2012 Evoque, the first new vehicle to be added by Land Rover since 2008. In addition to its styling departure, the Evoque is also the smallest, lightest, and most fuel-efficient Range Rover produced. And keeping in line with its heritage, the Evoque delivers luxury, technology and performance. Underhood, a turbocharged 240-horsepower/2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is mated to a six-speed transmission promising fuel economy of 19 mpg city/28 hwy. MSRP is $43,995, including destination fees for the five-door hatchback, $44,995 with destination fees for the coupe.

2012 Ford Explorer

1.9% financing for 36 months or $1,500 customer cash in many regions
Expires: 10/1/12

Completely reinvented for 2012, the new Explorer is a full-size, three-row SUV boasting class leading fuel efficiency of 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway from Ford’s 240-horsepower/2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine. (The standard 290-horsepower/3.5-liter V6 engine offers 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway in front-wheel drive, or 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway with all-wheel drive.) Fuel economy is impressive, but its safety is even more so: In back, the world’s first second-row inflatable rear belts are available to protect second-row passengers by spreading impact forces across more than five times the area of conventional seat belts, reducing pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion. Customer cash of $1500 or 1.9% financing make the Explorer’s $29,105 base MSRP (including delivery) even more affordable.

2012 Subaru Legacy

0.9% financing with flexible monthly terms
Expires: 7/31/12

Subaru achieved its best-ever sales in the United States in May, earning the company an A+ in the TrueCar Performance Scorecard for May 2012, and with 20,378 units tallied through May, sales of the Subaru Legacy are up 14 percent year-over-year. Subaru encourages its tree-hugging owners to share their favorite places and activities with each other at the Subaru Guide to Everything, where Subaru owners can post their top locations for hiking, camping, and biking, as well as recommended dog parks and dining spots. A 0.9% financing offer makes it had to pass up the $21,045 base MSRP (including destination) for the midsize Legacy sedan.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta

0% financing for 60 months (excludes TDI)
Expires: 7/31/12

The Volkswagen Jetta is powered by a 115-horsepower/2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission (six-speed auto is optional), and features standard air conditioning, one-touch auto up/down power windows, power locks with keyless entry, and power heated exterior mirrors. Safety features include six airbags, and Volkswagen’s Intelligent Crash Response System which reacts instantly in the event of an accident by deploying airbags, unlocking the doors, turning off the fuel pump, and activating the car’s hazard lights. The 2012 Jetta is covered under Volkswagen’s no-charge Carefree Maintenance Program which covers the cost of all scheduled maintenance for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty—three years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first). Fuel economy is rated at 24 mpg city / 34 mpg highway / 28 mpg combined with the auto. Base level MSRP starts at $16,645 (including destination and delivery).