What’s the Best New-Car Deal for July 2021?

With industry experts telling us to dig in for the long haul on the current microchip-spurred inventory shortage, the seller’s market continues. New-car incentives are in relatively short supply: Late last month, J.D. Power projected new-car incentives in June to average a paltry 5.8% of MSRP — down nearly 5 percentage points versus June 2020 and the first time the consulting firm had ever seen less than 6%. In other words, consumers are seeing nearly $2,000 in average discounts evaporate on a $40,000 new car bought today versus a year ago.

Related: Inventory Pinch: 25 Models Still Out There

In the discount desert of mid-2021, is any car still an oasis of incentives? Yes, but they’re few and far between. Because of these peculiar times, we abandoned our usual methodology for sourcing incentives this month and started with a Cars.com analysis published in late June (linked above) on 25 models still in dealer supply. Among those cars, we surveyed the model-year 2021 examples with notable deals — and believe it or not, we found a few. 

Take a gander on the options below, and remember: The silver lining to all this, if you have a car you’re turning in, is sky-high trade-in values. Leverage competitive offers to get the most for your trade-in, and you might benefit from savings on both ends if you can seal the deal on one of these choices below.

Buick Encore

• Factory discount: $2,350, excluding base trim
• Approximate price after savings: $23,500-$31,000
• Approximate factory savings: 8-10%
• Offer ends: Aug. 2

Buick is offering just over $2,000 off its aging subcompact SUV, excluding the base 1SV trim (otherwise known as, simply, the Encore). That means anyone shopping the 2021 Encore’s higher trim, called the Preferred, can get 8-10% off list price thanks to Buick’s factory cash back. Those who finance at standard rates through Buick’s parent automaker, GM, can get another $500 off in some regions (a bonus not reflected in the above discounts, as it’s not available to all shoppers). In lieu of the preceding deals, creditworthy shoppers can get 0% financing for 72 months. All such offers expire Aug. 2.

Jeep Renegade

• Factory discount: $750-$3,250
• Approximate price after savings: $22,500-$35,500
• Approximate factory savings: 3-12%
• Offer ends: Aug. 2

The Renegade, another subcompact SUV, is a frequent denizen of our monthly deals roundup. It remains among the few this month with still-substantial discounts, with $750 to $3,250 off depending on trim level and region; in some cases, that amounts to double-digit percentage discounts. Those who finance at standard rates with Stellantis, Jeep’s parent automaker, can tack another $500 atop that (again, a total not reflected above). In lieu of those offers, creditworthy shoppers can snag 0% financing for 48 months, 0.9% for 60 months or 1.9% for 72 months on some trims, with up to $2,000 in bonus cash depending on trim and region. All offers expire Aug. 2.

Nissan Titan Crew Cab

• Factory discount: About $2,000 to $6,500
• Approximate price after savings: $41,500 to $74,500
• Approximate factory savings: 3-19%
• Offer ends: Aug. 2

The 2021 Titan pickup truck’s crew cab has a wide swath of discounts for July, mostly because Nissan augments the base cash rebate we observed nationally — $2,000 — with another $4,490 in average dealer discounts for certain regions. (That’s excluding various package savings also advertised, which requires you to buy certain packages to secure.) Dealer discounts will vary, of course, but they could add up well into double-digit percentages off for certain trim combinations. In lieu of such deals, creditworthy shoppers can get 1.9% financing for 72 months or 3.9% for 84 months. All deals expire Aug. 2, and the Titan’s extended-cab designation, called the King Cab, isn’t included in such discounts.

Editor’s Choice: Buick Enclave

• Factory discount: $4,500
• Approximate price after savings: $37,000-$59,500
• Approximate factory savings: 8-12%
• Offer ends: Aug. 2

The roomy, comfortable Enclave SUV has some handsome discounts this month, with Buick offering $4,500 off all trim levels through early August. That can add up to double-digit discounts on lower trims, with another $500 in bonus cash (not reflected above) for those who finance at standard rates through GM. In lieu of that, creditworthy shoppers can get 0% financing for 72 months. All deals expire Aug. 2.

More From Cars.com:

• How to Win the Car Financing Game
• Understanding Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
• Glossary of Car Leasing Terms
• How Does Leasing a Car Work?
• We Bought a 2021 Ford F-150: Here’s How Much We Paid

How We Look for Deals

Given the current dearth of new-car inventory, we adopted our analysis published in late June that showed two dozen popular model-year 2021 vehicles still in reasonable dealer supply. We surveyed those 25 models for possible deals as a starting point, looking at factory cash discounts and low-interest-rate financing offers that are especially high relative to the price of the car.

We lead with cash deals available to shoppers at large, not those that require financing with the automaker or having certain qualifications (e.g., military or college-graduate discounts, loyalty or conquest bonuses, etc.). In calculating the overall percentage discount and pricing after incentives, we focus on the vehicle’s price range from the cheapest incentives-eligible trim level with no factory options to the priciest eligible trim with all factory options. We include the destination charge in such pricing, but we exclude a few other items: taxes and fees, which vary considerably by region, and dealer accessories, which vary considerably by automaker.

Because these are factory discounts, they should be available to all participating dealers. As such, use them as the starting point for negotiations, not a reason to skip haggling altogether.

Incentives data come from automakers’ websites. Remember, our numbers are current as of publication for the markets we survey (generally Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York). They reflect advertised customer discounts, not unadvertised factory-to-dealer cash. Discount financing typically requires qualifying credit, too, and incentives may vary by region and trim level; automakers may also change them later in the month. In sum: Your discounts may vary, so check with your local dealer for specifics.

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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.