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deals of the week

2013 Nissan 370Z RoadsterNissan

Canadians snapped up new vehicles at an unprecedented rate during the first half of 2013. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants says January to June this year was the best first-half ever for new light vehicles sales.

"A total of 883,667 passenger cars and light trucks were sold, up 2.2 per cent from 2012," says DesRosiers in a note to clients.

So we're on a record pace, one being driven in large part by healthy sales incentives – sweeteners that Canadians are finding hard to resist. We're fattening up on new cars and light trucks, as it were.

Within the big story you can find many smaller ones, too. One that's heading to a wham-bam finish is the race to claim the title of best-selling car in Canada. Hyundai's Elantra holds a slim lead over the Honda Civic – about 300 units through the end of June. However, reports indicate that in late July, Hyundai boosted incentives on the Elantra, no doubt in an effort to keep ahead of Honda and its Civic.

The Elantra sedan now has as much as $2,750 in factory money on the table – that on a $20,000-something compact car. In some instances, that money can be combined with financing as low as 3.29 per cent for up to 96 months. By any measure, that's juicy. Hyundai has also upped the offers on other models, such as the Santa Fe SUV and Veloster sporty compact. DesRosiers notes that for the first half of the year, Hyundai's sales were basically flat – up just 0.2 per cent. These new deals surely are there to give Hyundai a boost.

Deal hunters might also want to look at offers from other auto makers who have underperformed the market. Kia sales, for instance were down 6.8 per cent for the first half. Meanwhile, for January to June, Mazda was down 4.4 per cent, Nissan/Infiniti was down 6.5 per cent and Toyota/Lexus was off 0.9 per cent.

What might that mean for hungry shoppers? If you are of a mind to own a 2013 Nissan 370Z roadster, you'll find up to $8,000 or perhaps more in play on a car with, say, a $47,478 sticker price. Similarly, a very affordable Kia Optima sedan listing for $24,395 might be had with discounts adding up to more than $4,000 for the right buyer.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Honda and its Acura brand have been having a decent year overall, with sales up 6.6 per cent combined. Yet Acura has a $4,000 cash offer on leftover 2013 RDX sport-utilities – with perhaps another $2,000 in play in a dealer discount. Not bad for a rig listing for $41,050. Word on the street is that not all Acura dealers have 2013s in stock, so be warned. If you want a 2014 RDX, the factory money drops to $1,500.

Deals of the Week consulted with carcostcanada.com, unhaggle.com, and other sources on these offers. As usual, pricing information here is subject to change, so consult your dealer for all the final details, including expiry dates for all offers.

2013 Hyundai Elantra sedan Hyundai Hyundai  

2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS sedan, auto

  • MSRP: $21,299
  • Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $1,595
  • Factory discount: $2,500 (Dealer Discount factory-to-dealer incentive)
  • Dealer discount (estimated): $500
  • Taxable subtotal: $20,894
  • Total price with 13 per cent HST: $23,610.22
  • 3.29 per cent finance rate for up to 96 months

2013 Acura RDXWieckHondaWieck 

2013 Acura RDX

  • MSRP: $41,050
  • Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $2,045
  • Factory discount: $4,000 (Acura Non-stackable Trading Dollars factory-to-dealer rebate for cash purchases only)
  • Dealer discount: $1,600
  • Taxable subtotal: $37,495
  • Total price with 13 per cent HST: $42,369.35

2013 Nissan 370Z RoadsterWieckNissanWieck 

2013 Nissan 370Z Touring roadster, manual

  • MSRP: $47,478
  • Freight, dealer prep, AC tax: $1,840
  • Factory discount: $4,000 (Non-stackable Trading Dollars factory-to-dealer incentive)
  • Factory discount: $2,000 (Nissan Bonus Cash Incentive factory-to-dealer rebate)
  • Dealer discount (estimated): $2,000
  • Taxable subtotal: $42,318
  • Total price with 13 per cent HST: $46,689.34

2013 Kia Optima LX auto

  • MSRP: $24,395
  • Freight, PDI, AC tax: $1,785
  • Factory discount: $3,400 (Kia Trading Dollars factory-to-dealer rebate)
  • Dealer discount (estimated): $700
  • Taxable subtotal: $22,080
  • Total price with 13 per cent HST: $24,950.40

Pricing information source: unhaggle.com and 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. Where noted, "dealer discounts" are negotiated with the customer on a case-by-case basis. Unhaggle Savings are actual discounts received by Unhaggle customers.

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