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car review

2011 Acura RDXHonda

Every month about this time, the Top 10 list lands on my desk courtesy of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

The headline this time: "All I want for Christmas is a…uh…A luxury Vehicle!!!"

As auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers writes in a note to clients, "Luxury vehicles as a group were up more than 10 per cent in November, well above their year-to-date tracking of about 1.0 point of growth. Christmas present for a special one I guess – actually great prices, spectacular product and a number of new intros."

In other words, deals, and that's what Deals of the Week is about. The monthly list of Top 10 best-selling vehicles in Canada includes the monthly sales numbers by make and model, along with year-to-date figures.

The hot sellers so far: compact luxury SUVs up 70.6 per cent in November and they are up 28.3 per cent year to date. DesRosiers also notes that intermediate luxury SUVs were up 10.9 per cent in November, though they remain down 1.7 per cent year-to-date.

"With small luxury SUV up so much, smaller luxury passenger cars were down on the year (minus 5.9 per cent), although up by 1.5 per cent in November," he notes.

"Luxury continues to outperform the market as a whole which we expect will continue for the entire decade and with European brands dominating the luxury segments, this decade is shaping up to be the decade of the "Europeans" … the last decade was a break out for Korean brands, and the 1990s belonged to Japan. Times are a changing."

It would seem apt, then, to look for offers among small luxury SUVs in need of a boost, intermediate luxury SUVs and German brands in general.

And there it is: the 2011 Infiniti EX35 small luxury SUV is moving with a $4,750 non-stackable cash incentive – that on a $42,290 EX that is handsome, a pleasure to drive and loaded with technology. If you want the 1.9 per cent financing for 36 months, by the way, you can stack it or combine it with a $4,250 factory boost.

Over at Acura, officials have announced that the RDX small SUV will be replaced next year with a more refined model powered by a smooth V-6 engine. The current RDX has a somewhat jumpy four-cylinder turbo and fairy hard, even harsh, driving dynamics. It's reliable, safe and quite nice to look at, though, and with a $4,000 factory incentive play, the $40,490 sticker price is just the starting point in your negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz GLK small SUV ($43,500) has as much as $1,850 in rebates available even if you grab the 1.25 per cent finance rates for up to five years. Very tidy. And then there's Land Rover. Deals of the Week found up to $8,000 in stackable incentives on the Range Rover ($94,330). Not bad.

As usual, Deals of the Week obtained pricing information from www.carcostcanada.com, among other sources Here are the numbers.

2011 Infiniti EX35

MSRP: $42,200

Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $2,020

Dealer discount (estimated): $1,800

Factory discount: $4,750 (Non-stackable merchandising dollars factory-to-dealer rebate)

Taxable subtotal: $37,670

Total price with 13% HST: $42,567.10

Note: 1.9% financing for three years is stackable with a $4,250 factory incentive

2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK 3.5L

MSRP: $43,500

Freight, air conditioning tax and dealer prep: $2,095

Dealer discount: $2,000

Factory discount: $1,250 (Direct Support factory-to-dealer rebate)

Factory discount: $600 (Direct Support factory-to-dealer rebate)

Taxable subtotal: $41,745

Total price with 13% HST: $47,171.85

Note: Can be combined with 1.25% financing for up to five years.

2012 Land Rover Range Rover HSE

MSRP: $94,330

Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax and $2,000 Green Levy: $3,270

Dealer discount (estimated): $5,000

Factory discount: $5,000 (Loyalty/Conquest Cash factory-to-dealer rebate)

Factory discount: $2,000 (Purchase Cash factory-to-dealer rebate)

Taxable subtotal: $85,600

Total price with 13% HST: $96,728

Factory discount: $1,000 (Green Levy rebate)

2011 Acura RDX

MSRP: $40,490

Freight, dealer prep: $2,020

Dealer discount (estimated): $1,500

Factory discount: $4,000 (Non-stackable Trading Dollars factory-to-dealer incentive)

Taxable subtotal: $36,985

Total price with 13% HST: $41,703.05

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.

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