2011 Honda CR-V
Despite rising fuel prices, sales of pickups, sport-utility vehicles, and minivans continue to out-pace regular old cars by a wide margin.
According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, light trucks now account for 57.9 per cent of new vehicle sales in Canada, an all-time record. Light trucks were up 11.2 per cent in March and passenger cars were down 0.6 per cent.
Thus, this time around on Deals of the Week we're looking at trucks, where the hot sales suggest big sales sweeteners. The wrinkle this week: Deals has picked out four of the most dependable light trucks for sale in Canada.
At least according to the latest 2011 J.D. Power and Associates three-year Vehicle Dependability Study. We've chosen four category winners with attractive offers.
The VDS, in case you don't know, asks owners about problems they have experienced in the past 12 months with their three-year-old vehicles. That is, for the 2011 study, 2008 model-year cars and trucks were surveyed.
Survey respondents were asked about more than 200 issues in eight diverse categories. In short, the VDS is an indicator of longer-term dependability, rather than merely a new-model snapshot.
The VDS reports scores based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles. For the record, Lincoln, with a reported 101 problems per 100 vehicles, unseated Porsche in the study as the No. 1 brand. Thus, we've included a Lincoln - the Lincoln Navigator.
As usual, Deals of the Week obtained pricing information from www.carcostcanada.com. Here are the numbers.
2011 Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD (Best Compact Crossover/SUV)
MSRP: $33,490
Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $1,690
Dealer discount (estimated): $1,000
Factory discount: 1,500 (Non-stackable trading dollars)
Taxable subtotal: $32,680
Total price with 13% HST: $36,928.40
2011 Lexus RX350 (Best Mid-size Premium Crosser/ SUV)
MSRP: $47,050
Freight, dealer prep: $2,050
Dealer discount: $2,000
Taxable subtotal: $47,100
Factory discount: $4,000 (Non-stackable Trading Dollars)
Total price: $43,100
Total price with 13% HST: $48,703
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4WD (Best Large Crossover/SUV)
MSRP: $59,015
Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $1,550
Dealer discount (estimated): $3,500
Factory discount: $3,500 (Stackable Cash)
Factory discount: $1,000 (Accessory Cash)
Taxable subtotal: $52,565
Total price with 13% HST: $59,398.45
Factory discount: $1,000 (Loyalty Bonus)
2011 Lincoln Navigator Ultimate (Best Large Premium Crossover/SUV)
MSRP: $73,100
Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax and Green Levy: $3,650
Dealer discount (estimated): $2,200
Factory discount: $5,500 (Delivery Allowance factory-to-dealer rebate)
Taxable subtotal: $69,050
Total price with 13% HST: $78,016.50
Factory discount: $1,000 (Costco discount)
Final price: $77,026.50
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.