What Are the Best New Car Deals for April 2017?

we have good news and bad news. Here's the bad: April isn't the best month to go car shopping. Over the past three years, National Pecan Month (yes, really) ranked among the three leanest months of the year for per-car incentives, according to Autodata Corp. New Car Deals have moved past the winter sales drought, but the sell-off for the next model year is still months away — so a lot of bargain hunters may leave the showroom feeling a bit April foolish. Oh, and the "CHIPS" reboot apparently stinks. That's the other bad news. But here's the good news: Incentives are still on fire. New-car sales slid 1.7 percent in March, by Automotive News' tally, and that was despite incentives totaling $3,563 per car, per Autodata. That's up $453, or 14.6 percent, over March 2016, and it marks the seventh consecutive month of double-digit increases for discounts. April might be a weak month from recent history, but the current discount train doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Hop aboard and find yourself a deal. Related: Is a Certified Pre-Owned Car Right for You?

2017 Ford Focus

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 Ford Focus

How much can I save? A lot. Focus sales fell 22.5 percent in March even though run-of-the-mill 2017 versions averaged 48 to 52 days on dealer lots — on par with the month's 55-day average for all 2017 models. From now until June 21, factory rebates range from $250 to $3,500 on the Focus, according to Automotive News. That's a wide range, but we audited ZIP codes in five major cities and found most trim levels have posted rebates in the higher range. Some of the rebates require approved financing through Ford's credit arm, however, so read the fine print. Note, too, that the savings may come at a price: The Focus blends solid handling with impressive ride quality, but poor reliability and limited collision-avoidance tech have stung the current generation. What about discount financing? Qualified shoppers can get rates as low as zero percent. Are these deals also on the Focus ST and RS? Not so much. In most areas we searched, the ST had some rebates — though not as much as other trims .