Mazda Adds $500 Over CARS Incentives

As part of its Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) strategy, Japanese manufacturer Mazda today revealed that it will offer consumers who agree to trade-in their old car and buy a new Mazda a bonus of $500 on top of the $3,500 or $4,500 CARS incentive. The CARS cash incentive is either $3,500 or $4,500 depending on the fuel consumption difference between the newly-purchased car and the one the buyer agrees to trade-in.

"Times are tough, and consumers need all the help they can get right now to purchase a new, fuel-efficient, safe, yet, still fun-to-drive vehicle," said Mazda President Jim O'Sullivan. "We are starting to see signs that the economy is improving, but we thought Mazda customers would appreciate this extra help."

The Mazda models participating in the scheme are the following: 2010 MAZDA3i and MAZDA3s 4-Door, 2010 MAZDA3s 5-Door, 2009 MAZDA6i, all 2009 CX-7s, all 2009 Tributes, 2009 Tribute Hybrid, all 2009 MAZDA5s, all 2009 MX-5 Miatas, 2009 CX-9 2WD and 2009 B-Series B2300. Additionally, a couple of model year 2008 cars are also taking part in the programme, Mazda said in a release.

As for the scheme per se, it is expected to boost sales for most participating companies, as the government is willing to offer, as we mentioned earlier, $3,500 or $4,500 for consumers who agree to trade-in an old car and purchase a greener and fuel-efficient model. The incentive program requires passenger cars and light trucks to achieve at least 22 or 18 mpg, respectively.