Top 7 New Car Cash Deals for May 2010

One of life's simple pleasures is shoving a hand in your pocket and pulling out a long-forgotten $20 bill. When shopping for a new car, cash incentives are kinda like that -- only it's a lot more than 20 bucks, and they generally just knock the amount off the total price. So to add to our earlier Top 7 New Car Financing Deals for May 2010, we're focusing only on cash deals this time around. Most of these are cash back offers, but one is listed as marketing support. That means the manufacturer pays the dealer that money if they sell a car, which is nearly as good as free cash in your pocket. If you know about it, the dealer might be willing to give up most or even all of the dealer incentive money to sell you the vehicle. So cruise through our Top 7 New Car Cash Deals for May 2010 to see if there's a deal for a ride on your shopping list.

Photos courtesy of respective manufacturers.

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$48,930 $3,000 cash back 6/30/2010

The most classic of American-built sports cars, the Corvette represents one of the best performance values on the market today. The standard features of the Chevrolet Corvette Base include 6.2L 430-hp V8 engine, 6-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, airbag occupancy sensor, 18" alloy wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control, Active Handling stability control, and a 6-way power driver seat.

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$78,450 $10,000 marketing support 6/30/2010

With an improved iDrive system, controlled handling, and an excellent quality interior, the BMW 650i should be on every luxury coupe or convertible shopper's mind -- especially with a potential $10k discount! The standard features of the BMW 650i include 4.8L 360-hp V8 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), navigation system, side door mounted airbags, tube 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, driver and passenger knee airbag, airbag occupancy sensor, 18" alloy wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control.

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$16,290 $1,000+ cash back or 0% APR 36-60 mo. 6/1/2010

The compact Focus offers a great ride, an improved version of Ford's genius Sync system, and 28 mpg combined. Cash back starts at $1,000 with even more potentially available, so be sure to ask! The standard features of the Ford Focus S include 2.0L 140-hp 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, airbag occupancy sensor, air conditioning, 15" steel wheels, ABS and driveline traction control, stability control, and power locks.

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$21,695 $1,000 or $1,500 cash back 6/1/2010

Compact crossover shoppers need look no further than the Santa Fe for fantastic value, complete with an extensive list of standard features, nice interior, and fuel-efficient and peppy engine choices. The standard features of the Hyundai Santa Fe GLS include 2.4L 175-hp 4-cylinder engine, 6-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, airbag occupancy sensor, air conditioning, 17" alloy wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control, and stability control.

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$13,695 $1,000+ cash back 6/1/2010

This compact sedan is another great value proposition. Read about the week one of our editors recently spent Living With the 2010 Kia Forte to find out what it's really like having a Forte as your day-to-day transportation partner. The standard features of the Kia Forte LX include 2.0L 156-hp 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, 15" steel wheels, ABS and driveline traction control, stability control, power mirrors, power locks, and auto locking doors.

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$30,690 $2,000 cash back or 0% APR 6/1/2010

For sporty handling and plenty of luxury features at a price lower than many base model -- and smaller -- luxury sedans, consider the Maxima. The standard features of the Nissan Maxima 3.5 S include 3.5L 290-hp V6 engine, CVT transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, airbag occupancy sensor, 18" alloy wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control, and stability control.

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$44,200 $1,000+ cash back 6/1/2010

The market is full of luxury crossovers, but the unique styling of the MKT will set you apart from the crowd. Check out our feature on Living With the 2010 Lincoln MKT to learn the finer details of this distinctive crossover. The standard features of the Lincoln MKT Base include 3.7L 268-hp V6 engine, 6-speed automatic transmission, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, curtain 1st, 2nd and 3rd row overhead airbag, airbag occupancy sensor, 19" alloy wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control, and AdvanceTrac with RSC stability control.