Best Jeep Deals: November 2009 Lease and Purchase

Careful negotiators should find it easy to get into a new Jeep this month. Jeep dealers need your business.

November is a terrible time to run a Jeep dealership. Last month, the auto industry showed signs of recovering from its recession doldrums. Domestic automakers led the way, with Ford and GM both posting sales gains that even Honda and Toyota couldn’t match. Jeep parent company Chrysler, however, posted the worst sales figures in the entire auto industry -- a 30 percent drop from the already-low October 2008 figures. The Jeep brand did worse than Chrysler as a whole, selling almost 37 percent fewer cars than it had just one year before. While life is getting easier for other car dealerships, it’s getting worse for Jeep dealers.

Last month, the company tried to boost sales with aggressive discounts, zero-percent financing offers on loans as long as 72 months and cash-back incentives as high as $6,000 on some models. The company isn’t repeating those deals this month. Instead, it’s offering shorter-term interest-free loans and smaller rebates. Chrysler is offering very little to help dealers sell 2009 models, with most of its advertised specials this month applying to new 2010 models only. But shoppers should be aware that sales numbers show dealers have a lot of 2009s left -- and in most cases, there is no significant difference between the 2009 and 2010 editions.

What does it all mean for you? Jeep dealers should be willing to negotiate this month. They can’t offer you low payments through a long loan term, so most will be forced to be flexible on the final sales price -- which should be the focus of any negotiations, anyway. And, if you see a 2009 model sitting unsold that interests you, consider bidding on it. Chances are, the dealership has had it sitting on the lot for a long time and may be willing to take a lower offer to move it out and replace it with something the corporate office will help them sell.

SUV shoppers might want to look, however, at GM’s stable of sport ‘utes before settling on a Jeep. This month, our Chevrolet Deals page shows that most of GM’s incentives easily beat what Jeep has on the table.

Check out the Jeep deals listed below. If you don't see a deal that interests you, visit our main Car Deals page to see the most attractive offers from other automakers this month.