Turn on the television or open a newspaper, and your senses will be assaulted by automotive advertisements featuring sensational pitches in an effort to clear the 2008s from dealer lots and make way for the 2009 models. Amid all the noise, analysis conducted by Consumer Reports Auto Price Service shows that there are many good deals available. However, just as not all cars are built equally, nor are the deals.

In "Driving a great, end-of-summer new car deal" we present our findings on available incentives offers across vehicle classes, the GM Employee Discount for Everyone pricing program, and offer advice for getting the most for your money. Here, we will share additional insights to empower, and perhaps inspire, your new-car shopping.

Current new-car incentives by brand
This month, we tracked 2,014 national incentives across all vehicle variations. As expected, incentive availability and scale vary by category, with premium and gas-guzzling models having the grandest offers in general. But, we also see significant differences by brand.

For the list below, we focused on the combined customer cash and direct-to-dealer incentives available nationwide. Specific regional offers are possible, as are dealer and dealer group promotions. Several omitted brands show no national rebates, though they may offer special interest rates and/or lease offers. The figures were rounded to the nearest $100.

When seeking the best deal possible, consult our vehicle ratings and Bottom Line Price, which factors invoice price, rebates, and dealer holdback. Armed with all the data, you will be better prepared to negotiate a great price on a great car.

—Jeff Bartlett