Best April Deals

by Gary Hoffman | AOL Autos
Posted: 6 April 2009

Ford and GM roared into April with new incentives tailored to the financial circumstances of many of their customers: They will pick up the tab for car payments if buyers lose their jobs. And with good reason: Once Hyundai sales introduced a similar program at the start of the year, it performed far better than the industry as a whole. The Korean automaker offered customers the chance to return their cars to the manufacturer if they lost their jobs, and it later beefed up the program with a commitment to pick up their car payments for several months.

In Pictures: 20 Great April Deals

The Ford and GM now have programs that vary significantly from the Hyundai plan -- and from each other. If a buyer loses his or her job, Ford says it's ready to provide monthly car payments for up to one year under its Ford Advantage Plan, while the commitment is up to nine months under the GM Total Confidence program. The Ford subsidy tops out at $700 a month, while the assistance from GM reaches a maximum of $500 monthly. The domestics should be credited for recognizing and seizing upon a good idea, and now they and the Obama administration might consider embracing a concept that has absolutely energized cars sales in Germany: a government-backed scrapping bonus that pays buyers thousands of euros if they take their old gas guzzlers and polluters off the road and buy a new, cleaner, more efficient vehicle. A similar program could help reduce oil imports into the U.S. and clean up the smog in American cities.

In Pictures: 20 Great April Deals

Editor's Pick: 2009 Ford Fusion

The Ford Fusion stands out as a great deal during April -- in no small measure due to the automaker's generous incentives and its new program to help buyers with their car payments out if their lose their jobs. Even without the automakers special incentives this month, the Fusion packs a lot of value into a nicely priced package. First of all, it is a mid-size car with major-league aspirations: it offers plenty of room for squiring clients around town or kids to their extra curricular activities. Even full-size adults don't have much of a problem climbing in and out or making themselves comfortable inside. Its invoice and suggested retail prices are low, too -- barely above those of the VW New Beetle. (Incidentally, the Fusion's fuel economy is roughly the same as the iconic retro compact's.) With the $3,500 rebate on the 2009 model, you are in effect getting a 20% discount. New buyers get a choice of front -- and all-wheel drive and two engines: a 2.3-liter, 160 horsepower, four-cylinder (with a five-speed manual or automatic transmission) or a 3.0-liter, 221-horsepower V6 (with a six-speed automatic). It comes in three trim levels and with a full complement of airbags as standard equipment.

Please Note: These deals only apply to the month listed above.