Car shoppers gear up for big Presidents Day weekend

(February 15, 2013) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Presidents Day marks the first big holiday weekend of the year for new car shoppers, reports Edmunds.com. According to Edmunds, the third weekend in any given month generally accounts for 9.6 percent of monthly sales; Presidents Day weekend, on the other hand, accounts for about 12.1 percent of all February car sales.

"Automakers and dealers have a lot on the line Presidents Day weekend because February is a short month," says Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Jessica Caldwell. "This weekend is also the first good opportunity for car buyers who missed out on 2012's end-of-year deals."

If recent history is any indication, car shoppers might want to look toward Nissan to get the best deals. According to Edmunds.com, the Japanese carmaker offered bigger discounts than any other brand in each of the last two Februarys. A quick glimpse of Edmunds.com's Incentives and Rebates page shows some attractive deals for Nissans, including $1,500 cash or 0% interest for 36 months on a 2013 Nissan Rogue or $3,500 cash on a 2013 Nissan Maxima.

Some of the more enticing deals available from other automakers this weekend include:

    2013 GMC Sierra — Several bonus offers available, including $3,000 customer cash and $2,000 conquest offer; also 0% financing for up to 60 months.
    2013 Hyundai Sonata — $1,000 lender bonus offer and $500 customer loyalty offer; also leasing available for $0 down and $245/month
    2013 Kia Optima Hybrid — $2,000 customer cash offer or 0% financing up to 60 months.
    2013 Volkswagen Passat — 0% financing for as many as 66 months, or $1,750 lease bonus cash

A full listing of the top car and truck deals in February can be found on Edmunds.com.