If you’ve recently graduated from college, congratulations to you! All of your hard work and studying has paid off and you are standing at an important crossroad in your life: work awaits or you will continue your education in an effort to obtain an advanced degree.

Regardless of the path you choose there are some hidden benefits you may not be aware of for graduating from college: many automakers will sweeten their deals and offer to you an extra rebate over and above the best price you get for your new wheels. That’s right, even after negotiating your best deal and applying all other incentives (low rate financing or manufacturer’s rebate) you could save an additional $400 or so on your purchase.

These programs are offered by most automakers, but have different names and requirements. Though your local dealership should tell you about the rebate, they may forget or not be aware that you recently graduated. So, to help you cull through the offers, the following information with links to some of the available programs currently available can help you out:

Hyundai — The 2008 HMFC College Graduate Program offers $400 rebates to recent grads (within the last 24 months) and people who will receive their degree within the next six months.

Honda/Acura — The Honda and Acura Graduate Programs will leave you guessing what your discount is until you speak with the dealer.

Ford — Ford’s College Student Purchase Program offers rebates of $500 on Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles. Ford’s program is open to current students as well as to graduates of trade schools.

Mitsubishi — With Mitsubishi, you won’t get a special grad rebate but you could be eligible for your choice of four financing plans. Unfortunately, you’re locked in to what Mitsubishi has to offer to you even if you find an automotive financing plan elsewhere that is better for you.

Toyota — With Toyota, recent grads can get a $500 rebate on a new ’09 Corolla or Matrix; $400 rebates are applied to any other new Toyota through the automaker’s Recent College Graduate program.

Scion — As to be expected, Toyota’s youth brand offers a Scion College Graduate Finance Program giving eligible grads $400 back on the purchase of a new car.

General Motors — GM is aggressively courting recent grads, having set up a dedicated website targeting former students. Instead of offering a rebate, GM sells cars to eligible drivers at the supplier rate, which is below the sticker price.

Volkswagen — Not as clear as some other programs, VW’s college grad rebate deal seems to vary from dealer to dealer. One dealer is offering a $400 rebate, another $500, while yet another says that their rebate is $1000. VW does have a first time owner’s program which could offer special savings to you whether you are a recent grad or not.

Nissan — Running through June 30, 2008, the $500 SignatureGRADUATE® Nissan Cash Back program is on select 2008 models. You must have proof of graduation within 6 months (or past 2 years) from an accredited US two or four year university, college, graduate school or nursing school.

Most programs require that you have a job offer in hand or are currently working. Therefore, for the person attending school and not working, these restrictions may keep you from getting the rebate. You could still be eligible for other financing deals, but the extra grad rebate may not be available to you.

Was your favorite car not mentioned? The absence of their information here doesn’t mean that special offers aren’t available to recent grads. Visit the manufacturer’s website for current offers and ask your dealer what else is available to you.

Tags: auto financing, grad program, new car, recent grad

If you are in college or are a recent graduate, then you are just the type of consumer Scion wants — young, energetic, and full of fresh ideas.

Scion is the “youth brand” for Toyota, a line of vehicles inspired and designed by young people in a bid by Toyota to capture new consumers. The thinking here is that if you like Scion, then you’ll move up to Toyota when you have been working for a few years or have started a family. Lexus is for people who have arrived and desire high-end, refined driving.

But we’re talking about Scion, the brand for you!

Cars For The Hip Hop Culture

Three Scion models are currently available for sale, the xB — the boxy crossover-type vehicle that defies easy categorization, the sporty tC coupe, and the xD, the four-door compact hatchback which is the subject of this review. Both the xB and xD are new for the 2008 model year, rides which were designed with you in mind.

The xD is the product of consumer feedback and it is the input of young people which has determined what features are included with this model including:

• Your choice of three wheel cover designs.

• 60/40-split folding, reclining and sliding rear seat.

• Under-floor storage in the cargo area.

• Auxiliary audio inputs and iPod jacks.

• Front sport bucket seats with fabric upholstery.

• Pioneer 160-watt maximum output AM/FM/CD head unit (MP3/WMA and satellite-tuner capable) with iPod compatibility, six speakers, Scion Sound Processing, a user-customizable welcome screen, and Sound Retouch digital equalization for clearer MP3/WMA-CD sound.

• Power door locks, outside mirrors, and windows with one-touch auto down on driver’s side.

Air conditioning, cruise control, chrome exhaust tip, ABS, brake assist, and side mirror turn indicators are some of the other standard items with the xD, a surprisingly generous package of amenities not normally found in a car of this class. Clearly, Scion packaged the car just the way most drivers want it to come.

 

Affordable and Economical

What good is getting a new car if you can’t afford to drive it? With gas prices hovering at $3.30 per gallon, even the most fuel efficient car can be costly. Fortunately, at $15,170 for a xD with a manual transmission ($15,970 with an automatic) the well equipped Scion won’t bust most budgets. With EPA fuel numbers of 27 city and 33 highway, the xD also saves on gasoline.

Best Value In Class?

With its broad list of standard amenities, good fuel economy numbers, and low standard price, the Scion xD could be the best value in its class. Add in your own bling and you’ll have a ride that gets noticed without devastating your bottomline.

Scion photos copyright Toyota Motor Sales, USA 

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Tags: auto financing, compact cars, credit report, Scion xA, Scion xB, Scion xC, Scion xD, Toyota