Updated September 10, 2026

Best car deals in September 2026

We scored 206 lease offers and 199 finance offers this month, straight from manufacturer websites. The Hyundai IONIQ 9 leads leasing at a 0.91% lease value ratio, and the Kia Niro EV leads financing at a 30.31% Finance Score.

Every deal ranked by true cost against sticker price. Most offers expire September 30.
Lease offers scored
206
26 rate Fair or better
Finance offers scored
199
35 carry 0% APR
Cash incentives
84
$273,000 on offer in total
Best lease ratio
0.91%
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9

Browse deals by manufacturer

Already know what brand you want? Each page lists every active lease, finance, and cash incentive for that manufacturer this month.

September 2026 market snapshot

We scored 206 lease offers and 199 finance offers in September 2026. Leasing is strong on electrified cars and weak on everything else, while financing has two Elite deals for the first time since spring.

0.91% Best lease ratio
30.31% Best finance score
1.37% Median lease ratio
8.58% Median finance score
35 Deals at 0% APR
$15,000 Largest cash offer

Lease deal quality, all 206 offers

Good, under 1.0%
2
Fair, 1.0 to 1.2%
24
Average, 1.2 to 1.5%
125
Walk away, above 1.5%
55
What this means: Only 26 of 206 leases (13%) rate Fair or better this month, and just two clear 1.0%. Both of those are electric. The median ratio is 1.37%, and 55 offers sit in walk-away territory.

Finance deal quality, 199 scored offers

Elite, 25% and above
2
Excellent, 18 to 25%
17
Good, 12 to 18%
45
Fair, 6 to 12%
77
Weak, below 6%
58
What this means: 58 of 199 finance deals (29%) sit below 6%, close enough to market rate that your own bank will match them. The median Finance Score is 8.58%. Two Kia electric models reach Elite, and both Lincolns score below zero.
Every advertised deal assumes you pay sticker price.

Negotiate below MSRP first, it reduces your monthly lease payment and financed amount directly. Check what dealers near you are actually charging.

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Know your number before you walk in.

The advertised lease payment is calculated at MSRP. Every dollar you negotiate off the cap cost reduces your monthly. Our price tool shows real dealer prices near you.

Check dealer prices near you

Cash incentives, September 2026

84 vehicles carry a cash incentive this month, worth $273,000 between them.

Cash reduces what you borrow on day one. Judge it as a share of sticker, not by the headline figure.

Cash incentives stack with price negotiation.

The $10,000 IONIQ 9 cash is paid on top of whatever you negotiate off sticker. Get the price low first, then stack. Our tool shows what dealers are actually charging near you.

See dealer prices near you

September 2026 best picks, category by category

CategoryVehicleDealScoreFull page
Best lease deals
Best lease overall2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9$399/mo · $4,999 DAS · 36 mo0.91% LVRAll lease deals
Best SUV lease2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9$399/mo · $4,999 DAS · 36 mo0.91% LVRSUV leases
Best EV lease2026 Kia Niro EV$269/mo · $3,999 DAS · 36 mo0.96% LVREV leases
Best truck lease2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500$329/mo · $1,869 DAS · 24 mo1.07% LVRTruck leases
Best luxury lease2026 Lexus NX 450h+$579/mo · $5,999 DAS · 36 mo1.12% LVRLuxury leases
Best minivan lease2026 Honda Odyssey$399/mo · $3,999 DAS · 39 mo1.17% LVRMinivan leases
Best sedan lease2026 Honda Accord$229/mo · $3,999 DAS · 36 mo1.20% LVRAll lease deals
Cheapest total lease2026 Buick Encore GX$199/mo · 24 months$9,575 totalCheapest leases
Best finance deals
Best finance overall2026 Kia Niro EV0% APR + $3,000 cash · 72 mo30.31% scoreAll finance
Best SUV finance2026 Kia EV90% APR + $5,000 cash · 60 mo27.91% scoreSUV finance
Best truck finance2026 GMC Sierra 15000% APR · 72 months22.75% scoreTruck finance
Best luxury finance2026 Infiniti QX800% APR + $3,000 cash · 60 mo22.39% scoreLuxury finance
APR + cash combo2026 Lexus RZ 450e2.99% APR + $3,000 cash · 72 mo19.30% scoreAPR + cash back
Cash incentives
Highest cash overall2026 Audi A8$15,000 cash back15.8% of MSRPCash incentives
Biggest share of sticker2026 Kia Niro EV$10,000 cash back25.2% of MSRPCash incentives
Worst deals to avoid
Worst lease deal2026 GMC Sierra 2500HD$799/mo · $8,229 DAS · 36 mo2.08% LVRWorst leases
Worst finance deal2027 Lincoln Navigator7.5% APR · 84 months-2.06% scoreWorst finance

Holiday and seasonal car deals

Manufacturer promotions around holidays layer on top of regular monthly offers. The year-end window (October through January) is historically the strongest. Timing your purchase well can add meaningfully to the monthly deals tracked here.

Most deals expire September 30. Honda and Acura offers run to November 2, which is the latest of any brand this month.

Verify your deal is still live before making the trip. Our tool shows current pricing and confirmed availability near you.

Check current availability

How we rank every deal

Lease Value Ratio (LVR)

Lease value ratio is your true monthly cost divided by sticker price. Spread the amount due at signing across the term, add it to the payment, then divide by MSRP and multiply by 100. Lower is better.

2026 Kia Niro EV$269/mo, $3,999 DAS, 36 months0.96% LVR
2026 Lexus NX 450h+$579/mo, $5,999 DAS, 36 months1.12% LVR

The Lexus is structured well for a luxury SUV despite costing more, the ratio accounts for the vehicle’s value, not just the payment. Under 1.0% is strong. Over 1.5% is walk-away. See the zero down lease guide for how at-signing amounts affect this calculation.

Finance Score

Finance Score is total savings against a 7% baseline loan, divided by sticker price. It folds the rate discount and any cash bonus into one number, so a 0% offer and a cash-heavy offer can be compared directly. Higher is better.

0% APR, 72 months, $40K vehicle$9.1K interest saved + $3K cash30% score
3.99% APR, 24 months, $51K vehicle~$1.7K interest saved, no cash3.3% score

The rate alone is misleading. Short terms limit total savings regardless of the APR. Anything below 6% means your own bank will likely match or beat it. All figures assume top-tier credit. See the well-qualified buyer guide for brand-by-brand credit score requirements.

Frequently asked questions

For leasing, the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 at a 0.91% lease value ratio, $399 a month with $4,999 due at signing. For financing, the 2026 Kia Niro EV at a 30.31% Finance Score, 0% APR over 72 months with $3,000 cash.
206 lease offers, 199 finance offers and 84 cash incentives in September 2026, taken directly from manufacturer websites and scored on the same two scales.
Depends on the powertrain. Leasing is strong on electrified cars, where nine of the top ten sit. Financing is stronger on everything else, because 55 of the 206 leases we track rate above 1.5%.
Under 1.0% is strong. Between 1.0% and 1.2% is fair and worth taking on the right car. Above 1.5% means the lease costs more than the vehicle justifies.
25% and above is Elite, and only two deals reach it this month. 12% and above is worth taking. Below 6% means a credit union will probably beat the manufacturer rate, and 58 offers fall there.
Most run to September 30. Honda and Acura extend to November 2. Always confirm the offer is still live before you make the trip.

All deal data sourced from manufacturer websites and verified monthly. Offers vary by region, credit tier, and trim level. Sales tax and dealer fees not included. Use our free price tool to verify competing dealer prices before signing.