Best Memorial Day Car Deals 2026: Top Lease, Finance & Cash Back Offers Ranked
Memorial Day is one of the most competitive car-shopping weekends of the year. Manufacturers roll out their strongest incentive packages in late May because buyers are in the market and dealers need to clear space before summer deliveries ramp up.
That pressure creates a genuine window for better-than-average deals across leasing, financing, and cash back. The picks below cover all three.
Every deal is drawn from current manufacturer advertised offers and ranked by value, not by headline number. Lease deals are ranked by Lease Value Ratio. Finance deals are ranked by total savings vs. a 7% baseline rate. Cash back offers are ranked by dollar amount.
Every offer below is pulled directly from manufacturer websites and ranked by value, not by payment size or headline appeal.- EV and plug-in hybrid deals dominate all three categories. The federal clean vehicle credit continues to be passed directly into lease and finance offers
- The Hyundai IONIQ 9 takes the top lease spot this year at 0.86% LVR. The Toyota Tundra i-Force Max is the biggest surprise at #2, the best truck lease deal tracked in over a year
- 0% APR for 60 to 72 months is available on multiple models. At today’s rates, that represents $10,000 or more in interest savings on a $40,000 to $55,000 vehicle compared to a typical bank loan
- Cash back offers reach $10,000 across five vehicles this Memorial Day. No single vehicle tops that figure this year, but the Kia Niro EV at 25.2% of MSRP has the strongest cash-to-price ratio in the group
Lease
Top 5 Memorial Day lease deals
Ranked by Lease Value Ratio: your true monthly cost divided by sticker price. Lower is better. Under 1.0% is a good deal.
Hyundai‘s three-row electric SUV takes the top lease spot this Memorial Day. A $59,000 vehicle for $369 per month is exceptional by any standard, and it lands at 0.86% LVR.
If you need a large electric family SUV, this is the deal of the weekend. It also leads the SUV lease and finance rankings this month.
The biggest surprise of Memorial Day 2026. A full-size hybrid truck at 0.91% LVR is something we rarely see. Toyota is pushing hard to clear 2025 inventory before the model year change, and the lease math reflects it.
The Tundra i-Force Max gives you a 14,000 lb tow rating at $389 per month. If you need a truck, this is not a difficult decision.
Kia is rolling the full federal EV credit into the cap cost, which is why a $39,700 vehicle comes out to $269 per month. The 2025 model that held the top spot last year at $209 has sold through. The 2026 at $269 is still an excellent deal at 0.96% LVR.
At $13,683 total over 36 months on a $40,000 car, this remains one of the best compact EV lease values available.
A $42,000 electric sedan at $239 per month. Total out of pocket over the lease is just $9,735, the lowest total cost of any vehicle in the top five this Memorial Day.
The 24-month term means you are back in market quickly as EV technology continues to develop.
Kia’s three-row electric SUV at exactly 1.00% LVR. A $54,900 vehicle for $439 per month with only $3,999 due at signing. If the IONIQ 9 is not available near you, the EV9 is the next-best three-row EV option this Memorial Day weekend at essentially the same ratio.
Finance
Top 5 Memorial Day finance deals
Ranked by Finance Score: total interest savings plus any cash bonus, divided by sticker price. Compared against a 7% baseline rate.
The strongest finance deal this Memorial Day. Kia‘s sport-focused EV crossover at 0% APR for 72 months with $3,500 cash back. Total savings of $14,761 against a 7% baseline rate.
The EV6 is a well-reviewed, longer-range EV that holds up well over a 72-month loan term. If you plan to own rather than lease, this is the pick of the weekend.
0% APR for 72 months plus $3,500 cash back on a $39,700 EV. The Niro EV also leads the lease rankings at #3, making it one of the most flexible deals on the page: strong whether you lease or finance.
$12,533 in total savings against a standard loan. The most affordable vehicle in the top five finance deals.
Hyundai‘s award-winning EV at 0% for 72 months with $3,000 cash back. The Ioniq 5 is one of the most highly regarded electric vehicles on the market, with 350kW DC fast charging and a well-sorted interior.
$10,963 in total savings against a standard loan at the lowest sticker price in the finance top five.
The best luxury finance deal this Memorial Day. Lexus‘s all-electric SUV at 0% APR for 60 months with $5,000 cash back. The term shortened from 72 months last year to 60 months this year, which drops the score slightly but the $5,000 cash bonus remains the highest of any deal in the top five.
$14,553 in total savings. If you want a premium badge and plan to finance, this is the pick.
New to the finance top five this Memorial Day. The EV9 at 0% APR for 60 months with a $5,000 cash bonus saves $15,325 total, the highest absolute dollar savings in the top five. The larger sticker price means the percentage score is lower, but the raw savings are the most of any deal on this page.
A strong choice for buyers who need three rows and want to own rather than lease.
Cash back
Top 5 Memorial Day cash back deals
Ranked by dollar amount. Cash back incentives can sometimes be combined with financing offers. Always confirm with your dealer what combinations are eligible.
Five vehicles tie at $10,000 cash back this Memorial Day. The EV9 is listed first because it also has the highest absolute dollar savings in the finance rankings ($15,325) and is the only three-row EV in this group.
$10,000 off a $54,900 three-row electric SUV before any negotiation. If you are buying the EV9 outright or putting a large down payment down, this is a meaningful number.
The EV6 leads the finance rankings this Memorial Day and also sits at $10,000 cash back, making it one of the most versatile deals on the page.
At 23.3% of MSRP, the cash back ratio is stronger than the EV9 above. If you are deciding between buying outright and financing with 0% APR, ask your dealer whether both can apply to your transaction.
The highest cash back on any non-electric vehicle this Memorial Day. Infiniti increased the QX80 cash offer from $9,000 last month to $10,000 this weekend, pushing it into the top tier alongside the EVs.
At 11.9% of the $83,750 MSRP the percentage is lower than the EV deals, but the absolute dollar amount is the same. The QX80 also carries 0% APR on 60 months, making it one of the few non-EV vehicles where cash and competitive financing overlap simultaneously.
The best cash-to-price ratio in the $10,000 group at 25.2% of MSRP. The Niro EV is the most affordable vehicle in the top five cash back deals, which means $10,000 off represents a larger share of what you are actually paying.
This vehicle also appears in the lease (#3) and finance (#2) rankings, giving you flexibility on how you structure the purchase.
$10,000 cash back on a $59,000 three-row electric SUV. The IONIQ 9 leads the lease rankings at #1 this Memorial Day and also appears here in the cash back top five.
Whether you lease or buy, the IONIQ 9 has the most comprehensive incentive structure of any large family EV this weekend. The cash back is stackable with the 0% APR finance offer if you plan to buy.
Is Memorial Day actually a good time to buy a car?
Yes, with some caveats. Memorial Day weekend is one of the highest-traffic car-shopping weekends of the year, which creates real pressure on dealers to close deals.
Manufacturers know this and typically time their best incentive packages to hit at the end of May. The deals on this page are advertised offers that exist right now, not theoretical savings.
The downside is that dealerships are also at their busiest. That can mean longer waits, less time with each salesperson, and more pressure to decide quickly.
The best strategy is to do your homework before you go. Know the vehicle you want, know the current advertised incentive, and have a competing price quote from at least one other dealer. That preparation gives you the same leverage on the busiest day of the year as you would have on a quiet Tuesday in February.
Why Memorial Day works in your favor
- Manufacturers time their strongest incentives to this weekend
- Dealers are motivated to hit end-of-month and spring volume targets
- High foot traffic means dealers are more willing to sharpen numbers to close
- Model year changeovers begin in summer, so May inventory is at its broadest
What to watch out for
- Headline payments can bury large upfront costs. Always check the amount due at signing
- Advertised deals often require specific credit scores, typically Tier 1
- Memorial Day ads create urgency. Take the time you need to make the right call
- Not every vehicle gets a Memorial Day deal. Compare what is actually on offer
5 things to do before you sign anything this Memorial Day
Use an online quote tool to get a dealer price before your visit. Memorial Day weekend gives dealers less time per customer.
Walking in with a written quote from a competing dealer immediately changes the conversation. They know you are serious and they know the number they need to beat.
Negotiate the purchase price as if the manufacturer incentive does not exist. Then apply the cash back or special rate on top of the agreed price.
If you let the dealer bundle everything together from the start, you give them room to give you the incentive while holding margin on the vehicle price itself.
Switching from lease to buy mid-negotiation hands the dealer a reset. They will start the number-building process over.
Decide which path makes more sense for your situation before you walk in, and stay on that path. The deals on this page are separated by type to help you make that decision in advance.
Some manufacturers allow you to combine a low APR offer with a cash bonus. Others require you to choose one or the other.
On several vehicles above, the 0% APR and cash back incentives are listed separately. Ask your dealer explicitly which combination applies to your transaction before you agree to terms.
Most deals above expire June 1. Confirm the offer in writing before you sign, and ask your dealer to show you the manufacturer’s current advertised offer page.
A deal that expires June 1 cannot be backdated to apply to a contract signed in June.
The finance office is where dealership profit per transaction is highest. Extended warranties, GAP insurance, paint protection, and other add-ons are presented quickly and confidently.
Each one is negotiable and most are optional. Take a moment to read what you are being asked to sign. The savings from a good Memorial Day deal can disappear quickly in the back office if you are not paying attention.
Why Memorial Day car deals exist: what manufacturers are actually doing
Car manufacturers do not randomly discount vehicles on holidays. Memorial Day deals are part of a deliberate sales cycle built around how the auto industry moves inventory.
Manufacturers set monthly sales targets for dealers. May is a critical month because it closes out the spring selling season and often represents the last major push before summer model year changeovers begin.
Dealers who hit their targets earn additional manufacturer bonuses, which incentivizes them to price aggressively toward the end of the month. Memorial Day weekend is the last weekend of May, which means it coincides with the peak of that pressure.
At the same time, manufacturers use the Memorial Day period to manage inventory. Vehicles that have been sitting on lots since January accumulate holding costs and tie up working capital.
A well-timed incentive package can move aging inventory, clear space for incoming models, and generate positive sales headlines all at once. The deals you see this weekend are as much about manufacturer strategy as they are about honoring a national holiday.
For EV deals specifically, the dynamic is different. Federal clean vehicle tax credits available to manufacturers through commercial leasing arrangements create a direct pipeline between the credit and your monthly payment.
When a manufacturer applies the $7,500 commercial credit to the cap cost of a leased EV, your payment drops by roughly $150 to $200 per month compared to what it would be without the credit. This is why EV lease deals have dominated the rankings throughout 2026, including this Memorial Day weekend.
Lease vs. buy at Memorial Day: which approach gets more value?
The right answer depends on what you are buying, but the data from this month’s deals points in a clear direction for most buyers.
For electric vehicles, leasing has a structural advantage right now. The federal clean vehicle credit flows through commercial leasing in a way that is unavailable to most individual buyers.
When you buy an EV, you need enough federal tax liability to use a $7,500 credit and you need to meet income requirements. Many buyers cannot. When a manufacturer leases you the same vehicle, they apply the commercial credit directly to the price and pass the savings through as a lower monthly payment.
The IONIQ 9 at $369 per month versus a purchase price that would approach $50,000 after negotiation illustrates this gap clearly. The EV9 and Niro EV show the same dynamic at lower price points.
For gas and non-plug-in vehicles, buying typically wins over the long term. The Memorial Day financing deals on gas vehicles are generally not as strong as the EV offers on this page. The Infiniti QX80 is an exception this year with $10,000 cash back and 0% APR, but it is a $83,750 vehicle and the overall economics of ownership are different from a $40,000 EV.
If you are shopping for a gas SUV or truck this weekend, the Toyota Tundra i-Force Max at 0.91% LVR is the most notable non-pure-EV deal in the current rankings. Leasing it at $389 per month makes sense for buyers who want the truck but prefer not to commit to ownership of a hybrid powertrain over a long period.
Frequently asked questions about Memorial Day car deals
The lease and finance deals on this page come directly from manufacturer websites, not from dealer marketing. That said, the deals vary significantly in quality. A low headline payment with a large upfront cost and a short term can look attractive but represent mediocre overall value. The rankings on this page filter for actual value, not just the most appealing advertisement.
The deals above list them separately to help you see both options. Ask your dealer specifically whether both apply to your transaction before you agree to pricing. This is a critical question to ask before you enter the finance office.
Individual buyers need sufficient federal tax liability and must meet income limits to use the equivalent consumer credit, which many buyers cannot. The credit flowing through commercial leases creates a structural advantage for EV lease deals that simply does not exist for gas vehicles. This effect is visible in every month’s rankings and is especially pronounced in the Memorial Day offers this year.
If your credit score is below these thresholds, you may still qualify for financing but at a higher rate than the advertised special. That changes the value calculation significantly. Ask your dealer to show you the tier requirements for any specific program before you begin the credit application process.
Memorial Day Monday itself tends to be the busiest single day, which means longer waits and less negotiating time with each salesperson. If you have done your research and have a price quote in hand, any day of the weekend works.
If you still want time to compare options or negotiate carefully, Friday or early Saturday will give you a more focused conversation with the dealer.
These offers vary by location, credit score, and financing terms and are not guaranteed. Use our free service to check current dealer prices and get competing offers before you sign anything.
