Best Cash-Back Finds: 12.07.07

Sifting through sales, incentives and various offers from car companies can be almost a full-time job for shoppers — and it is a full-time gig for some Cars.com staffers. We maintain a list of the Top 10 Cash-Back Offers here and a list of every available incentive here to help thrifty car shoppers. 

However, those charts aren’t helpful if you’re not sure about the cars on them. Is it OK to get the 2007 with a rebate and not the 2008? Could a car with a $4,000 cash-back offer be any good? The editors at Cars.com look at all the incentives and let you know which vehicles they recommend. These cars may not have the biggest rebates thrown on the hood, but our recommendations take into account our experiences driving the cars, along with some other factors, including safety and ownership costs. 

2007 Ford Edge

• MSRP: $25,320
• Cash back: $2,500
• Percent off MSRP: 9.87%
• Expires: 1/2/08
• 5-Year Ownership Costs
• Why it makes the cut: This is a classic example of a model where not much has changed for the new model year, besides the availability of that cool Sync feature we recently tested. If you don’t care about that, there are plenty of 2007 Edges left on dealer lots. The SUV has a lot of style and a healthy V-6 engine standard along with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. We’re not big fans of the interior fit and finish, but there’s a lot of utility here for the money.

Reader Review of the Week

Companies like GM and Ford may be abandoning the minivan, but it’s still a competitive segment, especially among import brands. Last year, Hyundai introduced its first minivan, the Entourage.

In his expert review of the Entourage last summer, Cars.com’s own Joe Wiesenfelder said it is “a model that impresses not only shoppers who are unfamiliar with the brand, but also those who have followed the South Korean brand’s improvements and growth.” That certainly seems the case in this week’s top consumer review by a Toyota Sienna owner going by the name of “Long Term Toyota Customer.” He or she was impressed by the Entourage during a four-day trial and pointed out many pros and cons compared to the Sienna.

Long Term Toyota Customer’s review is below. You can write your own car review right here.