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Dealers are sharpening the pencils for the end of the year — and these are the best buys.December is a great time to buy a new car as dealers try to clear stock before 2016 arrives.Many buyers are away on holidays so the dealers sharpen their pencils to try to get people in the door and cars off the lot. This year is no exception.Before highlighting the best new-car deals, we should clarify what "2016 Model Year" means.That's the car industry's way of describing when the model is planned for sale, even though they're often released in the second half of the previous year.The contrived confusion is aimed at blunting the need for sharp discounting as the new year rolls around.But regardless of what you are told, the only date that matters is not the model year or the compliance date but the build date of the car.If your car is built in November 2015 but it is being marketed as a "2016 Model Year", it will be regarded as a 2015 model at trade-in time, even if it's at the very same dealer trying to convince you it's next year's model.Does it matter? Not really. But you should know. Besides, the discount you're getting now will likely be worth more than the slight dip in resale.One more caveat — be wary of some low interest rate finance deals.Nissan, for example, has 1 per cent finance on most of its model range. Its cheapest model, the Nissan Micra manual, is $49 a week or $15,850 drive-away. But in the fine print you'll find the repayments must be made within three years — and there is a whopping "balloon" payment of $8210 at the end, more than half the car's cost.On the other hand, Toyota's zero finance deal on certain models is spectacularly good. It is over four years, there is no balloon so, as we discovered, they're practically giving money away.Now, let's go shopping...Small CarsSharp deals are customarily hard to find here because the profit margins are so low — the cut to the dealer on one popular small car is $450.The Suzuki Celerio - is the cheapest mainstream model, still at its launch pricing of $13,990 drive- away with automatic transmission. Learn to drive a manual and pay $12,990.Slightly larger, the trusty Suzuki Swift is good buying at $16,490 drive-away with auto.Toyota's Yaris — with seven airbags and reverse camera — is back at $17,990 drive-away with auto and four years' roadside assistance.The Mazda2 initially looks good at $16,990 drive-away for the manual. Auto brings the price to $18,990 drive-away, which is not as sharp.Honda and Mazda say there are "free on-roads" for the Jazz and Mazda3 respectively, dealer delivery is still in the mix and the prices aren't that sharp.Kia's Cerato sedan and hatch are still at an incredible $19,990 drive-away for auto (metallic paint is expensive at $495). They have a seven-year warranty, front and rear parking sensors but no camera.The Hyundai i30 hatch auto is $21,990 drive-away and you can swap December's $1000 Eftpos voucher for $1000 off the car, so at $20,990 it's good buying. The Elantra stablemate is the same price but will be in run-out within a few months.Toyota's Corolla Ascent Sport hatch is fair buying at $23,990 drive-away with auto.For a little more bling and a good drive, the refreshed Ford Focus Trend is $25,490 drive-away after the $500 test drive discount. That includes auto, satnav, rear camera, alloy wheels, cruise control and a super efficient 1.5-litre turbo engine.Family carsThe most metal for the money at the moment, the just-released new Toyota Camry can be had for $28,990 drive-away at zero finance over four years. It has the cheapest servicing in the business and is economical to run and easy to drive. Standard fare includes seven airbags and rear-view camera.The stablemate Aurion V6 is just $1000 more at $29,990 drive-away, also with the same equipment and the same terms. Warning: this car has so much grunt it can lose traction when accelerating in the wet.The Holden Commodore SV6 "Storm" edition is $39,990 drive-away with auto but $2000 bonus from Holden trims the price to $37,990 drive-away. That's the cheapest VF II yet (though the VE II dropped to $34,990 and $35,990 a couple of years ago).SUVsThe city-sized Holden Trax LS is priced so sharply that dealers have almost run out. More stock is coming late this month and early January.The headline price says $22,990 drive-away with a free auto upgrade — for this month, take off a further $1000, bringing it to $21,990 drive-away or about $6000 off the original RRP.The Mitsubishi ASX LS manual is $25,000 drive-away but there is a free auto upgrade this month, about $5000 off. It has seven airbags, five-year warranty, 18-inch alloys, touchscreen, rear camera and sensors. Good deal.Need a seven-seater? The Mazda CX-9 Classic is still super sharp at $39,990 drive-away; the nine-year-old model will be superseded in February.Much newer but about the same price, the Toyota Kluger seven-seater can be had for $42,990 drive-away.Looking to buy a Holden Captiva 7? Be warned, a refreshed model with a new look and Apple CarPlay is just around the corner.Want to go bush? The Holden Colorado 7 LT will get you there and leave more money for camping gear: with $1000 factory bonus it comes down to $42,990 drive-away, or about $5000 off.Mitsubishi Pajero is also really good buying for the Big Trip. At $55,000 drive-away with auto and five-year warranty, it's a solid choice at a sharp price.

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Nothing comes for nothing, they say, and that applies especially to attractive finance offers on new cars. Some can save you thousands of dollars while others have a lump sum at the end.Experts have warned buyers to beware of low interest rate finance offers on new cars in end-of-year sales.While some deals are sharp and can save you thousands of dollars, most of the December deals lock customers into a lump sum payment at the end of the life of the loan -- equivalent to more than half the original purchase price of the car.For example, the Nissan Micra is available for just $49 per week with a 1 per cent interest rate, bringing the total drive-away price to $15,850.But at the end of the three-year loan, the buyer is lumped with a bill for $8210, more than half the original purchase price.The same lump sum, described in finance terms as a “balloon payment”, also appears in the fineprint of the Nissan Navara offer.The Nissan ute can be had for $110 per week with a 1 per cent interest rate, bringing the total drive-away price to $35,991.But at the end of the three-year loan, the buyer is lumped with a bill for $19,795 -- or 55 per cent of the purchase price.Dealer finance experts say on average most residual or “balloon payments” are about 20 per cent of the purchase price, so buyers are not caught out “upside down” owing more than the car is worth at the end of the loan.A spokesman for the National Roads and Motorists’ Association, Peter Khoury, said buyers need to read the fine print of special offers and make sure there are no hidden extra costs.“One of the problems with a balloon payment is that a lot of people can’t afford it and then they have to take out another loan to pay that remaining portion,” said Mr Khoury.In contrast, the current 0 per cent Toyota Camry offer is available without a lump sum payment at the end and can be carried over four years.A $28,990 Toyota Camry costs $140 per week over four years but then the buyer owns the car outright, with no lump sum at the end.A $29,990 Toyota Aurion V6 sedan costs $144 per week, with nothing left to pay at the end of the four-year loan.“When it comes to financing a vehicle, if you are not confident you understand the terms and conditions, make sure you show someone who does,” said Mr Khoury.“Otherwise buyers may not see the loopholes and commit to something they can’t afford. Always shop around and get more than one quote, and that applies to a quote for financing the vehicle.”Dollar dazzlersNissan Micra manual$15,850 drive-away1 per cent finance offer$49 per week over three years and a $8210 balloon paymentNissan Pulsar auto$22,507 drive-away1 per cent finance offer$67 per week over three years and a $12,095 balloon paymentNissan Navara ute$36,835 drive-away1 per cent finance offer$110 per week over three years and a $19,795 balloon paymentToyota Camry$28,990 drive-away0 per cent finance offer$140 per week over four years, no more to payToyota Aurion V6$29,990 drive-away0 per cent finance offer$144 per week over four years, no more to pay

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Industry-best seven year unlimited kilometre warranty announced by Kia.Kia is today launching a new industry-leading warranty program that will cover owners for seven years and unlimited kilometres.Customers will also benefit from seven years of capped price servicing and roadside assistance, while the warranty will be fully transferable between owners.All existing Kia owners whose vehicles were covered by the brand's previous five-year capped price servicing plan will also automatically receive an additional two years of capped price servicing for a total of seven years. The five year warranty period remains for these owners however."Crucially, our customers will not be asked to pay any more for their scheduled services than had been the case with the five year capped-price program," Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith said."The two year increase in warranty, capped-price servicing and roadside assist is absolutely transparent and we will not be asking our customers to dip into their pockets to fund the extra benefits," he added.Kia is currently the only automaker in Australia to offer a seven-year warranty period, trumping Citroen's six-year term and the five-years offered by several other manufacturers. The Korean brand's new coverage is also more than double the three-year industry standard.