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More on the 2006 Toyota Tundra

It was typical of the ''sweeter deals for many buyers" that are now available, said Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst who works for the automotive watchdog Edmunds.com.

Ciccolo, whose company sells Cadillacs, Hummers, Volvos, Saabs, and Hondas, said the aim is to overcome sales doldrums that coincide with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah, when consumers tend to spend their money elsewhere and not think about buying a car. Many of the manufacturer incentives were launched in the fall, but become more valuable in the final days of the year because dealers often add their own enhancements.

This year, the holiday-season slowdown was exacerbated by high gasoline prices that hit truck and SUV sales hardest, as well as by a barrage of successful buying incentives rolled out during the summer -- such as promotions that offered consumers vehicles at the same price auto company employees paid for them. As a result, sales volume was up, but profits were not.

About 15 percent of the vehicles on dealership lots today are leftover 2005 models, Toprak said. For example, a 2005 Lincoln Town car features a $5,500 price cut and Mercury Montereys have been slashed by $6,000.