You’re looking for a great deal on a Ford Bronco, and the idea of a clearance sale is exciting. While official, nationwide “clearance” events for a vehicle as popular as the Bronco can be infrequent, there are absolutely specific times and strategies you can use to find significant savings. This guide will walk you through how to find the best possible price.
In the automotive world, a “clearance sale” isn’t like a retail store clearing out last season’s clothes. It almost always refers to one specific event: the model year changeover. Dealerships need to make space on their lots for the incoming new models, so they become more motivated to sell the remaining inventory of the current or previous model year.
For example, when the 2025 Ford Broncos start arriving at dealerships in late 2024, dealers will want to sell their remaining brand-new 2024 models quickly. This is the prime time to find what is effectively a clearance deal. These deals often combine a dealer discount with manufacturer incentives to create a very attractive price.
Timing is everything when it comes to buying a new vehicle. While the Bronco’s popularity can make discounts harder to find than for other models, certain periods offer a better chance of saving money.
To find the right deal, it helps to know the lineup. The Bronco comes in many flavors, from capable daily drivers to extreme off-road machines. Generally, the more common, lower-to-mid-range trims are more likely to see discounts than the highly specialized, in-demand models.
It is important to note that the Bronco Sport is a different vehicle. It’s a smaller, crossover-based SUV that is also very capable but is built on a different platform than the larger Bronco.
Now, let’s get to the practical steps you can take to secure the best price on a new Ford Bronco.
This is the most effective strategy. When you’re shopping in the fall, specifically search dealer inventory online for the current year’s model, not the upcoming one. For instance, in October 2024, filter your search for “New 2024 Ford Bronco” instead of the 2025s. You may find dealers are much more willing to negotiate on the vehicle that needs to be sold sooner.
Before you even talk to a dealer, visit the official Ford website. Look for a section called “Local Offers,” “Incentives,” or “View Offers.” Here, you can enter your zip code and see all the current manufacturer-sponsored deals. These can include:
Your local dealership might not have the model you want or be willing to offer a discount. Use online inventory search tools on sites like Cars.com or Autotrader, or even Ford’s own vehicle search tool, to look at inventory at dealerships within a 100 or even 200-mile radius. A long drive could save you thousands of dollars.
The perfect Bronco for you might be the perfect Bronco for ten other people. However, a model in a less popular color or with a slightly different combination of features might sit on the lot longer. Dealers are more likely to discount a vehicle that isn’t moving as quickly. If you’re flexible, you can use that to your advantage.
The vehicle in the ad’s image is the top-tier Ford Bronco Raptor. It is critical to set realistic expectations for this specific model. The Raptor is a high-demand, specialty vehicle with limited production. It is extremely unlikely to be part of any clearance sale or to have significant discounts. In many cases, just being able to purchase a new Bronco Raptor at its sticker price (MSRP) without a dealer markup is considered a good deal.
By using these strategies and timing your purchase correctly, you can find a fantastic deal that feels like a clearance sale on one of the most exciting SUVs on the market.
What’s the difference between a dealer discount and a manufacturer rebate? A manufacturer rebate is a discount offered directly from Ford and is available to all eligible customers at any dealership. A dealer discount is an additional price reduction offered by the specific dealership you are buying from. The best deals combine both.
Is it a bad idea to buy the outgoing model year? Not at all! You’re still getting a brand-new vehicle with a full warranty. Unless the new model year has a complete redesign or a must-have feature you can’t live without, buying the outgoing model is one of the smartest ways to save thousands of dollars on a new car.
How much can I realistically save on a Ford Bronco? This varies widely based on location, trim, and time of year. For popular trims, saving a few thousand dollars off MSRP through a combination of dealer discounts and incentives would be considered a great deal. For extremely high-demand models like the Raptor, significant savings are very rare.