Just to start out with a disclaimer, I have almost perfect credit, so I was one of the very few people who could be approved for zero percent financing at my local Houston Mazda dealership. Since only seven percent of applicants can do that, I’m talking to that seven percent to whom the Houston Mazda dealership gives a choice.

If your Houston Mazda dealership offers you a choice between zero percent financing and a rebate of $2000+, take the rebate! I had this option from my Houston Mazda dealership and did the math, and while with the zero percent financing I would have ended up paying only a few cents more than the purchase price of the car, with the rebate I ended up paying a thousand dollars less.