Unless you own a home, the most expensive thing in your life is sitting on four wheels.
According to Car and Driver, new car prices dropped 1.1% from April to May 2024. But that still puts the figure at $48,000. Reference the 2024 active-duty pay chart, and you'll see that's more than an E-6 with seven years of service makes in a year -- that's before taxes.
Fortunately, there are ways to stretch your dollar further. You can buy used. You can take care of basic maintenance yourself. You can also let manufacturers and automotive businesses show their support with a military discount.
These are some of the best military discounts in the automotive space. They're all available year-round; not just on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Whether you're buying a new car, a fresh set of tires or protecting your investment with an insurance policy, we have an excellent repository of money-saving deals.
There's a lot here, so take a peek at what's ahead:
- Military discounts on new cars
- Military discounts on car parts, tires, maintenance and shipping
- Military discounts on car insurance
- Military discounts on motorcycles and riding gear
Car Brands That Offer Military Discounts
Buying a new car is painfully expensive; there's no way around it. Your first goal as a service member should be avoiding predatory dealerships.
Next, factor in the amount of financial assistance each manufacturer is willing to offer out of appreciation for your service. It won't exactly be a buy-one-get-one-free type of promotion, but every bit helps, especially when it reduces the amount of money you have to pay interest on for the next several years.
Discounts
Acura will take $750 off the price of a 2024 or newer Integra, TLX, RDX, MDX or ZDX when you finance or lease. The only catch is that you have to use Acura's in-house financing rather than your bank's. This promotion is set to expire on March 31, 2025.
BMW offers variable rewards through the BMW Military Incentive. You can save anywhere from $500 to $5,000 on a new vehicle purchase or lease. Better yet, you can combine this discount with other BMW promotions to maximize your savings. To get started, create an ID.me account before visiting your local dealership.
Active-duty, reserve and retired service members can get a $500 discount on new Chrysler vehicles. This deal is also available to separated service members within the first year of leaving the military. The downside is limited selection. Chrysler's current lineup includes the Pacifica (gas or hybrid) and a few 2023 300s left on the lots.
We've covered the ways Ford supports the military community before, and the Blue Oval is also willing to knock a few bucks off the purchase price for service members. To take advantage of this program, enter your zip code on Ford's Military Recognition website and confirm your eligibility through ID.me.
Want to carry on the Willys' legacy in your own garage? Jeep offers $500 off select vehicles for active-duty, reserve, retired and 100%-disabled veterans. If you were honorably discharged before retirement age, you can get the same deal within the first year after you get out.
Honda offers its military discount not only to service members but spouses, as well. Get $500 toward any 2023 or newer Honda when you finance through Honda Financial Services.
You can also save $500 on a new Hyundai through 2024. This one's interesting because it's the only military discount that specifies the branches of service that are eligible. I'm sure they meant to include everyone, but they actually left out the Space Force. As the great Rodney Dangerfield said, "I don't get no respect! No respect at all!" Kia, Hyundai's sister company, also offers a military discount but doesn't list specifics on the website. Maybe the Space Force will have better luck there.
Want to put a little zoom-zoom in your life? Mazda takes $500 off the price of new cars for service members. This offer is extra valuable because Mazda will let you apply it to 2025, 2024 or 2023 model-year vehicles. If you can find an unused '23 car that still hasn't sold, the dealership will undoubtedly give you a fantastic price to make room for leftover '24 and incoming '25 models. Strike while the iron is hot!
Sadly, the glory days of hot-blooded Mitsubishi rally cars are behind us, but the military discount remains. Mitsubishi will take $500 off vehicles such as the Outlander, the Outlander, the Outlander, the Mirage, the Mirage and the Eclipse Cross.
According to Nissan, members of the U.S. military can get $500 to $1,000 in cash-back incentives toward the purchase of a new vehicle. I only found the $500 offer when I checked model by model, but it looks as if you can combine incentives for a really nice discount on several vehicles.
The military discount at Subaru might not be better in terms of the dollar amount, but it gives the company some advantages over other brands. For one, Subaru managed to list the Space Force in the offer terms so at least it's paying attention and not copying and pasting offer terms from several years ago. If you've recently separated from the military, Subaru also gives you two years instead of one to take advantage of military pricing.
Tesla now offers $1,000 off the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y (sorry, no Cybertruck discount) for service members, retirees, veterans and spouses. As with any electric vehicle, make sure you have access to fast, reliable charging before pulling the trigger on one.
Last but certainly not least, Toyota is another manufacturer that offers a $500 military discount. Like the people at Subaru, though, they found other ways to stand out. The Toyota military discount is also available to service members, retirees, veterans within two years of leaving active duty, and household family members of all the above. That includes Gold Star families, which is really nice to see.
Overseas Assistance
Let's say you're stationed overseas, need a set of wheels, and for some reason, you don't want to take my totally reasonable advice on buying a sweet deployment car. You have other (perhaps more sensible) options.
Audi will help you find the perfect car for you, offer 24/7 customer support and deliver your car to an authorized dealer in the U.S. or Europe. Defense Department and diplomatic civilian employees are eligible, too.
BMW offers one of the strongest overseas assistance programs. You can take advantage of special discounts, fixed prices, tax incentives, customer support, and -- most importantly -- BMW will ensure that your car meets all the requirements for you to import it stateside seamlessly.
Volvo will let you spec out your car exactly how you want it and give you military-exclusive discounted pricing. You can take delivery overseas or pick it up from the factory in Sweden. Volvo will then pay to ship it to you in the U.S. up to five years after the date of purchase.
Save Money on Maintenance and Tires
Once you buy your car, there's no shortage of companies willing to keep it running at a discount. Before you swap out your old tires, schedule an oil change or order parts to install at your installation's auto skills center, see whether there's an opportunity to save some money with a military discount.
Car Parts
If you have a little bit of mechanical ability, working on your car can save you a ton of money. Many military installations have an auto skills or hobby center where you can access tools, lifts, proper chemical disposal and help from people who know what they're doing.
You can save money on the parts you need, too. Advance Auto Parts and O'Reilly Auto Parts offer service members and veterans 10% off in-store purchases. Not everything is eligible, though, so make sure to ask for the discount.
Tires
Tires are one of the least exciting things you can buy for your car, and they always seem expensive. Luckily, Discount Tire and Priority Tire offer a 5% military discount. You may need to set up an account through ID.me to participate.
Auto Maintenance
Would you rather hire someone to fix your car or perform preventative maintenance? You can still save a bundle.
Jiffy Lube offers 15% off in-store purchases for all service members. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to batteries, brakes, alignments and diagnostic services.
At Pep Boys locations, active-duty service members and veterans get 10% off at the register.
Any time you get an oil change, Valvoline drive-through locations will take 15% off your bill. All you have to do is show your military ID.
Shipping
Shipping your privately owned vehicle, or POV, to your next duty station is one of the best ways to keep the miles down. The catch is that shipping a car can be very expensive.
Transport Masters offers 50% off for all current or retired service members; that's likely to add up to hundreds of dollars in your bank account. When your car rolls off the trailer at your new post, it'll be no worse for wear and ready to get you back on the road.
Car Insurance Companies That Offer Military Discounts
Having car insurance is mandatory; paying full price is optional. Start by checking out our guide to military auto insurance.
For example, Geico offers service members up to 15% off their car insurance. USAA caters exclusively to the military community and offers discounts for customers who park on base, and you could save 60% while you're deployed.
According to Nerd Wallet, some states even require insurance companies to offer discounts to service members -- like 25% in Louisiana.
Regardless of where military life takes you or which insurance provider you choose, it always pays to do a little digging. Ask whether the company offers a military discount, change the status of your car when you deploy, and keep your driving record as clean as your inspection uniform to avoid paying any more than you have to.
Get Military Discounts on Motorcycles and Riding Gear, Too!
Military discounts aren't just for cars; motorcyclists can also save a bundle.
New Motorcycles
Service members in the U.S. military can save $500 off the price of a new current-model-year BMW motorcycle. Right now, BMW is offering $250 off new previous-model-year bikes, too. With everything from adventure bikes and touring motorcycles to the scorching-hot S 1000 RR on the menu, I'm sure you can find something worth throwing a leg over.
Harley-Davidson has always maintained a tight relationship with the military community. The Milwaukee manufacturer provided the U.S. military with combat motorcycles more than a hundred years ago. It supports veteran events such as Rolling Thunder. Service members can also take advantage of military-only financing options, overseas purchasing assistance and free shipping to Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) addresses.
Indian, the other great American motorcycle company, offers discounts to service members, law enforcement and firefighters. All you have to do is verify your military status through ID.me.
Kawasaki offers a $250 discount on the purchase of almost any vehicle. That includes street bikes, dirt bikes, ATVs, UTVs and jet skis. The only exemptions are current-model-year Ninja H2 and Ninja H2 Carbon motorcycles; if you want to live out your "Top Gun: Maverick" fantasy, you'll have to pay full price.
Riding Gear
But what about all the safety gear, chain lube and tools that motorcyclists need? RevZilla is one of the most popular motorcycle gear retailers in the world, and the company offers a nice military discount in addition to its always-awesome customer service. To access it, you'll need to set up an account with GovX ID.
Bottom Line on the Bottom Line
No matter how you slice it, buying a car is going to cost you a lot of money. So is maintaining it. Getting a few bucks knocked off the price at the register definitely helps, though.
If you're on active duty, in the reserves, a veteran or part of a military family, you don't have to wait until Veterans Day to feel the love. Let the companies above show their appreciation with a military discount and tell them how much it helps; that way, the next generation of service members and their families can enjoy the same perks.
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