The 2021 Ford Ranger offers buyers fatigued by high price a sigh of relief. The Seasonal discounts are out there, even if they look different than previous years. America’s second best-selling pickup truck will start the summer at a modest discount, but buyers have to act fast.

Ford is offering several 2021 Ranger discounts

Seasonal promotions are still a central part of the car shopping experience even in this volatile market. Per typical market practices, these discounts are regional. Ford has announced some specific numbers in relation to major cities. New York City will offer Lariat package buyers $2,000 off the MSRP.

Detroit will offer the same Lariat discount but sweetens the deal with 3.9% APR financing for 60 months. Miami will offer the low-interest financing deal without an additional discount. L.A. will offer $1,000 in addition to the low-interest rate offer. These offers are valid until July 6th.

Is the Lariat trim worth it?

The 2021 Ford Ranger is available in three trim levels. The XL base model comes equipped with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine. It comes standard with a ten-speed SelectShift transmission. This basic model features cloth seats. Ford includes a 2.3-inch productivity screen and FordPass Connect 4G LTE Wi-Fi. The XL starts at just $26,660.

For $4,050 buyers can move up to the XLT. This trim level sees an upgrade to premium cloth seats. The productivity screen also gets a boost increasing to 4.2-inches and adding color to the display. An 8-inch LCD touchscreen with SYNC 3 adds to the XLT’s interior tech. Dual-zone climate control keeps passengers comfortable.

The 2021 Ford Ranger’s Lariat trim has a lot to offer. Factoring in a possible $2,000 discount, this trim level costs $6,090 more than the base model. For this price increase, buyers will get the same 8-inch LCD touchscreen featured in the XLT trim level. It adds a second 4.2-inch productivity screen. The Lariat also includes voice-activated navigation. An upgraded speaker system and SeriousXM Traffic and Travel Link.

This list of features added to the Lariat package is short. It’s hard to argue that they’re worth the massive increase in price for this trim level. Even with current incentives, is it really worth it? In short, the answer if

This discount likely represents incentive trends this year

The shortage of new cars is not going away any time soon. It’s predicted to get worse before it gets better. Global supply is at its lowest since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts are concerned that demand for new cars is outpacing supply.

Some economists estimate that chip shortages and supply chain interruptions will not fully stabilize until 2023. Others are more optimistic. It’s possible that dealer incentives and maker discounts could return to more familiar numbers as early as next year.

Buyers may notice that discounts this year aren’t as generous as they were in 2020. New car shoppers can expect seasonal discounts to hover around 50% of the previous year’s offerings. Market shifts mean automakers and dealers are pressed to keep profits high.

Until markets return to pre-COVID numbers, experts recommend car shoppers act fast on seasonal deals. Consumer Reports urged readers not to hesitate after choosing a new car. Inventory is dwindling while demand surges. Waiting could mean missing out.