The economy hasn’t brought all bad news. No, I’m serious. Now may be the best time ever to buy a new car. Of course your bank account may not allow such thinking, but if a car purchase is on your mind for a year from now, there are many reasons to step up the timetable.

Due to glacially slow car sales, nearly every automaker is offering APR far below your bank. In many cases, 0% financing is available… and I’m no math guru, but paying for just the car is always better than paying for the car plus interest. If you plan to keep it until you pay off your loan (five years) then plan on saving more than $5,000 in interest costs alone!

Then there’s the CARS program, or as it’s commonly known, “Cash for Clunkers”. There are many rules (this is a government program after all), but if you qualify then you can roll into a dealer knowing exactly how much your trade in is worth. But be sure to check that you qualify and don’t submit your car if it’s worth more than the rebate amount. If you have an old SUV with a bunch of miles, there’s a good chance that $4,500 is more than you’d get if you sold it yourself.

And you haven’t even begun to negotiate! In this market, a real buyer is an endangered species. If you’re serious about a purchase, dealers are going to offer rock bottom prices. And if you find one who won’t, go down the block because someone else will. Whatever you have your eye on can be talked down to the the basement.  In addition to the struggling domestic brands, most everyone from Toyota to BMW are dealing and offering 0% or cash back.

Finally, even the taxman is helping for once. Buying a car in 2009 allows you to write off the income tax (the nasty part of the “tax, title, and license” equation) of your purchase. It will operate as a direct deduction on your taxable income. We are not accountants, but your tax adviser will back us up here.

Now unfortunately most of these great deals only apply to new cars. We love used cars and think the Cash for Clunkers program should apply to any vehicle purchase meeting the requirements, new or used. However, no one asked us. But this is a rare moment, like a solar eclipse, where the perfect alignment of trade in, timing, and financing can make new more affordable than used. Just do your research.

All told, with tax benefits, low or no interest financing, desperate dealers, and government trade in programs, this can quickly add up to well over $10,000 in savings. And if you have your eye on a car that’s especially slow selling or on it’s way to extinction (I’m looking at you, Pontiac!), then fight for the deal of a lifetime.

Shop while the shopping is good, cause this alignment of incentives is unlikely to come around again.