Ford surprised the industry when it went all-out with its Edge ST crossover. What could have easily been not much more than an appearance package and a few extra horsepower turned out to be a fully-fledged performance vehicle with 335 ponies under its hood. Combined with standard all-wheel drive and numerous other exterior and interior upgrades, the Edge ST delivers the goods. And now it can be purchased for cheaper than ever.

First noticed by CarsDirect, Ford has issued a dealer incentive bulletin announcing the Edge ST is eligible for over $5,000 in rebates. It gets even better. Once combined with various dealer discounts, it's possible to shave up to $9,000 off the $43,450 MSRP (slightly more than 2018), including destination. CarsDirect discovered a Ford dealer in Fort Worth, Texas offering $9,072 off an Edge ST with a sticker price tag of $45,045.

Another dealer, located in Florida, slashed $8,381 off the $51,730 price – and that still includes options like navigation, a panoramic roof, and enhanced driver assistance technologies. Do your homework and shop around at some Ford dealers in your area, or heck, go out of state for the best price, and you'll likely be pleasantly surprised by what's out there right.

Speaking of which, why is Ford authorizing these dealer incentives in the first place? What's the catch? End of year overstock is the most likely reason. The 2020 models are due to arrive in showrooms in the very near future and Ford needs to clear inventory. No significant changes are expected for the 2020 Edge ST.

It's also worth your time to seek out a 2019 Edge ST that's been in stock for over 61 days. Why? Because the automaker is also offering a Select Inventory Bonus worth $500. This will bring immediate total savings to $5,500 from Ford alone without any additional dealer discounts. If you play your cards right, it's entirely possible to drive home in a new 2019 Ford Edge ST for around $35,000. Happy hunting.