Buying a car is a significant investment, and like any major purchase, timing can play a crucial role in securing the best possible deal. Knowing when dealerships are most eager to make sales can put you in a stronger negotiating position and potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So, if you’re in the market for a new or used vehicle, understanding the optimal times to buy is essential.
Why Timing Matters When Buying a Car
Car dealerships operate on sales quotas and inventory cycles, which fluctuate throughout the year, month, week, and even day. These cycles create opportunities for savvy buyers. For instance, dealerships often have monthly and yearly sales targets. When approaching these deadlines, sales staff may be more motivated to close deals to meet their quotas, offering better incentives and discounts. Similarly, the arrival of new car models each year pushes dealerships to clear out older inventory to make space. This creates a buyer’s market for the outgoing models. By strategically timing your purchase, you can leverage these dealership pressures to your advantage.
Best Month to Buy a Car: December Takes the Crown
While several times throughout the year offer potential savings, December consistently emerges as the Best Month To Buy A Car. There are several converging factors that make December the prime time for car deals:
- Year-End Sales Goals: Dealerships are intensely focused on hitting their annual sales targets in December. This pressure intensifies as the end of the month approaches. Sales managers are often willing to offer substantial discounts and incentives to reach these goals and clear out inventory before the new year begins.
- Holiday Season Incentives: Automakers and dealerships frequently roll out special holiday sales events and promotions in December to capitalize on the festive shopping spirit. These can include cashback offers, financing deals, and bonus incentives that add up to significant savings.
- New Models Arriving: While September and October see the initial influx of new model year vehicles, by December, dealerships are still keen to move the remaining previous-year models. This means you can often find deep discounts on cars that are technically “last year’s model” but are still brand new and offer excellent value.
Happy couple receiving car keys from a dealership salesperson, representing the positive outcome of buying a car at the best time.
Other Great Times to Buy: Months & Days
While December is the ultimate month, other periods also present favorable conditions for car buying:
End of Year: September – October
As dealerships begin to receive the newest models, September and October become excellent months to find deals on the outgoing models. Dealerships need to make space for the fresh inventory, leading to increased discounts and incentives on current-year vehicles. This is a particularly good time to buy if you are not concerned about having the absolute latest model and prioritize getting a good price on a new car.
End of Month
Similar to the year-end push, dealerships also have monthly sales quotas. The last few days of any month can be advantageous. Sales teams are under pressure to meet their monthly targets, making them more open to negotiation and offering better deals to close sales before the month ends.
Midweek Shopping
Weekends are typically the busiest times at car dealerships, meaning less salesperson attention and potentially less flexible pricing. Shopping midweek, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, can offer a more relaxed environment and increased negotiating power. Salespeople are often less rushed and more willing to work with you to secure a sale during slower weekdays.
Late Afternoon/Evening Visits
Consider visiting the dealership later in the afternoon or early evening. As salespeople approach the end of their workday, they may be more motivated to finalize a deal, especially if it has been a slow day. This can create an opportunity to negotiate more aggressively and potentially get a better price as they aim to wrap up their day with a sale.
Used Cars: Early New Year
If you’re in the market for a used car, January and February can be prime months. Following the holiday season, many people trade in their older vehicles when purchasing new cars. This influx of trade-ins increases the used car inventory at dealerships. To move this inventory, dealers are often willing to offer more attractive prices on used vehicles during the early months of the new year.
Times to Avoid When Car Shopping
Just as there are optimal times to buy, some periods are less favorable for car buyers:
- Weekends: Dealerships are typically crowded on weekends, reducing your negotiating leverage and salesperson availability.
- Early in the Weekends: While holiday sales events in January can seem appealing, the discounts might not be as significant as those found later in the year, particularly in December.
- Summer Months (Generally): Unless you are specifically targeting end-of-cycle models, summer months generally see fewer discounts compared to the end-of-year periods. Demand can be higher in summer, especially for family vehicles, potentially reducing the incentive for dealerships to offer deep discounts.
By understanding these cycles and strategically timing your car purchase, you can significantly improve your chances of driving away with your desired vehicle at the best possible price.
