The same car can cost noticeably less depending on when you buy it. Dealers work to targets, stock ages, and demand rises and falls with the seasons. Time your purchase around those patterns and you walk in with the upper hand. Here is when to buy, and when to wait.
End of the month, quarter and year
Sales staff and dealerships are measured against targets, and those targets reset at the end of each month, each quarter and especially each year. As a deadline approaches, there is more willingness to discount to hit a number. Shopping in the last few days of the month, or in the final weeks of the year, often puts you in a stronger position.
When new stock arrives
When a dealer takes delivery of updated models or a new registration period begins, they need to clear the outgoing stock to make room. Buying the outgoing model year, or a car that has been sitting on the forecourt for a while, can mean a solid discount on a car that is barely different from the newest one.
Seasonal demand
Demand follows the weather. Convertibles and sporty cars are cheapest in the cold months when few people want them, and four wheel drives and larger vehicles are easier to buy in spring and summer. Buy the type of car that is out of season and you avoid paying a premium.
When to hold off
Avoid buying at peak demand for the car you want, right after a brand new model launches when prices are firm, or in a rush to beat a deadline that pressures you into a poor deal. If you are trading in, remember the same seasonal logic works against you when your old car is out of season.
The best time is when you are ready
Timing helps, but it never beats being prepared. Know your budget with the affordability tool, decide between new and used, and go in ready to negotiate. A well prepared buyer in an ordinary month beats an unprepared one in a sale.
