Shopping is such an easy thing to do that other people find it hard to resist acting on every impulse. However, there’s one thing that can be difficult to go home with despite the urge – a car, unless you are rich.
For most of us, purchasing a vehicle takes a lot of time, effort, and research, with emphasis on research. This is because this investment requires saving and testing, and you certainly want to snatch a good deal, which is why it usually becomes a stressful process.
Going home with the keys might be tempting and exciting, but if you are after a good deal, then you should know the best timing to buy a car. As much as we are thrilled to purchase one right now, calm your horses down because you could save a lot more if you wait for the perfect time.
December
In the past years, December has become one of the best times to buy a car, Cars.com senior editor Kelsey Mays said. This is because the year is about to end, when salesmen are rushing to meet their sales goals and dispose of left units in their inventories.
It was found that this month is the best for incentives from 2013 to 2018, Motor Intelligence data showed. Even luxury brands, the writer said, offer attractive finance deals during this time, usually masked as a holiday gift.
After Christmas is also an ideal time to buy a vehicle. Did you notice that advertisements come in hordes and sales become extremely tempting during this time? Holiday weekends provide good discounts, but you should always do the math before pulling your wallet out.
What’s better is when the weekends happen to be the end of the month, Kelsey said, because these offers even become higher.
September
If you really can’t wait for December, then September is your next bet. Car enthusiasts would know model changeovers, or when the following year’s new models arrive in dealerships, usually happen by early fall or late summer.
This is when the showroom gets reorganized, in short, the time when new units take centerstage. As per Motor Intelligence, this month belongs to the three in a year when it’s good to score a vehicle.
Near the End of a Month
Just like December, salespersons tend to offer neat deals at the end of the month because they have a quota to reach. Specifically, this may happen during the busiest time of the day.
Although you may never know if the guy had already hit his target, you can take a hint from both nonverbal and verbal cues. If you observed that he is more open to negotiating the price, then this could be good for you.
Early in the Week
Salespersons usually have their hands full during weekends because there are relatively more employees taking their days off.
Credit Karma vice president Dana Marineau suggested visiting the dealership early in the week, when more people will be attentive to you. According to TrueCar, the day when you can save more when buying a car is Monday.
