Did you know that February has the lowest rate of discounts making it the opposite of the best time to buy a car? This shows potential car buyers that they may want to wait for better deals to arise since Valentine’s day deals aren’t a popular option. The best time to buy a car can be tricky to navigate.
Some will say Mondays are the best days because you’re free and clear from the weekend sales sharks trying to get the most out of the large crowds. Others will say to simply wait for holidays because you can take advantage of holiday sales.
And others may even claim that waiting for the end of the year is the best time to head into a dealership. The thing is, there is some truth in all of these claims but there are also tips that you can use to get great deals without having to wait for holidays or significant times throughout the year. Keep reading as we let you in on the best time to buy a car.
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Don’t Waste Your Time or Your Money on the Weekends
The first problem with weekends is that they are the busiest times for dealerships. At this point, most people are off of work and using the free time they have to do car shopping. This means that you won’t have open access to the salesperson, making haggling for better car prices almost impossible.
The typical salesperson may also have more than one or two customers at a time. Now, if you’re a sales-chaser, three-day weekends would be the only justifiable time to deal with a dealership and that’s because three-day weekends also mean better sales that you might not see until the holidays. It’s also said that Sunday can be a popular day of the weekend to go if you have no other choice.
This is because while it’s common to see 3% to 5% off the sticker price in dealerships, you can often save 10% off MSRP on average at the tail end of the weekend. This is a good alternative for those that simply cannot go into a dealership during the week.
The End of the Month Is a Popular Time for a Reason
Knowing when to buy a car can be difficult to pinpoint but overall, the best time to buy a car will fall into the winter season and this season starts at the end of the year. Consumers wonder why that is and the answer is heavily related to the holidays. This is also related to new vehicles coming in.
During the later months of the year, this may be a good time to start looking for the best auto loans online. The reason for this is that you’ll be faced with unbeatable price points. Usually, between October and December, you will notice that not only are holiday sales rolling out but the reason for this rollout is the need to start clearing out the sales floor and sales lot to make room for new car models.
The end of the year is when dealerships bring in their new models. This is good for a potential car buyer because salesmen are more inclined to offer better deals.
This is also a time when dealerships may have a low car inventory making it a good time for buying a car. Also, keep in mind that this can apply to used cars and your options don’t have to be restricted to brand-new vehicles.
The Best Time to Buy a Car: What’s Special About the Middle of the Week?
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are going to be prime days of the week to head into the dealership and while these days may be the most inconvenient for some, they could also be the most rewarding. Not only will you have a better chance of having the attention of the salesperson but you are avoiding the “be back” traffic that dealerships see on Mondays.
Also, you have to consider that the main difference between the weekends and the weekdays is that you will have the same chance to get the same discounts (depending on sale time frames) but you won’t have to deal with long wait times. Time is the main thing that you will be able to take advantage of and you should also take note that the rule of thumb here is that “the earlier, the better”.
You will get to skip the long waits and going earlier could also mean that you have first-pick of what the lot has to offer. This is especially true if you are looking for more limited edition or newly released options.
The Beginning of the Week Isn’t a Bad Time to Stop Into a Dealership Either
As we mentioned, Mondays aren’t a bad time to stop at the dealership but people that weren’t able to get what they needed on the weekend will often end up at the dealership again on this day. While this is true, dealerships will often be less busy on a Monday in some cases. If you can’t make it in at the very beginning of the week, that’s not a bad thing as Tuesdays will fall into the safe zone for car buying as it’s taking you into the middle of the week.
Good Timing Can Equal Savings
If you’re in the market for a new ride, a good rule of thumb to go by is that the best time to buy a car will never be on the weekend. Also, peak seasons are as bad of an idea as weekends.
Shopping for new vehicles can be even more of a rewarding experience if you get the timing right so pay attention to the time of the year, month, and week when you decide to start looking. This could help you save some of your budget.
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