Is Right Now the Best Time of the Year to Buy a Used Car?
In general, late fall and early winter is actually the best time of the year to buy a used car. You’ll find the best deals in January and February, but also save significantly in December as well. It’s therefore a good time to start planning as dealers will soon want to clear their inventory to make room for next year’s models.
With the holidays and sub sequential shopping sprees coming up, it will soon be the best time of the year to buy a used car. Black Friday and Christmas Eve are commonly known as the best days to find a used car deal. You’re also likely to find great deals on Veteran’s Day, so you may not have to wait as long as you think. In general, any holiday weekend is a good time to save, as dealers offer more incentives and sales amidst a higher volume of trade-ins and lease returns.
Different Times to Find Used Car Deals
If you’re reading this article and wondering if it’s the right time to find a used car, consider these other times you might find irresistible opportunities:
- End of the Year: As we touched on earlier, dealers need to clear their inventory, and salespeople are working harder to meet their goals and quotas.
- End of the Month: In addition to sales goals driving deals, you might get in on a trade-in or lease return at month’s end.
- End of the Quarter: Opportunities depend on whether the dealer has meet its earnings goals and/or there’s a high volume of used cars on the lot.
Winter Is Coming
It might not sound so appealing to shop for a used car in the dead of winter. But pick a sunny day (when it’s easier to see any imperfections in the vehicle) and it’s more likely you’ll find lower prices. On the other hand, springtime sees higher demand and thus higher prices. Wintertime is when you’ll probably find deals on convertibles and other off-season cars. By contrast, four-wheel-drive SUVs sell more strongly in the winter months, but prices may drop in the spring as sales fall and fuel prices increase.
Picking Your Day
If you want to get more granular than the best time of the year to buy a used car, let’s compare which days are best. If you want to free your schedule to shop for a used car, pick one early in the week. Fewer people will be at the dealership on a Monday or Tuesday (if the dealership is closed on Sunday, then Tuesday or Wednesday are best). Since it’s less busy, you can ask questions, work with the dealer, and spend less time on the transaction.
Other strategic times to buy used cars are right when new models start to come out, a model is discontinued, or is being redesigned. Used vehicle supplies also tend to increase when an auto show is in town. With many new cars being promoted, people are driven to sell their old ones or trade-in their leases. The impact of auto shows can last for several weeks.
Are You Ready to Buy a Used Car?
The most important thing is that you are prepared to shop for a used car. Being prepared (have reviewed your credit, analyzed your budget, researched cars, been pre-approved for financing, etc.), gives you an opportunity to wait until there’s a great deal—and move on it fast.
At Hawthorne Auto Square, we have hundreds of used cars, trucks, SUVs, and more. We can get you quickly pre-approved and set up with one of our unbeatable financing options. To get started, browse our online inventory, visit our dealership, or call 866-707-7664 today!
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