When is the best time to buy a car? Season and price

Is any time a good time to make a new car purchase? When is the best time to buy a car – for example, because of the benefits you can get on this occasion? 

Why is choosing the right time to buy a car important?

Car prices are subject to the same fluctuations as the prices of any other product. This is already an amount that cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the purchase of a new car should be well thought out and planned. Sometimes a few weeks can make a huge difference.

You can take advantage of the fact that salespeople are bound by sales targets – and bonuses awarded to them depend on their fulfillment. What does this mean in practice? Potentially a better negotiating position vis-à-vis a salesman who – at the end of the sales period – is particularly keen to make a deal and improve his bottom line.

 

What to consider when planning a purchase?

When is the best time to buy cars? And is buying a used car different from buying a new car? There are at least a few elements to pay attention to. The first of these – absolutely – is needs and capabilities. In other words, someone who needs a car immediately, for example, to commute to work, will not wait until a vintage sale a few months later. On the other hand, even markedly lower prices won’t tempt someone who can’t afford to buy a car at a given time.

Seasonal factors play a role – the beginning of the year is a time when dealers are eager to offer attractive promotions on cars that are new, but already last year’s. The end of quarters is in most cases the time when settlements of earned targets take place, so dealers may want to improve their bottom line a bit at the last minute.

No matter how attractive the price might be, every time you buy a car it is worth thinking carefully, not forgetting that exceptional bargains are extremely rare. Most, on the other hand, have both their good and slightly worse sides.

 

When is the best time to buy a car? Seasonal factors

Buy a new car in summer or winter – this is the question that many drivers facing the decision ask themselves. Is it worth waiting to buy? Or, on the contrary, is it worth hurrying. Here’s what a buyer should consider depending on the season.

 

Buying a car in winter

Many people decide to buy a car in the spring, on the assumption that this is the best time. Also, dealers are aware of the increased interest during this period, making them less willing to make concessions. Winter, on the other hand, is considered to be the time when cars should not be bought – because, for example, in such a case it will not be possible to carry out a visual inspection properly. Meanwhile, it is in winter that used cars reveal most of their flaws. Low temperatures show what sellers would prefer to hide. On the other hand, the day is shorter and it gets dark faster. There is less time left for a thorough inspection.

The end of the year and the beginning of the new one – winter is in full swing – is a good time to buy a new car. Sellers at dealerships are anxious to get rid of cars before their value drops – for an extra year.

 

Buying a car in summer

Buying a car in summer is certainly more pleasant than in winter – higher temperatures outside the window, a longer day. All this makes it possible to take a much better look at an interesting specimen, and snow or mud will not serve to mask the shortcomings. On the other hand, however, summer conditions are also more favorable for the cars themselves. To mention only the most trivial issue – a heavily depleted battery in the warm season can still cope, but the first frost will prove to be the last for it.

Wanting to save money, however, summer is not the best time to buy. Special circumstances aside, this is hardly a period when you can count on more interesting promotions, and cars are simply expensive. If you add to this the limited selection and the need to wait several months for delivery of an individually configured vehicle, the whole thing ceases to be worthwhile. So if you can wait six months, it’s usually worth it.

 

The impact of the new model year

Every year new models are introduced to the market. Sometimes the changes from the previous one are minimal – this is sometimes the case with the so-called model year. More changes are brought by the introduction of a new generation. It is no coincidence that the Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla or Opel Astra have been sold under the same name for several decades, even though de facto the representatives of the first and last generations have nothing in common anymore. However, customers are accustomed to the brand – it represents a value that is realistically translatable into money.

What happens then, when a new model goes on sale? The older one automatically becomes less attractive to customers. Dealers therefore try to sell off older cars in advance, even offering more-than-usual attractive discounts in the process. So this is the moment when it’s best to buy a new car – assuming, of course, that the purchase is to be as profitable as possible (and not dictated, for example, by the desire to own the latest models).

Promotions & Sales

Walking out of the showroom without at least trying to negotiate the best possible deal? It’s up to the customer to decide which offer he or she will agree to, but it’s no coincidence how often various sales and promotions are held.

 

End of the month, quarter and year

Car sales are governed by the same laws as many other businesses – the basic determinant is the development of sales targets. Depending on the location, these can be accounted for monthly, quarterly and annually. It is not uncommon for all these periods to be taken into account. Customers stand to gain from the fact that dealers want to improve their performance at the end of sensitive periods. This means getting the best deals at the end of the month, quarter or end of the year. Some professionals even go so far as to point out that the best time to make a purchase is the ends of October, November and December, when settlement dates coincide.

 

Christmas and special occasions

A new car under the Christmas tree? Why not – if only finances allow it. During the holiday season you can also count on additional incentives in the form of, for example, winter packages or special discounts. Although sales on “Black Friday” have so far been associated primarily with electronics stores, they have also reached representatives of other industries, including automotive. Add to this the New Year’s sales, from vintage sales to occasional discounts, and you can hit on a truly attractive proposition. Once again, this also shows that it is the winter period that favors buyers.

 

Buying a New vs. Used Car

A new car in the showroom, not infrequently on credit or taken on lease, or perhaps it is better to consider buying a used car? When is the best time to do so?

 

When is the best time to buy a new car?

The end of the year is the ideal time to buy a new car. This is when dealers try to sell out the available units on the spot before the loss of value occurs. In some cases, it’s just a few days difference, and according to the documents, the car becomes a year older. Older cars are cheaper cars, as both buyers and sellers realize.

Is it worth looking out for bargains on the secondary market? Everyone can probably already answer this question – no, because bargains don’t happen. Behind every attractive price there is a reason why it was lowered. Nevertheless, there are times when offers generally become a bit more attractive. At the end of the year, after the return from holiday trips, also in winter.

 

How to Negotiate the Best Price

The customer wants to buy, the seller wants to sell – all they have to do is agree on the terms of the deal. In practice, this means that any offer can be negotiated. It’s worth knowing how.

 

Negotiation tips

The most important thing is to be properly prepared for negotiations. A request for a price reduction supported by factual arguments will be more difficult for the seller to reject. Therefore, the basis before buying a car – any car – is to familiarize yourself with the proposals available on the market. Comparing the offer is therefore a basic matter. It’s worth figuring out which cars are most popular, which are less so – and for what reason. It’s worth getting to know the model of interest well, both to better verify the chosen unit before purchase, but also to gain additional arguments in negotiations.

 

 

No matter how attractive a proposal may seem, it is worth remembering that haste is a bad advisor. With so many offers available, missing out on one or two “bargains” – even real ones, should they happen – should not cause anyone to lose sleep.

 

What additional benefits can be negotiated?

It’s no coincidence that car ads very often talk not about discounts, but about benefits? After all, deciding on a “benefit” does not mean that the final price will be proportionally lower. It means, for example, additional equipment, which the manufacturer will price at the amount presented in the advertisement. An extra set of tires, accessories, a roof rack, a free inspection, financing on better terms – there are many options.

However, it is worth taking into account that – leaving aside the offers available basically only at the showroom of a given manufacturer – the benefits are mainly beneficial to the seller. For example, floor mats “worth” according to the dealer a thousand zlotys are no benefit, if equally good ones can be bought on their own, for a fraction of that amount. Reason and cool reflection are the first line of defense against marketing tricks.

 

Is it worth waiting for the best time?

There are situations in which waiting – several months, six months – is not possible, because the car is needed on a daily basis. Some people in such a case opt for a cheap used car – “for commuting”. Thus, they gain more space to search for the target car they are interested in. Choosing the right one is a decision that is influenced by many factors. So it is often better to hold back a little than to make it too hastily.

Regardless of the chosen purchase market (new or aftermarket), regardless of the amount allocated for the car, regardless of the planned form of financing – it is worthwhile to think carefully and, in case of doubt, additionally ask for help from experts (only not necessarily salesmen, even if they self-proclaimed themselves almost professors of the automotive trade).