Depending on the season you purchase a vehicle, the better the deal you may find. And even when the seller just can’t budge on the price, you can ask for incentives such as a lower interest rate or even free oil changes. Plan ahead so you can take advantage of the best time of year to buy a car.
Day of the Week
Weekends are popular for shopping, since many people are off from work and have the time to look at and test drive vehicles. Consequently, sales staff are often fairly busy and may not have as much time to work out a deal. This makes Monday mornings one of the best times to buy a new car. Everyone else is back at work and the showroom is vacant, making you the most interesting person on the floor. That means you’ll have much more time to negotiate a better price.
Day of the Month
Each month, nearly every salesforce has quotas to fill and incentives from the manufacturers for reaching them. At the end of the month, when salespeople are trying to reach those final numbers, they may be more willing to work with your offer. In fact, the best time of year to buy a car may be the end of any sales period: month, quarter or fiscal year. You’re more likely to be offered extras, too. Free car washes for a year? Yes, please.
End of Days
While you’ll likely find a lower price in the final months of the calendar year — November and December — pay attention to model year-end dates as well. Manufacturers generally release new models in the fall, so you may find some exceptional incentives (and price drops) as dealerships move out the older inventory.
New Year’s Eve may be the best time to buy a car because it is the end of the annual fiscal period. Sales people want a year-end bonus as much as you do, so they might be willing to give you an extra nice price.
Holidays
You don’t have to wait until the end of a period to find a good deal, though. Instead, pick the best holiday to buy a car. Sales are typically slow in the first few months of the year, so there is often a Presidents Day event to get inventory moving. Automakers usually offer special pricing and other incentives for the long weekend.
Auto sales pick up significantly in the summer, and Memorial Day is usually the kick off. There are often rebates and financing deals over the long weekend. By the end of summer, Labor Day weekend, dealerships are ready to get rid of the rest of their inventory. That means you may be able to pick up the outgoing model for much less than you would have just a couple of weeks before.
Though not an actual holiday, dealerships want to take advantage of Black Friday fervor as much as any other retailer. There are often manufacturer incentives, as well as individual dealership discounts.
Today
Of course, you don’t have to wait for any particular day to find a good deal on KSL Cars. Find just what you’re looking for any day of the week, month or year. There are listings for compact cars for your teen, minivans for the family and everything else in between. Check back daily for new listings.
Now buying and selling on KSL.com is even better. When you purchase a vehicle from a private seller, sign up for Protect With KSL Confidence. It’s a vehicle protection program to cover you if something unexpected goes wrong with your previously owned car.
KSL Confidence is rolling out in stages. It is currently available in most of the cities located in Cache, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties. More geographic regions will be added soon.
