What’s the Best Time of Year to buy a used Car?
And it’s easier to get a good price: A private seller who just bought a new car is probably eager for the money, and a dealer will be eager to move one unit off the crowded lot to make room for another. Keep in mind, though, that this situation works both ways. If you’re planning to sell your own car or trade it in toward a purchase, you might not get as much money for it as you’d like.
If you have the luxury of waiting for a more convenient or bargain-friendly time to shop for a used vehicle, it’s worth waiting until the market offers an advantage to buyers. If you can wait until winter, you’ll probably pay a bit less than you’d pay in the summer. This should result in lower prices and, possibly, a bigger inventory – you will have a better selection of car types, models and prices.
Fix it or Ditch it: Is it Time to Replace Your Ride? Used Car Prices Are Plummeting. Sharifi, Jim. “As Prices Drop, Holidays Are the Best Time to Buy a Used Car.” U.S. Buying a New Car: When’s the Best Time? Used Car Prices are Falling; Should You Buy Now? Is it smarter to buy or lease a car? Tuttle, Brad. “Used Car Prices Are Plummeting. Here’s Why.” Money. News & World Report.
It’s also helpful to pay attention to car-buying trends in the news. Shoppers have an advantage when they have a lot of different vehicles to choose from. Sometimes there are a lot of great new cars on the market, paired with good financing deals, and lots of buyers jump on the bandwagon. It increases their chances of finding something they like – and it also gives them some room for negotiation, knowing that there are plenty of other options and they can walk away from a deal that’s going sour. When a lot of people are out buying new cars, that also means that they are trading in or selling their old cars – creating a used car market flooded with options.
Markoff, John (February 20, 2020). “Lawrence Tesler, Pioneer of Personal Computing, Dies at 74”. The New York Times. Savage, Mark (February 17, 2020). “DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall dies”. Ratliff, Ben (March 6, 2020). “McCoy Tyner, Jazz Piano Powerhouse, Is Dead at 81”. The New York Times. Zeitung, Badische. “Schwarzwaldmädel-Star Sonja Ziemann ist tot – Kino – Badische Zeitung”. Ferreira, João Palma (February 17, 2020). “Morreu Mário Machungo, antigo primeiro-ministro de Moçambique”.
