Walk into a dealership at certain times of the year and month, and chances are you’ll end up with a bigger discount off the sticker price than you’d ordinarily be able to negotiate. Of course, you still need to do your homework on dealer invoice prices and rebates and be prepared to bargain. It’s just that your efforts are likely to be better rewarded if you pick your moment well.
One opportune time is the last business day of the month. Car salespeople and dealerships have monthly sales quotas and targets to make. They will often shave more than usual off their profit on cars at month-end in order to add another sale to their overall numbers.
Their motivation to make an incremental sale is greater still at the end of the calendar year. They have their year-end results to worry about, as well as their usual monthly quotas and targets. And December tends to be a slow time for auto sales – most people are more interested in shopping for Christmas gifts than cars just then.
Late spring or early summer, just before the carmakers launch their new models, is also a great time to go car shopping. Manufacturers as well as dealers want to clear the decks before the new cars are shipped. Manufacturers’ rebates are apt to be generous, particularly on models that haven’t sold well. Manufacturers may also offer dealers richer-than-usual incentives to clear inventory at this time of year.
This allows the dealers to shave prices further than usual and still make a good margin. It all adds up to bargains for those who are motivated to find them – and don’t mind driving last year’s model.
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