Is end of December REALLY a good time to buy a car?

[BigBigBear]

I'm thinking of making an offer on a used truck and MAY have more down payment money in a couple of weeks than I do now.

Are car dealers really more desperate to sell cars at or near the end of the year? I've heard both sides.

Any advise, anyone?

Thx.

[tsipple]

1. Probably Not

Unless there's a 2003 still on the lot.

[PDittie]

2. Not on a used truck

Those kind of incentives typically only apply to new cars.

[BigBigBear]

3. I know

incentives only apply to new cars, but don't dealers get taxed on inventory?


Yeah, they got a couple of 2003's, but sheesh - a pickup truck, for $32,000 ??? Who can afford that?

[democracyindanger]

4. End of any month

is supposed to be better, because salespeople are trying for their quotas. That's the rumor, anyway.

[Scimmio]

7. know your region...

For many new cars, late Summer is a good time if you are buying anyway because the next year's model autos start hitting the dealers at the end of September/early October. I bought my first and only "new" auto in early August 2000 and got a pretty good deal. The incoming base model 2001 was set about $2K higher a couple of months later.

To me, Christmas is a good time to buy larger items in private sales. Folks are looking for holiday cash or at least space to deposit the new holiday junk.

In New Orleans and Jefferson Parish (the suburbs), Mardi Gras time is good to buy a vehicle. With major highways closed for parade routes, many dealerships on or near the parade routes have hardly any walk-ins or browsers. I know many folks who use the few weeks of Carnival Season to buy a "post-Christmas" car. Many sales folks just take vacation time and the ones left on the lot are looking to get any number on paper.

If you have any local/regional seasonal periods (weather, festivals, lengthy planned construction on the auto dealers' main road), where the idea of taking a ride out to a dealership seems like the suckiest of ideas, that's the time to hit. End of year "clearance" sounds nice but you're likely to deal with so many add-ons and upsells, with your friendly guide needing to bump up the extras for commissions. The sales teams know folks are going to be looking to shop over Christmas. Hit them during your local dead season when they're not meeting their quotas for the month, when they're looking to just get a sale on the books. That's when they are desparate enough to listen to any offer.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

5. Probably around the time the next years' models start coming in.

They're looking to get rid of that years models. Like we went to a VW dealer, who told us we could get a steal on a 2003 back just before Thanksgiving.
Duckie

[VOX]

6. So says Consumer Reports, but who knows?

Also, as the logic goes, people are spending their cash on everything but cars in December.

Who knows? If you need wheels, go for it!

:toast: