What Season Is the Best for Buying Cars?

There’s a lot of advice about the best time to buy a car.

For example, many people know that going to a dealership at the end of the month will help you have an edge negotiation-wise since sales representatives may need to fulfill their monthly quota, but does the month itself matter? Is there a particular time of year that’s best to buy or lease a new vehicle?

The short answer is that each season has its pros and cons, and the time of year that will work best depends on your needs.

Fall

If you’re looking to buy the newest model or just hoping to save money on your next car, fall has you covered in both regards. Since the new year for the automotive industry starts in October instead of January, many manufacturers reveal their new-model cars around this time. As a result, there’s about a 10 to 15 percent upswing in sales during the fall.

Black Friday in November is also a great time to buy. Sales representatives will be eager to use the holiday to boost their end-of-year sales, and there may be unique opportunities to save significantly on an outgoing model.

The fall influx of new car releases means that sales representatives must promote the most recent additions to their inventory while also selling the outgoing models to make room. Because of this added pressure, you may find opportunities to save a significant amount on older car models and used cars this time of year. If you’re looking for a cost-effective alternative and don’t necessarily care about having the absolute newest vehicle (especially when there’s little discernable difference between a 2022, 2023 or 2024 model), opting for an outgoing model or a pre-owned vehicle might be the best choice.

Winter

If dealerships are eager to get more sales in the fall, winter is the end-all-be-all time to sell. The season offers an average of 6.1 percent off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), the highest discount you’ll find all year. It’s a good chance to utilize December’s year-end deals and the Christmas and New Year’s Eve sales events – especially if you’re looking to buy an outgoing model.

However, January and February are among the least discounted months of the year, as they’re placed right after the industry’s crunch time. While there is the President’s Day sale, the savings won’t be as substantial as the deals from the year-end sale, so you’ll only have December to save big.

Despite this, the amount of cost-effective opportunities in that one month alone is enough to compensate for the following dry spell.

Spring

While spring has fewer promotions for new cars than fall or winter, it’s still a great time to buy a used car. Many people sell their old cars as part of spring cleaning. You can choose from many pre-owned cars available during the season to optimize your savings.

Because March and April are tax season, many drivers buy a car with their tax refund (and trade in or sell their current vehicle, increasing pre-owned inventories). Additionally, the Memorial Day sale is located near the end of the fiscal quarter for many dealerships, so the holiday event provides a fair amount of savings for potential buyers.

Summer

Finally, summer might be the least optimal time to buy a car. Due to it being almost a year since the newest car models were released, there is a lack of trade-ins and, consequently, a shortage of inventory. A study in 2020 found that the summer months had a range of 14 to 17 percent fewer deals on average compared to the rest of the year.

While there are holiday sales with good promotions, from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, the season tends to have fewer deals than fall.

If You’re in Maryland, Virginia or the Greater Washington D.C. Area, You Can Get a High-Quality Used Car and Save Big

Ultimately, if you need a car now, waiting until December to get it is unnecessary. Direct Car Buying maintains a competitively priced inventory of high-quality vehicles all year round. We will help you find the right pre-owned car any time of the year with award-winning customer service.

Select from thousands of high-quality cars, trucks and SUVs – our personal concierge can even help you customize your vehicle if desired. Whether you want to buy online, in person or somewhere, we’ll make the process of getting a car quick and easy.