Buying a car is always a difficult investment, since, even in the case of a used vehicle, this will have to last for at least 4 or 6 years on average. For this reason it is necessary to be able to tear the best and most advantageous purchase price possible, exploiting some days and months of the year in which the cost of the vehicles is more flexible.
Although it may not seem so relevant, understanding when to buy a car is essential to save money.
The concessionaires and rental companies in fact must present annual financial statements and operating results, so in a few months they can push the sale of their models with greater emphasis to achieve the objectives set for the period. After analyzing the aspects to consider when buying a used car , let’s see in detail some practical tips for getting a bargain.
The best months to buy a used car
The best times to buy a used car are mainly two, the autumn and the weeks riding on the Christmas holidays . In the summer the dealerships do not usually sell many cars, because people and especially families allocate their savings to the payment of holidays and trips. During July and August retailers work to a minimum, however they get good earnings from the related control, overhaul and repair services of the cars.
All of us are used to take the car to the workshop for a complete check-up before leaving, to travel safely and avoid unpleasant mishaps. For this reason, in the summer there are often no advantageous offers and promotions for car purchases. The situation changes radically in September, after returning from summer holidays. It is precisely in autumn that excellent offers can be found, even managing to save up to 15% compared to the initial sale price.
Another very profitable month is December , when retailers now have to close budgets, so they need to quickly realize the sales needed to hit the forecasts forecast for the previous year.
In addition to the most profitable months to buy a car, there are some better days than others to complete the purchase. The most advantageous are certainly the last two days of the month , in fact, like the annual objectives, the dealers plan their business also based on monthly sales results. In this way, if a retailer notices that he is not in line with forecasts, he will most likely proceed with limited discounts and promotions to get back into sales planning.
Obviously this little trick is now known to many people, so it could be interesting to take everyone off guard and go to the dealerships or rental companies that sell used cars in the first days of the month. The reasoning is quite simple. If everyone buys a car between the 27th and the 31st during the first week of the month, there will be very few buyers, so dealers could resort to price discounts to attract them and end the sale.
According to some industry statistics, the absolute best days to buy a car are the first, second, third, fourth, twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth. Even the day of the week seems to affect the purchase price, in fact Sunday is much cheaper than the others. Probably it affects the physical and mental fatigue inherent in working during holidays, so dealers may be more likely to finalize the sale in order not to return home empty handed.
How to save on car purchases: some additional tips
These are generally the best times of year to buy a car and save money, but this is only statistical data and general indications. In reality it is possible to be able to make a deal at any time, or resort to this scheme but not find interesting offers. The point is that every retailer is different, has different goals and a management of their business that is not the same for everyone.
For example, large centers are used to apply greater discounts than small companies, since they have larger car parks, they must reach higher goals and they can earn even with lower margins. Furthermore, if a retailer had already reached the sales forecasts he might not be willing to grant special promotions, regardless of the size of his car fleet.
Finally, there is one last piece of advice that saves money: patience . You should always take all the necessary time, so it is essential to move well in advance and go to various dealerships, monitor prices and wait for the right time to buy. Some retailers constantly send notices to their customers via newsletters, informing them about temporary discounts and promotions that can make buying a car a real bargain.