Timing Your
Car
Buying
The best time to buy a car? This can be (well... actually it is) a
very important piece of the car buying process.
Don't think for a
moment that timing cannot have an affect on the quality of the car
deal you are able to work.
Whether it is the best time of year to buy a
car or the best time of the month to buy a car... this type of timing can impact
the willingness of the dealer to negotiate... let's just say a bit
more in earnest... on your car deal. I'm telling you, no
general sales manager looks forward to calling in their numbers to
ownership when the numbers are lackluster or non existent.
So, go on
a rainy day, or weekend, or a weekend when something big is going on
in town and no one is out shopping. The end of the month is
without question always best time to buy within the framework of a
monthly time frame.
Go to the dealership before closing... and if
the sales manager is looking at making that dreaded phone call, you
may be in luck. Hey... we're all human and there were times I wasn't
looking forward at all to calling in my sales numbers for the day.
The end of the month is always a question that I get asked. And
without doubt the end of the month is a better time than any
other. Look, salespeople, sales
managers, and dealers get bonus money on various levels of car
sales. And depending upon the level that could be reached; a
couple of more car sales, it can be
quite lucrative.
Nothing wrong with that at
all.
At the end of the month the pressure for a final push in sales can be quite intense for all those working in the
dealership. At the end of the month, dealers and sales managers will
be looking over their aged unit list (we talked of this earlier) and
will sometimes put cash bonuses on those older units. This means
that the salesperson
that sells these older units will get an extra cash spiff... always a nice
thing to have if you're a salesperson.
Knowing this, you use this to your
advantage. Maybe it's not exactly the color you wanted or maybe it
doesn't quite have all the options you wanted, but it's pretty close.
If you are flexible, you can usually work a pretty good deal on these
cars. Also, don't be surprised that when you are looking at and
negotiating for one of these vehicles you might find a more generous
amount allowed for your trade in as well.
From a negotiating standpoint, you may want to express interest in a
vehicle earlier in the month. From that point on stop back in or call a
couple of times to see if the salesperson becomes a bit more affable
to your proposals on the car. As the end of the month approaches you
can ratchet up your negotiating as you strive to hit the selling
price and the trade allowance you are looking for.
Within
the parameters of the end of the month as the best time to buy, the
months that fall into the range when the new model year starts
arriving at the dealership can be an even better time to buy.
Traditionally year end car sales tend to drop off a bit as consumers
are spending their money on holiday items and not big ticket items
such as cars. This time along with late summer can be a great time
to buy a new car. The car dealer by now has a lot full of new
arrivals and the previous year's models just have to go.
They just
have to go. It's a fact
of life for a car dealer.
Just remember that essentially the
car you are negotiating for is now technically a year old. Take a
look in the various car books or online and see if the car make,
model and year that you are looking at is showing up. Even though
you are looking at a new car... it has depreciated... and don't let
the salesperson tell you otherwise.
The inverse is truest in the early spring. This time of year
traditionally sees consumers coming out of hibernation and sales in
the car business are picking up if not brisk. With the better
consumer traffic and higher demand, it's just simple economics that
it will be tougher to negotiate your best deal. This time of year
generally speaking is not the best time to buy a car.
The underlying point here is for you to stay informed as to the
nature of the economy. Check the sales trends for new car sales and
the other local economic factors that come into play. Be
entrepreneurial and go work your best car deal when the timing (that
you now know) seems
right.
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