Best Time Of Day To Buy A Car

Selection takes some thought. A small sports car might work for a single person or couple, but not if they're planning on starting a family. A large SUV might be great for camping and road-tripping with friends, but isn't likely to be much fun when it comes time to fuel up, pay for insurance, or find street parking.

best time of day to buy a car

"Paying cash is usually your best option because it limits how much you have to pour into a depreciating asset," said Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at consumer finance site Bankrate.com. "But don't deplete your emergency fund just to buy the car."

Prices are at all-time highs and aren't expected to drop until 2023 at the earliest. If you already have a reliable vehicle, or live in an area with decent public transportation, the best decision might be to hold off on a vehicle purchase.

When you walk into a car dealership, you are on their turf. You are at a disadvantage because you are the novice and they are the expert (most of the time. They've negotiated with hundreds of buyers and can size you up in moments.

Intuition may tell you that New Year's Day would be a bad day. It's the start of a month. Heck, it's the start of a year! There aren't quotas to meet and no one is feeling the pressure, so why is January 1st the best day?

Picking the right time of the year to buy a car is important, it gives you a leg up before you walk through the door, but you still need to keep your wits about you. Remember key car buying and negotiation principles!

2. Get financing ahead of time! By securing financing ahead of time, you know exactly how much you can borrow, what your payments will be, and that can be your anchor in the showroom. Salespeople will also try to play games with financing and their financing deals, unless it's a promotional offer, rarely beats what you can get at a bank or credit union.

3. Get quotes from multiple dealers. When we purchased our car, we contacted all the Toyota dealerships in the area that carried our make and model. We had them give us their very best price and had them compete with one another. We did this before we set foot in a showroom. You can do this entirely on the phone or via email, with quotes and sheet delivered by fax (if you have one) or email.

For convenience sake, have the dealership register the car for you (many will offer this by default because their systems are linked) so you can avoid a DMV trip. Also, you can sometimes have the car delivered to your house so you don't have to get a ride to the dealer (or some other coordinated effort) to pick up the car.

While you can buy any of these things at any time of the year, even in the backdrop of the pandemic's supply chain issues, there really are some months that are better times to make specific purchases.

Still, "if you are looking for the best bargain, then August and December are great because you have less competition with other buyers looking," Franco says. There is also "a better chance that if someone listed their home in August or December, then they are truly serious about selling and either can't afford to or don't want to wait until the spring or fall when sales are busiest," he adds.

"The end of the season is the best time to buy clothing," says Trae Bodge, a shopping expert at TrueTrae.com. "For example, tank tops and swimsuits will be deeply discounted in August and September. This can be a good time to stock up on a few warmer-weather essentials that you can still wear through September while the weather is still good."

Kristen Gall, president at Rakuten Rewards, a shopping rewards and cash-back site, says, "September and October are when you'll find steals for seasonal goods like swimsuits, shorts and summer dresses. Sandals, flip-flops and accessories like sun hats and beach cover-ups can also be found at great prices." According to Gall, "This is also the perfect time to snag deals on seasonal outdoor items like camping equipment, pool toys and sports gear."

To secure the best deals on mattresses, whether you're looking for a mattress from an online retailer or a traditional brick-and-mortar store, you'll want to shop on holiday weekends, such as Presidents Day. "Three-day weekends, Memorial Day and Labor Day in particular are a good time to invest in a new mattress. We also see some mattress deals around July Fourth," Bodge says. "You'll find discounts being offered by the big brands, like Serta and Sealy, but also from the smaller 'bed in a box' companies, like Nest, Nectar and Purple."

"The best time to buy TVs is over Black Friday and Cyber Monday," Bodge says. "The discounts will be very deep, especially on last-season's models. Right before the Super Bowl is another time for TV deals. People want to see the big game on the best screen possible, and many retailers will offer promotions around that time."

There are a number of prime times during the year to buy electronics. November, as you get into Black Friday sales, is considered the best time of the year to buy personal electronics, including tablets, gaming systems and laptops. January, shortly before the Super Bowl, is one of the best times to buy a TV, but you can certainly find great deals on TVs during the November and December holiday season.

Consider industry holidays to secure deals. May is "Better Sleep Month," making it an ideal time to buy a mattress, new bedding or a CPAP machine. March is National Crafts Month, and every June 29 is National Camera Day. If you learn about a particular month tied to a product or service, you may find a deal when that "holiday" comes around.

Factor in the day. There are many benefits to making some purchases during a strategic day of the week. For instance, Tuesday mornings and afternoons are said to be the best time to buy airline tickets, according to FareCompare.com (but make sure you aren't flying for at least two to four weeks; if it's less time than that, you will probably pay more than you would otherwise); and Wednesdays are good for grocery shopping, according to the recipe website Taste of Home. New sales often come out, and you might find grocery stores still offering sales from the previous week.

Buy in the offseason. If you want to buy a grill, patio furniture or a lawn mower, consider purchasing before the cold weather sets in. For instance, in November, when it's still cold but after most people have purchased their winter gear, Gall says, "apparel retailers will be heavily discounting winter staples to get ready for the inventory they will bring in for next season. Look for great deals on coats, sweaters, boots and cold-weather accessories like scarves and gloves. This can also be a great time to buy cold-weather gear like ski jackets and pants, as well as snowboards and skis."

The University of Michigan has been polling consumers for more than 50 years and asking whether they feel like it's a good or bad time to buy a car. Today, more people say it's a bad time than ever before in the survey's history.

"It's very easy to operate as a car dealer in this environment," says Arnaldo Bomnin, the CEO of Bomnin Automotive Group, a dealership group based in Miami. His company just raked in $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time ever.

There is no doubt that Labor Day is consistently an affordable time of year to buy a car. However, many drivers are doubtful of whether these special deals at the end of August have more to do with the Labor Day holiday weekend or the approach of the end of the month.

We strive to provide accurate and complete information throughout our website. However, errors sometimes occur in regard to pricing, vehicle mileage, financing details, vehicle descriptions, vehicle availability and other content. We reserve the right to correct these errors and may not be held accountable for them. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any errors. All Internet pricing disclosures are before dealer installed accessories.

While we try to make sure that all prices posted here are accurate at all times, we cannot be responsible for typographical and other errors that may appear on the site. If the posted price for a vehicle or service is incorrect due to typographical or other error (e.g., data transmission), this dealership or orcasitetech.com is only responsible for the correct price, which we will endeavor to provide to you as soon as we become aware of the error. We make every effort to provide you the most accurate, up-to-the-minute information, however it is your responsibility to verify with the Dealer that all details listed are accurate.

Luckily, GasBuddy has you covered. The gas savings navigation app provides drivers with real-time price data searchable by city, state and brand at over 150,000 gas stations in North America. On its site, GasBuddy has published its latest report on what days are the best and worst to buy gas.

The research stated that on average drivers could save up to 783 by selecting their premium at that time compared to motorists surfing around the best deal at 2 am in the morning, where insurance prices are at their highest.

Veterans Day can be a great time to buy a car since we're already seeing year-end deals starting to crop up in November. However, if you're active duty or military retiree, you may qualify for new vehicle discounts all year long through some manufacturers.

The best deals typically come from luxury dealers like BMW and Lexus. BMW is currently offering special incentives of $500 up to $11,000 for qualifying military personnel and retirees. At Lexus, qualifying military personnel and retirees can qualify for up to a $1,000 rebate, which can be combined with other offers.

Many automakers offer specials around veterans day, and independent dealerships may offer their own sales during this time of year, so be sure to check with the dealership before heading out the door.

If you're ready to find your next vehicle, whether on Veterans Day or any time of year, we want to help. Here at The Car Connection, we have a nationwide network of special finance dealers that are signed up with dealerships to help people in many credit situations. We want to help connect you to a dealer in your area. Simply fill out our fast, free, car loan request form and we'll get right to work. 041b061a72