The best time to buy a car is typically between October and December. As a rule of thumb, the later in the year you’re shopping for a car, the better deal you’re likely to get. Shoppers will typically see the most attractive incentives available for new cars in October, November, and December. This period is also when dealers see an influx of trade-ins, making it an excellent time to shop for a used car.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to shop smartly throughout the year. If a dealership needs to sell just a few more cars to unlock several tiers of incentives from the automaker, it could make sense to sell those cars at break-even or better, if that’s what it takes, including when the next year’s models come out. Here’s what you need to know to get your timing right.
Best Day of the Week to Buy a Car: Monday
Monday tends to be the best day of the week to purchase a vehicle. Some studies have shown that car buyers get better deals shopping on Mondays than on other days. Sales staff can spend more time negotiating on Mondays because car dealerships are typically less busy early in the week.
Best Time of the Month to Buy a Car: The Last Several Days
Buying at the end of the month is always a good idea, as car dealers work hard to meet monthly sales quotas. Salespeople might be willing to sell a car at a loss to meet their monthly sales quotas. Dealers want to rid their lots of cars at the end of the month, and they may be more willing to make deal to meet quotas.
Best Time of the Year to Buy a Car: The End of Each Quarter
Buying a car at the end of March, June, September, or December often leads to even better deals than buying at the end of the month, as dealerships are trying even harder to reach quarterly sales goals.
Best Holiday to Buy a Car: New Year’s Eve
While it’s not an official holiday, the best holiday to buy a car is New Year’s Eve. The timing is perfect on the last day of the year because it’s the end of the month, the end of the quarter, the end of the year, and a holiday when you might find incentives available on top of year-end deals.
New Year’s Day is great, too, because holiday incentives usually extend through the first couple of days of January.
Other holidays on the calendar can also work to your advantage when buying a car. Additionally, since Black Friday is toward the end of the year, you’ll likely find good deals on cars from the outgoing model year as the dealership tries to clear the way for vehicles from the upcoming model year.
PRO TIP: Since holidays are usually busy times at car dealerships because of the well-advertised deals available, it’s good to get your car shopping done as much as possible in advance before you even set foot on the dealer lot. Shop around and narrow your selection to a few specific cars.
This preparation will save a lot of time at the dealership, and your salesperson will appreciate it if you already have what you want in mind. If you plan to finance the car, try getting pre-approved for a loan with your financial institution before you visit the dealership. It’s also a good idea to value your trade-in in advance and consider using our Instant Cash Offer tool. You can choose the offer you prefer or use it to negotiate.
Overall Best Time to Buy a Car: October through December
October through December is peak buying season for new cars. If you can, try to time your buying for these months for more competitive deals. If you really want to increase your chances of scoring a good deal, try targeting a Monday in the final days of these months.
Used Cars: When’s the Best Time to Buy?
The best time to buy a used car is in the last quarter of the year, between October and December. Some of the same strategies that apply to the best time to buy a new car apply to used cars, but not all. Like new cars, it’s good to shop for a used car early in the week and toward the end of the year. However, holiday deals and new car incentives usually don’t apply to used models.
Because the last quarter of the year is peak buying season for new cars, many of those new cars are bought by folks who trade in their cars at the dealer. Those trade-ins become used car deals available to you that the dealer wants to sell to make room for new models from the upcoming model year.
Not only can you get good prices on used cars toward the end of the year, but you also tend to get a better selection. These opportunities come from the influx of trade-ins that dealerships see toward the end of the year, as drivers buy new cars and trade in their old ones.
TIP: Thinking of buying or selling a car? Use Private Seller Exchange, where interested parties can transact safely and easily. Funds are placed in escrow, eliminating pain points in transactions.
Consider the Previous or Outgoing Model Year
An excellent way to use timing to your advantage is to buy a new car from the previous or outgoing model year. For example, you may find a better deal on a 2026 model in late 2026, especially after 2027 models begin arriving.
New model-year vehicles traditionally start reaching dealerships in the fall of the previous year. A 2027 model, for instance, may debut in fall 2026. Dealers usually want to clear out older inventory before newer models arrive, but that does not always happen. If a 2026 model is still on the lot when the 2027 version shows up, the dealer may offer a significant discount to move it.
There are trade-offs. If the newer version has major updates, you may miss out on the latest design, technology, or features. Selection can also be limited. The longer you wait, the fewer choices you may have for color, wheels, trim, and options. But if you are flexible, buying an outgoing model-year vehicle can be a smart way to save on a new car.
What Are the Worst Times to Buy a Car?
Avoid car buying during the following times:
- Saturdays: Saturday is a popular time to shop for a car for an obvious reason: Most people work during the week when the dealership is open. Getting a good deal on a car is hard when the sales staff is busy and the finance office is bottlenecked. Not only does the salesperson not have a lot of time to give you undivided attention, but if you don’t buy the car you’re looking at, someone else likely will. These factors make it tough to get a good deal on a car on a busy Saturday.
- Early in the month: Dealers typically aren’t in a rush to hit sales targets when they have a whole month ahead.
- If you are feeling extra stressed out or emotional: If you’re feeling stressed out, pressured, or your emotions around the purchase are just generally running high, you may want to take a breather before returning to the process. Panic-buying a car can put you into a situation where you make a decision you might not have made otherwise.
TIP: Did you know you can search for a new or used car by budget?
Editor’s Note: We have updated this article since its initial publication. Renee Valdes contributed to the report.
Can you still get a good deal if you order a car?
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