Couple Checking Out a Used Car
Buying and Selling Cars

When Is the Best Time to Buy a Used Car? A Simple Guide

You get a car! You don’t need Oprah to get a quality used car. With some money and knowledge, you’ll know when is the best time to buy a used car.

To learn how to snag a great deal on the used car of your dreams at just the right time, read on.

Timing Is Everything

As the saying goes, timing is everything in life, including used car purchases. There are definitely better times than others to buy a used car.

One such time is before you need a car. Start your research early so that you have plenty of time to make a well-informed buying decision. The more time you have, the better a decision you’ll make.

Another good time is during the holidays. Car dealerships tend to offer their best deals on used cars on Veterans Day, Black Friday, and Christmas Eve. Besides those holidays, avoid other family-oriented holidays like Easter Sunday, Father’s Day, and Mother’s Day.

The end of the month, quarter, or year is another good time of the year to get yourself that gently-used vehicle. Those times are when salespeople feel the pressure to meet their sales quotas. They’ll be more likely to throw in a discount or extras to make a sale.

In addition to the calendar, the weather is a good indicator of when to buy (or not). While you should, in fact, trust your used car salesperson, be aware that on rainy days, some car salespeople use the rain and low visibility to hide scratches, dents, and other blemishes.

So make sure to head out to your local used car dealership on a bright, sunny day, when you can fully inspect both the interior and exterior of a car. That includes its glass, wheels, and tires.

When Is the Best Time to Buy a Used Car?

The cold, sometimes snowy weather of winter is also a good time to buy a used car. Car-buyers are less inclined to make the trek to a used-car dealership or test drive a car in wintry weather. As a result, the demand – and thus the price – for a used car decrease in the winter.

By contrast, the spring is a season of high demand and prices.

There are even more good times of the year to get a used car. Fortunately, there are many such times, as you can tell!

Another such time is after new models release. They sell well upon release, and at the same time, older models become cheaper.

Used Cars at Used Car Prices

Although car salespeople might not have the best reputation, you can all but guarantee yourself a good deal on a used car if you know when is the best time to buy a used car.

You should get what you pay for. That’s likelier to happen if you buy at the times of the year mentioned above. Car salespeople want to help you, but you can help yourself, too, by applying the knowledge in this article.

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