Everybody wants a bargain when they are buying a new car. Cars are a big investment, which is why any opportunity to slash those numbers down should be taken with excitement. After all, being opportunistic and buying a vehicle at the right time and place can save car buyers hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Shopping intelligently is more than having awareness of sweet deals, it’s about knowing where to look and predicting when those sweet deals will happen. Remember that dealers want to sell their vehicle as much as you want to buy. Understanding the mechanics of a dealership and how prices can drop and rise will help you make the purchase for the lowest price imaginable.
In this article, we’ll look at some car buying tips that will help you anticipate discounts and get you in the car you want.
Best Season to Buy a Car
Financial advisors believe that dealerships are more likely to cut prices at the end of the year to meet the annual quota than they are at any other time. While that might be true to some degree, waiting half a year in anticipation for a deal is not really a choice for many – and there is never a guarantee that the car you want will go on sale in December.
Dealerships usually operate in a monthly cycle to measure sales results. If you want a bit of leverage over the dealer, approach them at the end of the month – or maybe even at the end of the day to add a bit of urgency. If a dealer feels that you are a legitimate buyer, they are likely to be very generous with their discounting powers just so they can meet their monthly goals.
It’s not unheard of for car buyers to receive discounts at the end of the month even if the dealer has met or exceeded all their sales goals. Often salespeople earn bonuses for reaching their monthly sales goal, which can make for a more leisurely negotiation process, with you benefiting at the end.
Late summer or early fall is also a good time to shop for a new vehicle because new models are entering the dealers’ inventories. When the 2016 and the 2015 models are on the showroom floor together, the dealer is likely to offer the best deal for the older model.
The key is to approach a dealer when the demand for the vehicle is at its lowest. Whether it’s on a rainy day or when their sales cycle ends, knowing the inner motivation of the dealership will give you the best deal for your car.
How to Use Various Online Tools to Predict Discounts
During a quest for deals, research is both the weapon and the shield. The more you have, the better equipped you are for negotiations. With the Internet, there is a lot of material to study, including our latest car buying guide. Once you know what car you want and which dealership to go to, it’s time to zero in on the deals.
Unhaggle offers a free Dealer Cost Report that includes dealer invoice price, latest rates and rebates and a monthly incentives report that informs you whether or not there is a discount. Simply enter the make and model you want and allow Unhaggle’s concise report to help you predict the eventual cost of your new vehicle.
Employee Pricing Deals and When They Happen
If you are looking for employee pricing deals – which are the invoice prices dealerships pay – the best time to do so is during the summer. A car sold with an employee pricing deal is the lowest price the dealership can offer. At that price, it’s almost pointless to haggle because it’s considered the most “honest” discount you can get, and the dealer isn’t likely or capable of offering anything lower.
A good resource for employee pricing deals are at the manufacturers’ websites. Ford and General Motors openly advertise these discounts regularly. Another solution for deal hunting is to simply call up the dealership and inquire whether or not they have a deal going on.
Finally, it’s worth noting, once again, that Unhaggle offers information on employee pricing deals and other such bargains. If you are eager to save some money on the next car you buy, be sure to check out the free Dealer Cost Report for a centralized car price evaluation.
