Simply put, our advice is: the best time to trade a car is when you need it, and you feel ready to buy it, no matter when. Buying a car can be stressful, and it can take more than a month from deciding what to buy to finalizing a deal. When everyone has the same idea, why squeeze shopping into one day of the week or holiday weekend to increase the pressure?

But if you’re a shopper who really wants to go home and shop at the best time, let’s take a look at your options.

The best time to buy a car in a year

end of month

As the month draws to a close, dealers may lose a few cars, which will earn them a big bonus. Salespeople will be more motivated to make deals with buyers and may offer big discounts on cars to make up for losses with bonuses. This is a time when you shouldn’t procrastinate on the car deal. However, keep in mind that if the sales team completes the task earlier in the month, the salesperson may not be as aggressive as you would expect to give you an amazing deal. This is difficult to know in advance. But if you are in negotiation and the dealer gives you a very low price, take a moment to ask your salesperson why the dealer is willing to lose money in this sale. If the reason is meaningful to you and the price is better than your research says it should be quite good, it may be a sign that the dealer is trying to make the sales target.

If you’re nervous about buying in a short time at the end of the month, test drive the car you’re interested in at the beginning of the month and complete the best car deals near the end of the month. In addition, many new car incentives are in the days after the end of the month, which gives you a little cushion.

End of calendar year

If your main goal is to buy or rent a new car at the best price, Edmund’s data show that December’s year-end sales campaign will bring you a “perfect storm” of savings.

You should find an upcoming car with generous rewards. According to Edmunds, the MSRP discount in December was the highest in the whole year, with an average of 6.1%, and also the month with the most rewards. In recent years, the company’s inventory is also the largest, dealers have more models to be listed. Both automakers and dealers hope to end the year with strong sales. They also want to get rid of old cars that take up space, so they are very motivated.

Every manufacturer sells in a different way. As a result, some car dealers will have better options later this year, while others may have fewer options. Be sure to check Edmunds rewards and rebates for cash rebates, low interest rewards and rental offers.

The best month to buy a car

While data show December is the best time of year to buy gold, there are a few other viable months. In other words, if you need a car in January, you don’t have to wait 11 months to get the best car deals.

Discounts on new cars are usually consistent with the launch of new models. Generally speaking, the more new and old models coexist, the higher the cost savings.

At least monthly discount

January

February

March

April

Better discount month

May

June

July

August

September

Most monthly discounts

October

November

December

January to April is usually a month of slow sales, with the smallest discount on the recommended retail price. In fact, the month with the lowest discount for MSRP was February, with an average discount of 5.7%. Things will get better in the summer months: the introduction of new cars has pushed down the price of upcoming models. Finally, the closer to the end of the year, the greater the discount increase.

If you want to buy a car in October and want to get the best price, you may want to wait until December, even if you risk not having many cars to choose from. Waiting will give you more time to do more research and find the right car for you. You can also collect more quotes.