Well, another year is in the books, nothing to do now except take a breath and plan for the year ahead. And, realize that you missed out on \u201cdealership\u201d Year End Sales Events. No need to panic! There are still ample deals to find over the year and plenty of opportunities for a better deal. If you can go another year with your current vehicle, Year End Sales Events are the best bet for competitive pricing, but if you need something sooner, these are the best times to shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visit dealerships during the week, not on weekends. Weekdays, especially Tuesdays through Thursdays, are slower, and dealers will jump at the chance to boost their quotas during less competitive hours. This also means fewer shoppers for you to compete with on the purchase, reducing the risk of someone buying out from under you. Keep in mind, car dealers operate on commission, and often they have quotas to fill as well as incentive-based sales targets to hit. These quotas are almost exclusively monthly, so a weekday during the final week of a month puts additional pressure on them to make that sale. Who knows? You could be the buyer who gets them that bonus. This pressure adds to your leverage in negotiating the best deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, let\u2019s look at other Holiday Sales Events. Everyone knows holiday weekends come with sales events to help businesses move inventory. But, some are better than others. The best holiday weekends to shop for auto deals are Summer Sales Events: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. It\u2019s no coincidence these three holidays mark the beginning, middle, and end of the summer season \u2013 a season associated with road trips and family vacations. But remember, these events are when salespeople expect to do their best, and often dealerships receive the next year\u2019s models between the Fourth and Labor Day. If you can, visit the dealership during a weekday during the two weeks before the holiday weekend. Salespeople are more likely to come down on prices for older year models to clear inventory for new year models, and it will give them an edge going into the main event. Ultimately, it\u2019s a numbers game, and dealers take every chance to pad their numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n