Right time to buy a new car

Threebabes

Hi

we are looking to buy a newer car in the New Year. Is they any particular time when its best to buy?

Lemonade_Pockets

No, generally speaking.

There good and bad times but unless you no the sales targets and performance for any given garage it is impossible to predict.

Although they are going up in cost all the time and will do by 2.5% in January so i'd crack on now if you can.

nobby24

I've always believed around Christmas was a good time to buy a car when garages are pretty quiet with people's minds on other things.

Hintza

End of year bonuses are in the offing so some dealers will have hit targets etc and will not offer anything special whilst others will be desperate for a few extra sales.

Get to work doing your research and be ready to play one dealer off against another. Try to deal in December for best deals.

flyingscotno1

Lemonade_Pockets wrote: »

No, generally speaking.

There good and bad times but unless you no the sales targets and performance for any given garage it is impossible to predict.

Although they are going up in cost all the time and will do by 2.5% in January so i'd crack on now if you can.

It is actually a 2.1% increase- not huge difference, but on a car £40-50 typically.

I'd agree trying to buy now rather than Jan with VAT but it is uncharted territory- with scrappage, VAT and recession have changed the market somewhat and what would normally be happening (quietish December) may be busy!

web_ferret

Agree with Christmas week - I got £4k off a brand new one. No-one else in the showroom. I actually went in looking for used but got the new one cheaper than the used one outside!

Also VAT goes up on January so that will make a few hundred quid difference.

movilogo

Few months back, in a "Wheeler Dealers" episodes, they claimed there are only 3 days per year to buy cars when you can really haggle with sellers (dealers etc.).


Stop worrying too much. If you get a car (which you like) within your budget, just buy it and enjoy.

emmell

If you're buying in the new year wait till after the new reg plate on 1st March.
ML.

AdrianHi

Car dealers usually get busier in January as loads of people go out to get new car "after Christmas".
If there is such a thing as a best time, it's right now while every else is getting busy Christmas shopping.

Lemonade_Pockets

flyingscotno1 wrote: »

It is actually a 2.1% increase- not huge difference, but on a car £40-50 typically.

Alright smart ar5e i thought it would cause more confusion if i posted that figure.

However it maybe only £40-£50 on a cheapie but as soon as you get to anything half decent your talking a few hundred at least. By the time you get to your really chunky stuff you could be talking in the thousands.

I do agree these are unusual times so its hard to predict. However i personally can't see car's coming down in price anytime soon unless the pound recovers sharpish - even then i doubt whether we'd see a marked reduction.

Lemonade_Pockets

movilogo wrote: »

Few months back, in a "Wheeler Dealers" episodes, they claimed there are only 3 days per year to buy cars when you can really haggle with sellers (dealers etc.).
.

Absolute bull.

There are many times usually quarter and month ends particularly end of March and September if there is something you can take delivery off almost immediately.

However these could conversely be the worst time to buy if the dealer in question has hit their target or is so far off they've written it off and are starting on the next period.

But there are a million (not quiet but lots) of other situation where you could get an absolute steal by being in the right place at the right time.

Hence my original post.

However as others have said the more you shop around (within reason) the more chance you have of being in the right place at the right time.

If you've any common sense you will get within 95% of the best possible deal at any time by a bit of careful shopping around then some hard bargaining.