best time to buy a car

[reut1]

so everyone, i want to get myself a 1st gen miata as a project car within the next year. I was planning to wait until the spring when my p5 is all paid off and i have all summer to play with it and work on it. however my friend who has owned a lot of cars for projects in the past brought up the point that buying in the fall is a much better time to do so.

so how much could I potentially save if i bought the car this fall before I had the p5 paid off? i got some inheritance money recently so im all set for that, and I dont want to use the money to pay off the p5 because I just feel i should do so with my money from work. the inheritance should be used for pure fun.

 

[bazooka joe]

for a miata i'd say fall winter....spring would be the high $ time

 

[Chris6]

+1 for winter. Especially if you're buying a rear wheel drive car.

 

[Skywlkr]

I agree with your friend and the posts above. The same goes for anything. If you plan to buy something you can get the best price if you buy it at the end of the season or out of the season it is used. Fall/ Winter for a sports car (or summer car). Spring/Summer for most trucks and SUV's.

The same can even apply to other things. Snowblowers are cheapest at the end of the winter/ spring. Boats are cheapest in the fall/ winter months.

 

[genericuser]

yeah, miata + winter = cheap price.

If you are buying a new car, the end of summer is usually a good time if you aren't too picky. That's when they offer most of the previous model year leftovers with tasty incentives.

 

[chuyler1]

One issue with buying a car in the winter is that you really can't test the A/C. In a convertible that might not be a concern but I'm just throwing it out there.

 

[reut1]

its killing me knowing that I may not have my miata for next summer. I probably should wait until the p5 is paid off to get another car since i know all my money will go into modding the miata rather than paying off the p5. as much as i dont want to, ill wait until next fall to get it, unless I see a killer deal between now and then. also i figure they will be plain cheaper then too because we know the economy wont be better before then.

 

[altspace]

One issue with buying a car in the winter is that you really can't test the A/C.

Sure you can. Have them bring it inside the garage.

 

[subspeed6]

Exactly. If they are trying to sell you a Miata during the winter, I am sure you can get them to agree to just about anything to prove it works. It's the beginning of the winter time and you are buying a summer car. I think they'd jump through hoops to offload it before they sit on it for 3-5 months. If not, play hard ball and walk away... Worst thing is you can say no and wait a few months during the season and they come to their senses.

 

[bazooka joe]

AC in a miata = top down!

 

[reut1]

AC in a miata = top down!

i dont even own it yet and i know that! the only time i use a/c is when im stuck in traffic forever and when ive been working outside or inside all day in the heat (no a/c in the shop) and i dont feel like sweating more on the 45 min drive home

 

[ronin12]

what year you looking for and how much you want to spend?

 

[reut1]

im going to wait until next fall on the miata but i wanted 94-97, not sure on how much but around 3500-4000

 

[dougefresh_]

Equally important is to buy it at the end of the month (whatever month). I worked at Acura in sales years back briefly, and everyone's bonuses are based on sales during that month. They will not "***** cars out" as they say the first or second week... I would go in on the third week (or even like the 25th or so), beat them up on the price as best you can, and walk. Then go back on the last day or two at end of the month, and you should be able to do even better. IIRC if you sold 10 cars in a month the bonus was pretty good, and it went up from there. If there's a dude w/ 9 sales on the 28th, you can get a good deal. Even better if the sales manager is one or two cars off his bonus mark. Also, make sure to play this game w/ a few different dealers at the end of the month to get them to try to low bid one another. You're also obviously increasing your chances of getting a salesman that's a couple cars short of hitting his/her bonus. Makes it hectic, but there can be a big difference in what you pay.

One other weird thing about the car business if you're buying used... a dealer can have two identical cars on the lot (make/model/year/mileage), but depending on what they "own it for" one may have $4,000 of room (profit margin), and the other only $500. Depending upon which you are looking at, you can haggle down close to $3K on the first one, but you most likely not going to get more than $500 off the other one (unless they screw you on your trade). When people trade in a car, whatever they allow for that car as a trade in, is what the dealer "owns it for."

Seems odd, but that's how it works... hope that helps

 

[rednumbersix]

Hi New guy here...

Best time to buy a car is going to be around the end of Q1 or at the end of Q3 (so right now). Obviously miata sales are spurred by other forces too but right now new and used car markets are falling like a fat boy and the availability of auto loan credit (unless you can afford to pay cash or have lots of hard assets to barrow against) is acting like not so freshly poured concrete.

Car sales are down on average 26% right now and the car market is not going to recover before Q2 of next year (if even then). I think it's worth haggling now if you can get a stellar loan but if you plan on paying cash (as you have indicated) wait until winter when they will be desperate to sell. Also if you have cash in hand don't underestimate private party sale. Most of those cars are in as good or better condition than the dealer for far less.

Dealers will buy any piece of junk and try to sell it as "mint condition".