When to Buy? A Few Tips

Looking to buy a new car, but wondering when the "right" time to do so is?
Here are a few tips that might give you a better shot at getting your best deal.

-- The second half of the year

Dealers are trying to unload the past year's models starting around July and running through October, so if you don't mind not getting the newest of the new, why not lend your dealer a hand and take some of his or her inventory?

-- The end of the month

There usually are a few stubbornly lingering bits of inventory on dealer lots at the end of the month, and the dealers need to move them so that they can meet their targets. This presents a sweet buying opportunity.

-- The beginning and middle of the week

Everybody goes car shopping on weekends, so if you swim upstream a bit by shopping, say, Monday - Thursday, you'll get much more attention from salespeople, who are also then more willing to make deals that are good to you.

-- The end of a model cycle

When automakers are about to unveil a newly redesigned version of one of their models, there is often excitement among buyers. There is also, in some cases, a bit of anxiety on the part of dealers, who must clear out the last units of the outgoing model style. You can relieve them of their worries and their inventory, if you're willing to not have the latest, greatest version of the model.