A car is likely one of the most expensive purchases you will ever make. And shopping for new wheels has only grown more expensive as inflation has spread through the economy.
Fortunately, you may be able to save a little money simply by properly timing your vehicle purchase.
Recently, iSeeCars identified the best times to buy a used car, as well as the worst periods to plunk down your cash.
The car search company looked at more than 39 million used car sales from 2023 and 2024 and calculated the odds of finding bargains on specific days and months of the year when compared with the national average.
According to iSeeCars findings, these are the best times — and worst — to buy a used car.
The best days to buy a used car
During the course of the year, your odds of finding a deal on a used car on any given day averages 33.1%, iSeeCars says. But deals are more prevalent during key winter holidays, as well as other months during the season.
Here are the best times to buy, along with the percentage of deals available that exceed the annual average:
- New Year’s Eve/Day: 47.9%
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: 43.3%
- January: 41.1%
- Presidents Day: 37.6%
- Christmas Eve: 36.0%
- December: 32.5%
- February: 31.8%
- Thanksgiving/Black Friday: 28.4%
- Veterans Day: 11.8%
- November: 10.3%
The worst days to buy a used car
On the other hand, the worst days to buy a used car are during warmer weather, when more buyers are looking, fewer cars are available and dealerships are not as pressed to make deals.
Here are the worst times to buy, with fewer used car deals than average available, according to iSeeCars:
- Father’s Day: -33.1%
- July Fourth: -31.1%
- June: -30.4%
- Juneteenth: -30.0%
- Memorial Day: -28.0%
- May: -27.8%
- Mother’s Day: -27.4%
- July: -22.5%
- April: -16.8%
- August: -8.5%
The best months to buy a used car
If you simply want to zero in on the best months to shop, starting as soon as the calendar turns on a new year is probably your best bet.
In a summary of the iSeeCars findings, executive analyst Karl Brauer says:
“Looking at pricing data confirms the drop-off in used car values between November and February, as dealers slash prices and automakers lower interest rates in an effort to draw buyers onto lots amid cooler temperatures and holiday distractions.”
Here are the top months to head out to a dealership and how many more deals than average you will find:
- January: 41.1%
- December: 32.5%
- February: 31.8%
- November: 10.3%
- March: 7.3%
- October: 3.4%
The worst months to buy a used car
On the other hand, the absolute worst time to shop is in June, when summer really starts. Things get a bit better after that.
In the summary of iSeeCars findings, Brauer says:
“Shoppers can essentially use the average temperature of a given month as a guide to used car prices. The warmer the temperature, the more you’ll pay.”
Try to avoid shopping during these months when fewer deals than the annual average are to be found:
- September: -3.5%
- August: -8.5%
- April: -16.8%
- July: -22.5%
- May: -27.8%
- June: -30.4%
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