questions about buying a used car

jjordan

Moderator
If anyone has thoughts about these, that would be very helpful. :)

1. Is there a good/bad time of year to shop for a used vehicle? Basically, a time when prices are apt to be particularly high or low?

2. I recently realized that a Carfax report tells me when a dealer first listed a car for sale, so... How long is a long time for a dealership to have a vehicle for sale? What I mean is, if I see that the dealer has had a car listed for 2 months, does that mean they are desperate to sell and are more likely to take a low offer? Or is 2 months no big deal, and it's more like 6 months before they're really desperate? Or is 1 month long enough to make a dealer desperate? (I guess this varies somewhat by the quantity of sales at a given dealership...)

Thanks!
 
ADS

mkmama

Active member
Buying used, anytime between October and December is the best time....they're trying to get lots cleared out.

I'm not sure what it is on average, but our van had been on the lot for almost 3 months, and they were so desperate to sell it that we walked out with it for $1000 over what dealers pay for it at auction...which was also $7000 below what it blue books for. But mine was also rather unique, as it was an 8 passenger Sienna (not many ppl around here want the 8 passenger) and had been a rental, so its a CL edition, but its VERY stripped down in features. So...I'm not sure how much my ability to bring them down was due to the length of time it was on the lot vs it was a vehicle that is rather hard to move to begin with.
 

jjordan

Moderator
I am hoping for an 8 passenger Sienna... but I don't know if they are undesirable cars around here.

Very good to know about the Oct-Dec time frame - we were thinking we'd probably buy in spring, but maybe we should think about moving that up a bit!
 

Mags462

New member
1. Agree with PP.... and Jan is still OK as well. But once Feb hits and ppl are getting their tax refund checks those car lots get hoppin! ;)

2. YES! The longer a car sits on a lot the more you can get the price down. I got a 2005 XLE with 76K miles for under 10K (this was 3 years ago so the car was only 4yrs old.... UNHEARD of!). But we knew it had sat on the lot since Jan and we bought in April. Even though these vans sell like hotcakes that particular van was unappealing because of the higher than average miles and the lack of leather in the XLE trim. Yeah its got every other fancy feature but not that. And so it sat. We knew it, and we used that info to our advantage. Two months isn't too bad this time of year, but they'll be willing to deal for sure!

Not sure how common of knowledge this is but most large dealerships run on credit - so they don't outright "own" anything..... the cars on the lot they are making payments on just like you will when you buy it. Now their payments are a LOT less because they are paying auction prices, but still every day that car sits on their lot, they lose money. They make their money when the SELL cars.... :D Dealerships are like flipping houses.... you buy it, put a little work in it, and hope you sell it fast - in the meantime you get to make mortgage payments until it sells! ;)

Good luck!
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,654
Messages
2,196,889
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top