Best time of the year to purchase a car?

[David]

My car was recently written-off in an accident (thankfully no one was hurt). Anyways, we are looking into purchasing a used car. I have done a fair bit of research and it is apparently a great time to purchase during chirstmas (as car dealers are trying to clear inventory prior to year end and also is a quite time of the year).

My guideline in getting a better deal
- Reduce sticker price by 10%
- Pay cash
- Shop around (keep an eye out of top deals)
- Must see clean car service report

If anyone else can add more advice it would be great. Also anyone who works at a car dealership or have had experienced great dealings with a car purchase please put your 2cents if possible.

Cheers. David

 

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[JP66]

The best time to buy a new car is when you can afford it, and making payments, if any, won't affect you. :smxB:

Are you looking to buy new or used. What kind of car are you looking at getting? What is your price range? What are the current markets like in Sydney...are dealers/businesses hurting? Need a little more info...

If you are looking new, I wouldn't pay more than $500 over invoice. If you know what car you want exactly, do research and figure out how much the dealer paid for the car, then offer $300 over. If they say no, then eventually offer $500 over invoice. If they say no, I would just walk away, especially if it is a popular model or if dealers are really wanting to make sales...they will either not let you leave or call you back. Some will say no, but if it is a popular car, try other dealers.
If it is a used car, you really need to figure out the cars value. I have a friend who's brother is a sales guy for Lexus, and he is always saying how people get taken/ripped off when trading in a car. The customer always loses money on a trade in. Dealers usually make more money off of used cars. They may offer someone $5000 for a trade, and then turn around and sell it for up to $10,000+. So, if you're looking at used, offer a minimum of 20% off.
If you are paying cash, it would seem that walking into a place right before closing would be a good idea. Salesguys probably want to go home, so they may not spend as much time haggling on the price.

Just my $.02

Good luck...