Have you ever wondered if it is time to start looking for a new vehicle? Perhaps your current one is just passing its 10-year mark and it feels like the time is right to look for another ride. Or maybe you are wondering at what time of the year you can score the best vehicle deal?
We are teaming up Instacar Transport to give you some insights into these questions. We will tell you whether or not it is worth waiting an extra couple of years before purchasing a new model. We will will also see if a particular season of the year usually has better deals for you.
Model Generations And Refresh Cycles – What You Need To Know About Them
One of the many mistakes people make when they start looking for a car is searching a model in Google by adding the latest year to the search as well. Why is this wrong? Because models do not come out year to year, but rather on a cycle.
That means that a 2018 BMW Series 3, can actually be pretty much the same as the 2017 or even the 2016 one. Honestly, a model can go back up to 8 (or in some cases even 10) years. So how do you know whether you should buy the car you’ve been eye for a while, or wait a bit to get the fresh new models out? Well, you have to be a bit creative.
Start by looking at the history of your model. Research the question online. Some companies have pretty strict refresh cycles. That being said, keep in mind that facelifts are not real model refreshes, i.e. they are not new generations of the model.
A good rule of thumb is to not buy a model that has been out for 6 or more years. Chances are a refresh is just around the corner. While it is not necessarily the case that a refresh will be better in all regards, you should still play it safe by waiting for it.
Can You Get A Better Deal During Certain Seasons?
Some people will claim that it does not matter when you purchase your car, because car dealers will try to squeeze the last cent out of you anyway. However, this is not true. Dealers are usually pressured to increase their sales when they finish up the year. That means you actually have leverage if you purchase a car at the end of the calendar year.
If you want to get the absolutely best deal, try to hit the dealerships at the last week of the year (or even the last couple of days). You are more likely to get a discount then and dealers are more eager to drop the price anyway.
With all that said, it is understandable if you cannot wait years for a new car, or even until the end of the current year. Can you still do something to maximize your savings? Absolutely! The next best purchasing time is by the end of a quarter. While the pressure on dealers is not as big, quarterly figures are still important for them. That makes the last weeks of March, June and September viable alternatives as well.
