Timing your car purchase is highly crucial if you want to receive the greatest bargain possible. Dealerships are driven to sell at particular seasons, so catching them during these times can offer you maximum negotiation advantage. You will not only get a better deal, but the negotiation process will be much smoother.
While Fourth of July isn’t tops for buying a car (data shows it’s the end of the year), the big sales events on this holiday make it a better time than most holidays. Also July 4th beats other summer days for car buying. You’ll want to hone your negotiation skills to make the most of it, though.
In this article I plan to address how Fourth of July can actually be a good time for buying a car, and potential pitfalls when compared to buying a car at other times of the year.
In addition, I’ll look at some special tips and strategies you can use to get the most bang for your July 4th buck!
Why Buy A Car On Fourth of July?
Though it seems most everyone is aware that end-of-year sales provide the best opportunity for buying a car, not everyone has the option of deciding when to buy a new automobile. Often times our circumstances dictate major purchases, rather than our intellect or reason.
Since sometimes circumstances mean we can’t wait til the best times to buy a car, you might find yourself buying one on or around Fourth of July. However, it’s possible to still get a good price due to big holiday sales events and manufacturer deals even in July.
Some common circumstances that might lead us to buying a car at inopportune times or summer holidays like Memorial Day or Fourth of July are if your present car is written off after a bad accident or you happen to find your car stolen. It’s unreasonable for most people to wait to replace their car.
More than likely, you must replace it as quickly as possible. If this happens in February or August, you don’t have the ability to wait til November or December, when it’s a ‘good time’ to buy a car. This is particularly true if this car is your sole household vehicle and necessary for getting to and from work.
For more Fourth of July articles from Hopeful Holidays, I recommend these next:
- What to Do If You Think ‘I Hate 4th of July’ (Explained)
- Alone On 4th of July? Easy Ways to Celebrate the 4th Alone
- Are Restaurants Busy On The 4th Of July?
- Do You Say ‘Happy 4th Of July’ On Independence Day?
But the good news is that it’s possible to still get a good deal on a new or new-to-you car even in July!
Certain holidays are excellent purchasing opportunities because manufacturers frequently provide special incentives. Tradition has shown that Independence Day is one of the finest times to buy a new automobile based on manufacturer deals and promotional incentives.
It’s also a good time for consumers as far as options are concerned. Typically the car lots are full so you have lots of choices. As well, summer makes for more leisure time, and longer days provide more opportunity to shop around.
For these reasons, the Fourth of July can work in favor of consumers for buying a car.
Some potential ‘other’ great holidays for purchasing a vehicle are Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving weekend, based on similar promotions, incentives, and opportunities for buyers.
These deals include obtaining a particular percentage off your purchase price or even getting other after-sales services for the automobile like oil changes and tire rotations included, which will surely go a long way toward ensuring that you save a lot more than you would on other ordinary or regular days of the year.
Other ‘specials’ sometimes include automatic rebates either off your purchase price or even cash in hand, giving you money when you leave! I’ve also seen sales that will gift you items like iPads or vacations if you buy a car on a particular holiday or sales promotion time.
Thus, it really pays you to pay attention to the sales events for cars during popular holidays.
Note: Car dealerships generally must move out ‘old merchandise’ to make way for new cars. This means the cars that are still new, but are aging out of their year, will often be marked down to entice customers to buy them. Then dealers can move in next year’s model once space on the lot has opened up.
Having said that, we all recognize that our nation’s ‘birthday’ is really a celebration that the whole country can get behind. It’s a holiday for everyone irrespective of religion, politics, or age. Kids and adults alike enjoy this day that’s become a time for get togethers with family and friends, and hasn’t been commercialized to the point of it being ‘expensive’ to celebrate.
But it is also become a good time for sales and promotions from electronics to clothing to yes, even cars! As a result, many car dealers and manufacturers are offering very appealing discounts on their vehicles at this time. This then is what makes this holiday season is one of the best times to buy a car (besides the end-of-year quintessential car-buying time!).
If you are not in a hurry to buy a car, then, it is best to wait until July 4th holiday event rather than any other summer day. This usually means the weekend prior to July 4th and often extending to the weekend after July 4th. If July 4th occurs on the weekend, then generally sales will start a day or two before, and go a day or two after.
You will be guaranteed to get the best prices in the market for the best cars at this time. Purchasing a car at this time is a sure way to save a significant amount of money for your other expenses.
And since most people have time off on or around the Fourth of July holiday, there will be extra time to go automobile shopping.
Vehicle dealers are aware of this and would often offer their best car discounts on such holidays in order to encourage consumers. Some dealerships will even reward the salesperson who makes the most sales over a long weekend with a bonus. Car salespeople will offer specials over the holiday weekend for a variety of reasons, including:
- Because holiday vehicle consumers often intend to visit numerous dealerships in a single day, auto salespeople will go to any length to avoid losing you to the competition.
- Car salespeople have resumed their monthly quotas and are eager to get a head start on their July figures in order to meet their incentive objectives. Especially because this is the month’s only holiday.
- Because of the vacation, consumers get an extra day to go automobile shopping. As a result, dealerships will increase their sales efforts through “events” and other incentives.
In actuality, buying a car around a holiday like Fourth of July can actually be one of the best options because dealers typically give allowances and incentives during this period.
| Good Times To Buy Cars |
|---|
| December |
| November |
| Last day of February during a blizzard |
| End of month; quarter; year |
| During cold, rainy times |
| Mid-morning |
| Up to 2 hours before closing time |
| Middle of the hottest day of the year |
| When no one else it at the dealership |
Do dealerships have sales on 4th of July?
Some may wonder if summer months aren’t really the best times for buying a car, do dealers actually offer sales then during the summer, or specifically on July 4th.
Car dealerships offer sales on the Fourth of July to entice buyers to car lots and set themselves apart from their competitors. While summer months are generally busy times for car lots with high consumer demand, the deals and promotions can help them get the sell over others.
And since many typically have July 4th off, it’s a good time for salespeople or car dealers to give substantial discounts on their vehicles and get customers in the door so to speak.
Some of the deals include earning a certain percentage off your purchase price or even receiving extra after-sales services for the vehicle. Since buying a new car also means paying extra taxes, any kind of savings on the front end is bound to be a good thing too!
And when it comes to car purchases (i.e. big ticket items), timing is everything if you want to get the best deal possible! So while waiting til end of year has been proven to be the best savings time overall, dealerships are motivated throughout the year too. So catching them when promotions are big can be a wise decision for your pocketbook!
Tip: Often car dealers will start their July 4th promotions at the end of June! This coincides with their end of month/end of quarter sales needs, so it’s possible to get a jump start on Fourth of July deals a bit earlier. Look for these kinds of promotions if you’re in the mood for purchasing a car at this time.
Do car prices go down in July?
Now sense July isn’t considered the best time of the year for buying a car, you may wonder if cars are more expensive, then.
Most car dealerships have higher sales discounts during holidays, particularly during the Fourth of July, because it provides an opportunity to build excitement. Holidays in the summer like Fourth of July and Memorial Day are popular for car promotions because people like to car shop then.
Their discounts range from getting the car at a significantly lower price than you would on a typical day to getting more add-ons likes free oil changes or tire rotations for a number of years-something not always provided at other times.
But why would car dealerships offer these specials on Fourth of July or other holidays when car sales are typically good anyway at this time?
Well, even though car demand is high, car supply is usually high too. This means dealers need to move cars off the lots so they offer incentives. Car supply is high because dealers expect demand to be high too, so they often overstock.
Also, because buyers are ‘buying’ in July, it means they will often shop around. With good summer weather, more leisure time, longer days for shopping, and holiday time off, people don’t mind walking away from cars to look elsewhere if they’re not getting the price they want.
This means car lots need to be extra appealing even during summer months.
So the good news for consumers is that cars might not necessarily be more expensive in July, even though percentage off discounts are greater in November and December on average.
If you are not in a rush to buy an automobile, then think about waiting until July 4th (that is, if you can’t wait til end of the year when deals are bound to be best). Y
Wrapping Up Fourth Of July To Buy A Car
Wrapping it up, I’ll reiterate that Fourth of July can actually be a good time to buy a car, given that you pay attention to holiday deals and incentives to get buyers on the lot. And be willing to shop around to maximize your discounts.
Keep in mind though, that in general, research has consistently shown that the last days of the year are the best days for car buying. After that, the end of the month; end of the quarter; and Monday through Thursday are optimal car buying times!
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