Dealerships are hit with a triple-whammy of pressure: hitting monthly quotas, hitting annual quotas, and clearing out the prior year's models to make room for incoming inventory. New Year's Eve specifically is famous for yielding some of the most desperate dealer price-drops of the year. 4. When the New Model Year Drops
Target the end of March, June, September, and December .
If a dealer is just 1 or 2 cars short of a major bonus threshold, they will frequently sell a car at a loss just to put the unit on the board. 2. The End of the Quarter Quarterly goals are even more aggressive than monthly ones.
Dealerships pay interest (known as "floor plan" costs) on every car sitting on their lot. When a vehicle becomes a year old, it costs them money just to let it sit there. They are highly motivated to offer steep discounts and subsidized financing (like 0% APR) to get rid of them. 🛑 The Absolute Worst Times to Buy
Reddit users heavily caution against stepping foot in a dealership during specific times of the year.
Dealership managers face immense pressure to close out the fiscal quarter with strong numbers, making them much more willing to slash dealer fees and profit margins to earn their quarterly payouts. 3. Late Fall to the End of the Year (October – December)
New models typically begin arriving on lots in the late summer and early fall.