Best Time to Buy a Car

Keep an eye out for "aged inventory," which refers to any inventory that has remained unsold for a period of time.

The best times to buy a car are Black Friday, Black Friday Weekend, Christmas Eve, early May, end of the first quarter, end of the second quarter, end of the third quarter, end of the fourth quarter, end of year, Memorial Day, Memorial Day Weekend, and New Year's Eve.

Cars are almost never on sale—about 12% of the year, or an average of 1-in-8.1 days.

almost never on sale
12%
of year on sale
12
sale periods
45
sale days
Check prices at Carvana

The best months to buy cars are March, May, June, September, November, and December.

  • 1
    Jan
  • 2
    Feb
  • 3
    Mar
  • 4
    Apr
  • 5
    May
  • 6
    Jun
  • 7
    Jul
  • 8
    Aug
  • 9
    Sep
  • 10
    Oct
  • 11
    Nov
  • 12
    Dec

Hover over each date to learn more

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Best time to buy cars

FAQ

Let's recap by answering some key questions:

When is the best time to buy cars?

The best times to buy a car are Black Friday, Black Friday Weekend, Christmas Eve, early May, end of the first quarter, end of the second quarter, end of the third quarter, end of the fourth quarter, end of year, Memorial Day, Memorial Day Weekend, and New Year's Eve.

Which months are best for buying cars?

The best months to buy cars are March, May, June, September, November, and December.

How often are cars on sale?

Cars are almost never on sale, approximately 45 days each year, spanning 12 distinct sale periods—that's 12% of the year.

Where are the best places to buy cars?

The best places to buy cars are Carvana, Auto Trader, and TrueCar.