Buying a new car takes a lot of work, stress, and money. It can be an exciting and scary experience, even for experienced car buyers. There is always the stress of getting the best deal, worrying if you bought a good car, and if you can ultimately afford the car.
If you are looking to buy a car in the coming weeks or months, Fall is one of the best times to do so. We’ve got the reasons why and how to make sure you get the best deal possible.
Dealerships are Making Space for Next Year’s Models
If you are looking to buy a brand new car, the end of the calendar year (starting in October) is the best time to get a good deal. Many dealerships are highly motivated at this time to sell their cars for two main reasons: to close the year with strong sales and to make room for next year’s new car models.
This puts you in a good position to get a great deal. Dealerships are going to be more open to haggling the price down, offer extra incentives to buy, and do whatever they can to sell you a car.
Keep an eye on any big sales at the dealerships including Thanksgiving/Black Friday, holiday sales, or end-of-year sales. These can give you the chance to get an even better deal or perks.
Buying Used Cars Is Better, Too
With Fall being a great time to buy a new car, this moves the car market forward and more used cars become available too. People sell their old cars in order to buy the new ones, so if you’re in the market for a used car, it’s a great time to buy!
Used car dealerships are in the same boat of needing to make room for new inventory, having holiday sales and other reasons to sell. Use this to your advantage to get a good deal.
Hunting for the Best Deal
With every dealership wanting to sell their current inventory, you have the chance to do some hunting and find the best deal. Don’t just buy at the first dealership you visit. By visiting multiple different dealerships, you can get a good idea of what is available and which has the best deal.
In the fall, typically the typical savings you should get is around 6% of the MSRP (the manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of the vehicle, so don’t take anything lower than that. You can even push to get more off through haggling and negotiating. One popular practice is to pit dealerships against each other on similar cars, having them counter offer each other till you get the lowest price.
Getting a Good Loan
There is more to buying a car than just the price. If you aren’t able to pay for it in cash, you’ll need to get a loan.
Before going car shopping, you should know what kind of loans are available and at what interest rates. If you go straight to the dealership and get a loan there, you aren’t guaranteed the best loan you can get. Many dealers only work with a select number of lenders, so you shopping for a loan yourself is a better route.
You might be saving money on a good deal with a car, but if you get a loan with a high interest rate, it might be all for nothing. You should shoot to get a good deal on the car and a low interest rate to save the most money.
It’s smart to get pre-approved on an auto loan before heading to the dealership. You’ll know exactly how much you can afford and avoid a salesperson trying to oversell you on an expensive car.
Pioneer offers competitive rates on auto loans you should check out! Visit our rates page to see our current rates and compare it against other loans. You can also apply for the loan before going to the dealership so you'll be ready to buy when you find the right car.
Have a Strong Credit Score
When applying for loans, a major factor is your credit score. Before heading to the dealerships, you should know what your credit score situation is. The higher the score, the better loan and interest rate you can get.
If you’re a Pioneer member, you can check your current FICO® credit score in myPioneer. If you aren’t a member, you can check your credit score at a number of different online services.
If you have a low credit score, or you don’t have one at all, buying a car should be done the right way. A good place to start is by examining your credit situation and making a plan on improving it. Pioneer can help with our Credit Checkup service. It’s free, and we go through your credit situation, including your credit report, to find areas we can improve your credit.
For those without a credit score, or have never purchased a car before, Pioneer’s First Time Auto Buyer Loan is a great tool to build credit and get you into a car. You can leverage your monthly payments on your auto loan to establish your credit positively, setting you up for success in future financial situations!
Learn more about Pioneer's First Time Auto Buyer Loan