Yes, There Is a Best Time of Year to Buy a New Car

You can save thousands of dollars on a new car by buying at the right time of year.

Typically, the best time to shop for a new car is when the new version of that same vehicle is about to go on sale, so dealerships will want to clear space for the new models. The closer you get to the new model’s arrival date, the more you can save on older models, said Lori Wittman, president of retail solutions for Cox Automotive.

“Savvy buyers who time their purchases around redesign releases, year-end clearances, tax season or other demand shifts can secure substantial savings,” said Zach Klempf, chief executive of Selly Automotive, a San Francisco-based software company.

This guide explains which weeks to mark on your calendar if you’re shopping for discounts on a car, and why these strategies hold true year after year.

What are the best months to start car shopping?
When are the best times of year to get a deal on a car?
What are the best months for buying electric vehicles (EV)?
If there is one best day of the year to buy a car…

What are the best months to start car shopping?

If buying the latest model or a specific color or trim isn’t a top concern, start car shopping in August.

Car buying is not unlike buying an iPhone: When new iPhones are released, old models will drop in price. Cars take up a lot more space than an iPhone, though, so dealerships tend to start discounting in the summer—a few months before new models arrive—to clear out inventory.

“Traditionally, automakers retool their factories for the new models in the summer, so that makes August, September and October a good time to shop for an earlier model,” said Wittman.

Look for cash-back programs and other incentives as manufacturers start clearing out their inventory, said Klempf.

“We’re currently seeing incentives return with strong interest rates and deep discounts on 2023 inventory,” said Wittman.

Start paying attention in the fall, from September to December. New models are typically released in the fall of the preceding year, with 2024 models announced in the fall 2023 and start arriving in October. For new car models released in the fall, dealerships will typically have units on-hand for same-day delivery.

When are the best times of year to get a deal on a car?

Big holiday “sales” at dealerships—think Memorial Day and Labor Day—are more of a marketing gimmick than an actual chance for deep discounts, according to Nathan MacAlpine, the founder of CarMate, a Los Angeles-based car brokership.

For used cars, MacAlpine said tax season, from early April to early May, is a sweet spot for buyers. When people get their tax refund back in the spring, a lot of them go car shopping. Dealerships compete for customers by offering deals.

“Just after tax time, I always find it’s busy on my end of selling cars, which means there are more discounts,” said MacAlpine.

What are the best months for buying electric vehicles (EV)?

EV sales are seasonal, too. The months leading up to the end of the year tend to be a popular time for EV buyers who want to take advantage of tax benefits before they expire, said Klempf.

Next year, this will be less of a problem: EV buyers will get up to $7,500 off the purchase right at the dealership, rather than wait months until filing their tax return to get the credit.

If there is one best day of the year to buy a car…

To time your car purchase for maximum savings, Cox Automotive’s Wittman recommends marking some dates on your calendar.

“The end of the month, the end of a quarter or the end of the year are also good times to find deals on both new and used cars,” said Wittman. Salespeople are under pressure to hit sales quotas at those times to earn bonuses for high sales volume, and they’re more likely to offer discounts to get deals done.

“My personal favorite time to buy a car is on the last day of a calendar year, in the evening,” said Klempf of Selly Automotive.

He personally helped family members secure end-of-year deals on Toyota vehicles, such as a gold-colored Camry, a hue that wasn’t in high demand. “We managed to negotiate a discount of nearly 20% on the car,” he said of the purchase, which was made near close of business in December. The dealership explicitly told them that they were striving to hit their sales quota.

One of Sydney’s newest premium workplace destinations has unveiled a major art activation designed to transform the traditional office experience.

Contemporary art curator ART+ has partnered with Forum Double Bay to deliver a curated art program throughout the recently opened workspace, anchored by a large-scale mural from Australian artist Vicki Lee in the building’s central atrium.

The collection also includes works by internationally recognised artists Sebastian Magnani, Alan Walsh, Terry O’Neill, Tyler Shields and Alexander Calder, creating what the partners describe as an art-infused environment that integrates culture into the everyday workplace experience.

Rather than treating art as a decorative addition, the program has been designed to form part of the building’s identity, creating moments of inspiration and engagement throughout the day for members and visitors alike.

ART+ founder Jay Lyon said the collaboration reflected a shared vision between the curator and developer to create workspaces that offer more than desks and meeting rooms.

“This is a unique moment to shape the way people experience workspace: not just as a place to work, but as a place to be inspired. Fortis and Art+ share that vision,” he said.

The activation comes as workplace design continues to evolve, with premium operators increasingly incorporating hospitality, wellness and cultural experiences into office environments as businesses seek to attract employees back into physical workspaces.

At Forum Double Bay, the result is a workplace that combines flexible office accommodation with a carefully curated aesthetic experience, positioning the development as a destination rather than simply a place to work.

Artist Vicki Lee said public art had the power to create an emotional connection with a space.

“What I want is for people to walk in and feel something; a connection, a surprise, a moment of beauty. That’s the power of public art,” she said.

Forum Double Bay recently opened at 377 New South Head Road and has been delivered under the development management expertise of Fortis. The project follows the success of Forum in Melbourne’s Cremorne and is operated by The Commons.

According to the release, all works within the building have been leased as part of the curated program, highlighting Fortis’ commitment to creating boutique workplace environments that blend design, hospitality and culture.

The collaboration also reflects the growing role art is playing within commercial real estate, where developers are increasingly using curated collections and commissioned works to create distinctive environments that foster creativity, community and a stronger sense of place.

For ART+, which specialises in sourcing and commissioning contemporary artworks for luxury residential, commercial and hospitality projects, the Forum partnership represents another example of art being integrated into the fabric of a development from the outset rather than being added after completion.

Yes, There Is a Best Time of Year to Buy a New Car

Here are the weeks to mark on your calendar if you’re car shopping with a discount in mind

What are the best months to start car shopping?

When are the best times of year to get a deal on a car?

What are the best months for buying electric vehicles (EV)?

If there is one best day of the year to buy a car…

A new collaboration between ART+ and Forum Double Bay is bringing museum-quality artworks and a large-scale mural into the workplace.