Is now a bad time to buy a car?
It's fine, not great. New model years arrive; dealers make room.
The year, best to worst
5 = best. ▶ marks this month.
Best windows
- December: December: monthly, quarterly and annual goals all line up.
- March: Quarter-end month: dealers chase quarterly goals.
- May: Memorial Day weekend deals.
- June: Quarter-end month.
- September: Quarter-end month plus Labor Day weekend.
Worst windows
- None stand out.
How we know
The sale calendar. Month scores (1–5) are our judgment, based on the well-known retail patterns reported by the sources below. They're not numbers from those sources. Car verdicts add 1 point in the last 5 days of a month and subtract 1 in the first 7 days (end-of-month quota pattern; see Ally and CARFAX).
- Ally, 'The Best Times of Year to Buy a New or Used Car': Quarter-end months (March, June, September, December) are good; October–November as new model years arrive; December aligns monthly, quarterly and annual goals; holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th, Presidents Day) bring deals; avoid the start of the month.
- CARFAX, '5 Best Times to Buy a Car': Shop at the end of the month, quarter and year, and on holiday weekends; end of the month is the best time of month.
- AP News (Edmunds), 'December is a great time to buy a new car': Edmunds cites year-end quotas and incentives as reasons December often delivers better deals.
BLS CPI: New vehicles (CUUR0000SETA01, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted).
Inputs: monthly index values from 2018-09 to 2026-09. Latest: 179.859 (September 2026), +0.61% vs. a year earlier.
Formula: change = 100 × (index[month] ÷ index[previous month] − 1), averaged by calendar month.
| Month | Avg change | Std dev | n | Fell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +0.42% | 0.20 | 8 | 0/8 |
| February | +0.16% | 0.14 | 8 | 1/8 |
| March | +0.01% | 0.27 | 8 | 3/8 |
| April | +0.26% | 0.34 | 8 | 1/8 |
| May | +0.31% | 0.60 | 8 | 4/8 |
| June | +0.29% | 0.66 | 8 | 3/8 |
| July | +0.31% | 0.56 | 8 | 2/8 |
| August | +0.10% | 0.44 | 8 | 4/8 |
| September | +0.13% | 0.42 | 8 | 3/8 |
| October | +0.22% | 0.55 | 8 | 5/8 |
| November | +0.16% | 0.47 | 8 | 2/8 |
| December | +0.26% | 0.53 | 8 | 2/8 |
Result: average monthly change +0.22%; the biggest average drops (or smallest rises) were in March (+0.01%), August (+0.10%), September (+0.13%). The gap between the best and worst month is 0.41 points, and the typical swing within a single month is 0.43 points. The CPI adjusts for quality and is sampled during the month, so it can miss short sale events. We show it as a cross-check; the verdict follows the sale calendar.
BLS CPI: Used cars and trucks (CUUR0000SETA02, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted).
Inputs: monthly index values from 2018-09 to 2026-09. Latest: 184.395 (September 2026), -1.46% vs. a year earlier.
Formula: change = 100 × (index[month] ÷ index[previous month] − 1), averaged by calendar month.
| Month | Avg change | Std dev | n | Fell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -0.92% | 1.81 | 8 | 5/8 |
| February | +0.04% | 0.89 | 8 | 2/8 |
| March | +0.74% | 1.33 | 8 | 1/8 |
| April | +1.71% | 3.62 | 8 | 4/8 |
| May | +1.39% | 2.44 | 8 | 2/8 |
| June | +2.22% | 3.59 | 8 | 1/8 |
| July | +0.76% | 1.29 | 8 | 2/8 |
| August | +0.39% | 2.35 | 8 | 5/8 |
| September | -2.05% | 2.65 | 8 | 7/8 |
| October | +0.12% | 1.52 | 8 | 4/8 |
| November | -0.01% | 1.66 | 8 | 4/8 |
| December | -0.18% | 1.75 | 8 | 4/8 |
Result: average monthly change +0.35%; the biggest average drops (or smallest rises) were in September (-2.05%), January (-0.92%), December (-0.18%). The gap between the best and worst month is 4.26 points, and the typical swing within a single month is 2.08 points. The CPI adjusts for quality and is sampled during the month, so it can miss short sale events. We show it as a cross-check; the verdict follows the sale calendar.
Last updated: page rebuilt October 26, 2026. Data status: bls: ok, last good October 26, 2026.
Shopping anyway?
FAQ
When is the best time to buy a car?
By our ranking: December, March, May, June, September. See "How we know" on this page for the sources and math.
When is the worst time to buy a car?
No month stands out as worst.
Is it rude to leave the dealership?
No. Walking out is a love language at car lots.