Is this the best week for customers to buy a car? Forbes seems to think so, and many local dealerships do, too.
Jaclyn Trop reported in an article for Forbes that many dealerships use the week after Christmas to slash prices and make their year-end quotas happen.
Trop used Herb Chamber BMW, a BMW dealership out of Boston, to demonstrate how this week benefits both dealerships and customers. The dealership’s general manager, Melissa Steffy, said they make as much or more money during this week than they do from Dec. 1-24.
Fortunately for East Texans, the deals run locally, as well.
We asked associates from several dealerships across East Texas for their opinion on whether or not this week was truly the best time to buy a car.
JM Chevrolet Cadillac in Lufkin
“What you find is that it’s a big new car month,” General Sales Manager Cory Robertson said. “A lot of people hold out for this time. What happens is, the previous year models, the 2016s, the major car brands really incentivise to get these off the lot, and it makes for really good deals for customers.”
Robertson also said JM Chevrolet Cadillac’s sales often run into early January. Currently, they have up to $12,000 off on the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Motor Trend Truck of the Year.
Clifton Chevrolet in Corrigan
John Clifton, owner of Clifton Chevrolet, said he feels like the sales will be the strongest sales of the year for most dealerships because there is a lot at stake for manufacturers.
“Traditionally, December is a good month for us,” Clifton said. “We sell a lot to commercial type customers, and, typically, those customers buy a lot in December for tax purposes.”
Raceway Motors in Lufkin
Sales Manager Ross Williams took a different approach on this week than other associates.
“The best time to buy a car is when your current vehicle is not doing what you need it to do,” he said. “It could be any time. The majority of our customers come to us with a problem, and we help them get a nicer, newer model.”
Williams said that most dealerships do try to meet quotas at the end of every month, especially at the end of the year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those will be the best times of the year for customers to find the best deals.
“Is this a great time to buy a vehicle? Absolutely. Is this the best time? Maybe not. When a customer comes in, no matter what time comes in, it’s the best time for them,” Williams said.
Currently, Raceway Motors is doing a deal where customers can get their credit approved for $7 down, and they will have a new deal for the month of January.
Loving Toyota in Lufkin
“I most definitely think this could typically be the best time for deals,” said General Manager Trae Gerard. “Our Toyotathon in December is the biggest sale we do, and we are trying to get to our year end quotas.”
Gerard said the Toyotathon offers the dealership’s biggest discounts, rebates, and incentives of the year, and the deals will be extended untilJan. 3, 2017, to offer customers more time.
So, the East Texas auto consensus is if you want great deals and you are buying a new car for Christmas, the New Year, or if you can afford to wait until December and January to buy a new vehicle, this week is right for you. However, as Williams from Raceway Motors said, the right time for a customer to buy a car is when they need the car.
