Right Time to Buy

Hmmm...When is the right time to buy a new car? Unless you needed a car yesterday, it is wise to wait until there is pressure on the dealer to unload his inventory. Whether the dealer has to fill a quota or it's time for him to dump older models—there's always a right time to buy.

• Be Your Own Santa

  People are buying Christmas gifts, not new cars, at the end of the year, so many dealers slash prices. Some dealers cut their inventory during the slow holiday period. Find a dealership that has a large inventory in need of unloading some cars.

• Out With the Old

  July through October is when dealers push the old models to make room for the new ones. If you're willing to buy the current year's model rather than next year's, you can save some dough.

• End of the Month Equals the Beginning of Savings

  After the 25th of the month, you'll generally be able to negotiate better deals because dealers have quotas to meet. There are many factory-to-dealer incentives that are tied to how many cars a dealer sells during the month.

• More Attention Equals More Desperation

  Visit the dealer on a weekday. Because the weekends are jammed with customers, it's like shooting fish in a barrel for the dealer. However, when the beginning of the week hits, the fish tend to be a bit scarce and the salespeople will be more eager to work with you.

• Pack Your Dinner

  Find deals at the end of the day (make sure you've eaten because you might be there a while). If you start the negotiation process near the end of the day, the salespeople may be so eager to get home that they'll cut to their lowest price faster.

• The End of an Era

  Dealers can't wait to move cars at the end of their design run. When a specific model has been redesigned and the old models on a dealer's lot are no longer in high demand - that's the time to snap up some bargains.

BOTTOM LINE: Like all other aspects of the new car buying experience, timing is everything. Waiting for the right time to buy could save you just as much as haggling over the invoice price. Let timing work for you and wait for the dealer to feel the pressure of unloading his inventory.