Highlights:
- MLK Day is the best day of the year to find a good deal on a used car, offering 65.5% more deals than average.
- January is the best overall month to find a used car deal, with 55.6% more deals.
- July 4th ranks as the worst holiday to buy a used car, offering 22.4% fewer deals than average.
- June is the worst month for used car deals, with 22.8% fewer deals.
The holiday season brings more than just sales on gifts and electronics — it also kicks off the prime time for finding the best deals on used cars. While April through October are the worst times to buy, November through March offer far more good deals and include the two best-ranked holidays for finding used car deals: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and New Year’s Eve and New Year's Day.
The new iSeeCars study identified the best and worst times of the year to get a good deal on a used car by analyzing over 40 million used car sales from 2024 and 2025. A "good deal" is defined as savings of at least 10%, or $2,689, off the average used car price of $26,889.
The average chance of finding a good deal on any given day is 13.7%, but that likelihood changes dramatically at specific times of the year.
“Consumers struggling to find a good deal on a used vehicle will have far more opportunities in the colder months,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “In general, used car prices follow the average temperature, with both falling between November and March and bottoming out between December 31 and February 28.”
10 Best times to buy a used car
Cold-weather holidays and months dominate the list of the best times to buy. The average chance of finding a deal is 13.7% throughout the year, but on MLK Day the number of deals is 65.5% higher than average, followed by New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with 58.6% more deals. Winter months, including January and February, and winter holidays like Veterans Day and Christmas Eve, also rank high for good deals.| Top 10 Best Times To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Time of Year | % More Deals than Average |
| 1 | MLK Day | 65.5% |
| 2 | New Year's Eve/New Year's Day | 58.6% |
| 3 | January | 55.6% |
| 4 | Presidents' Day | 47.0% |
| 5 | February | 36.2% |
| 6 | Veterans Day | 23.1% |
| 7 | Christmas Eve | 15.2% |
| 8 | December | 15.2% |
| 9 | Thanksgiving/Black Friday | 9.5% |
| 10 | Halloween | 6.8% |
10 Worst times to buy a used car
Just as cold temperatures bring more deals, warmer temperatures have the opposite effect. The availability of used car deals swings from having 65.5% above average on MLK Day to 22.8% below average during the month of June.July 4th is another bad time for used car deals, with warm temps and family vacations creating a festive environment. Dealers know this and they offer 22.4% fewer used car deals than average as a result.
| Top 10 Worst Times To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Time of Year | % Fewer Deals than Average |
| 1 | June | -22.8% |
| 2 | July 4th | -22.4% |
| 3 | May | -22.2% |
| 4 | July | -22.1% |
| 5 | Father's Day | -19.7% |
| 6 | Juneteenth | -19.7% |
| 7 | Memorial Day | -18.0% |
| 8 | April | -15.0% |
| 9 | Mother's Day | -9.2% |
| 10 | August | -7.8% |
Best and worst holidays to buy a used car
Holiday events are the most popular times for dealers to promote “low prices” through various advertising efforts. But iSeeCars’ analysis shows the real deals are only available during the colder half of the year.| The Best and Worst Holidays To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Holiday | % More or Fewer Deals than Average |
| 1 | MLK Day | +65.5% |
| 2 | New Year's Eve/New Year's Day | +58.6% |
| 3 | Presidents' Day | +47.0% |
| 4 | Veterans Day | +23.1% |
| 5 | Christmas Eve | +15.2% |
| 6 | Thanksgiving/Black Friday | +9.5% |
| 7 | Halloween | +6.8% |
| 8 | Columbus Day | +5.9% |
| 9 | Labor Day | -5.0% |
| 10 | Mother's Day | -9.2% |
| 11 | Memorial Day | -18.0% |
| 12 | Juneteenth | -19.7% |
| 13 | Father's Day | -19.7% |
| 14 | July 4th | -22.4% |
Best and worst months to buy a used car
When ranked by the most versus the least number of deals on used cars, the calendar months follow the same trend as the holiday rankings. Lower temps equal lower prices, while used car prices rise with the temperature, making your worst chance of finding a deal coincide with the months of May, June, and July.| The Best and Worst Months To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Month | % More or Fewer Deals than Average |
| 1 | January | +55.6% |
| 2 | February | +36.2% |
| 3 | December | +15.2% |
| 4 | March | +6.3% |
| 5 | November | +5.8% |
| 6 | October | +2.1% |
| 7 | September | -3.2% |
| 8 | August | -7.8% |
| 9 | April | -15.0% |
| 10 | July | -22.1% |
| 11 | May | -22.2% |
| 12 | June | -22.8% |
Methodology
iSeeCars.com analyzed over 40 million used car sales from 2024 through October 2025. Deals were identified based on whether the car was listed at 10% or more below iSeeCars’ estimated fair market value. The total number of listings and number of deals were aggregated nationally by month, and day of the month. In addition, the data were also aggregated for specific major holidays. At each aggregated timescale, the number of deals was divided by the number of cars sold, resulting in a probability of finding a deal. These resulting probabilities were expressed as a percentage difference from the overall probability of finding an automotive deal on an average day (13.7%).
About iSeeCars.com
