Highlights:

  • New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the best times to buy a used car, with 47.9 percent more deals than average 
  • Martin Luther King Day is the second best day to buy a used car, with 43.3 percent more deals
  • Father’s Day is the worst holiday to get a used car deal, followed by July 4th and Juneteenth
  • November through February are the best months to get a used car deal
  • April through August are the worst months to get a used car deal

Used car prices are still 29.6 percent above pre-pandemic levels, making it all the more important to find the best possible deal when shopping for a used vehicle. Car buyers will find it much easier to find a good deal on used models on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and in the months of November through February. On the other hand, Father’s Day, July 4th, and the months of April through August offer a much lower chance of finding a used car deal. For the purposes of this study, a used car deal is defined as savings of at least 5 percent compared to the iSeeCars estimated fair market value, or at least $1,386 off the average used car price of $27,726.

The latest iSeeCars study identified the best and worst times of the year to get a used car deal by analyzing over 39 million used car sales from 2023 and 2024. It calculated the chances of finding a deal on various days and months of the year and compared them to the annual average, which is 33.1 percent.

“Most people have a sense that car shopping slows down during the winter months, with car dealerships often struggling to find customers,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars executive analyst. “Looking at pricing data confirms the drop-off in used car values between November and February, as dealers slash prices and automakers lower interest rates in an effort to draw buyers onto lots amid cooler temperatures and holiday distractions.”

 

Best Times To Buy a Used Car

iSeeCars looked at which holidays and months offer the most deals on used cars. The average chance of finding a deal is 33.1 percent throughout the calendar year, but more deals are available on New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, MLK Day, and other winter holidays, as well as during winter months.
Top 10 Best Times To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study
Rank Time of Year % More Deals Than Average
1 New Years Eve/Day 47.9%
2 MLK Day 43.3%
3 January 41.1%
4 Presidents’ Day 37.6%
5 Christmas Eve 36.0%
6 December 32.5%
7 February 31.8%
8 Thanksgiving/Black Friday 28.4%
9 Veterans Day 11.8%
10 November 10.3%
“Everything from colder weather to holiday spending slows demand for cars in the winter months,” said Brauer. “But if you can afford the time and expense of buying a car between November 1st and February 28th, your chances of getting a good-to-excellent deal on a used model are substantially higher.”

Worst Times To Buy a Used Car

Warmer temperatures and spring-time tax returns raise both new car and used car buying activity starting in March. By April there are fewer used car deals available, and deals continue to become more scarce through June, which is the worst month for used car deals, with 30.4 percent fewer deals than average. 

Holidays falling around these months also offer fewer deals than average. Father’s Day has 33.1 percent fewer deals than average and is the worst time of year for used car shoppers to find deals. Other holidays when it’s harder to find deals are July 4th, Memorial Day and Mother’s Day.

Top 10 Worst Times To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study
Rank Time of Year % Fewer Deals Than Average
1 Fathers Day -33.1%
2 July 4th -31.1%
3 June -30.4%
4 Juneteenth -30.0%
5 Memorial Day -28.0%
6 May -27.8%
7 Mother’s Day -27.4%
8 July -22.5%
9 April -16.8%
10 August -8.5%
“It may be popular to test drive and buy a used car during the spring or summer shopping seasons, but it’s the worst time to find a good deal,” said Brauer. “If you can’t beat the spring rush and buy before April, you’ll have a much higher chance of getting a used car deal starting again in November.”

 

Best and Worst Holidays To Buy a Used Car

Automakers and car dealers often promote their car sales events during holidays. But don’t be swayed by the promise of “Low Prices!,” “Cash Back!” or “Extra Savings!” associated with these events – at least not during the holidays between April and September, which are some of the worst times to find deals.
The Best and Worst Holidays To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study
Rank Holiday % More or Fewer Deals Than Average
1 New Years Eve/Day +47.9%
2 MLK Day +43.3%
3 Presidents’ Day +37.6%
4 Christmas Eve +36.0%
5 Thanksgiving/Black Friday +28.4%
6 Halloween +15.3%
7 Columbus Day +14.1%
8 Veterans Day +11.8%
9 Labor Day -4.4%
10 Mother’s Day -27.4%
11 Memorial Day -28.0%
12 Juneteenth -30.0%
13 July 4th -31.1%
14 Father’s Day -33.1%
“The availability of used car deals plummets between New Year’s Day and Father’s Day,” said Brauer. “Shopping during the hectic and potentially cold kickoff of the new year may not be ideal, but your chance of securing a good deal more than doubles compared to the summer holidays.”

 

Best and Worst Months To Buy a Used Car

The timing for getting a good price on a used vehicle coincides with the progression of the calendar. When ranked from best-to-worst month to find a deal, January starts out as the best month and June is the worst. The trend then improves starting in July through the end of the year.
The Best and Worst Months To Buy a Used Car - iSeeCars Study
Rank Month % More or Fewer Deals Than Average
1 January +41.1%
2 December +32.5%
3 February +31.8%
4 November +10.3%
5 March +7.3%
6 October +3.4%
7 September -3.5%
8 August -8.5%
9 April -16.8%
10 July -22.5%
11 May -27.8%
12 June -30.4%
“Shoppers can essentially use the average temperature of a given month as a guide to used car prices,” said Brauer. “The warmer the temperature, the more you’ll pay.”

 

Does Buying a Car on Weekdays Matter?

iSeeCars also looked at the days of the week to see if consumers can get a better deal by avoiding weekend purchases (Friday through Sunday). While weekdays have an average of 1.4 percent more deals than weekends do, the difference is very small. Making your purchase on a weekday might provide a slight advantage, but is probably not worth it if a weekend purchase is easier for you to schedule.
The Best Days To Buy a Used Car: Weekdays vs. Weekends - iSeeCars Study
Days of the Week % More or Fewer Deals Than Average
Weekdays (Monday - Thursday) +0.6%
Weekend (Friday - Sunday) -0.8%
Remember that good deals on used cars are available throughout the year. You’ll have to work harder to find them on Father’s Day versus New Year’s, and in the summer months versus the winter months. But if you do your research ahead of time and negotiate effectively with the dealer, you can get a good deal any day of the year.

 

 

Methodology

iSeeCars.com analyzed over 39 million used car sales from 2023 through November 2024. Deals were identified based on whether the car was listed at five percent or more below iSeeCars’ estimated fair market value. The total number of listings and number of deals were aggregated nationally at several timescales: by month, day of the month, and day of the week. In addition, the data were also aggregated for specific holidays. At each aggregated timescale, the number of deals were 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 (33.1 percent).

 

About iSeeCars.com 

iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, including the iSeeCars VIN Check report and Best Cars Rankings. iSeeCars has saved users over $430 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.