December is the Best Time to Get a Great Deal
Timing your car purchase is a strategy that can save you a lot of money if done right. Buying near the end of the month is usually good technique since it allows you to take advantage of dealers who are desperate to meet certain sales quotas.
Many car shoppers don't realize dealers can get large incentives from the car manufacturers if they sell a certain number of cars each month, each quarter, or each year. Sometimes, dealers will sell a car below cost in order to qualify for these incentives.
December is especially a great time to buy because dealers are trying to meet not only monthly sales goals, but yearly sales goals as well. If you use our Car Buying Technique and contact as many dealers as you can, you're sure to stumble upon one of these desperate dealers.
Here is a list of the top rebates being offered at the moment. This is where you're likely to find the best deals:
Chrylser - Up to $4000 rebate on 2009 Chrysler 300, up to $3000 on 2010 Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Sebring, and Town & Country
Dodge - Up to $5500 on 2009 Dodge Ram and Charger, up to $2500 on Dodge Dakota, Journey, Avenger, Charger, Nitro, and Grand Caravan
Jeep - Up to $4000 rebate on 2010 Jeep Commander, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Libery, and Patriot
Ford - Up to $4000 on 2009 Ford F-250, F-350, and F-450, and $3000 on Ford Mustang, F-150, and Explorer. Up to $3000 on 2010 Ford F-250 and F-450, and up to $2500 on 2010 Ford Escape, Explorer Sport Trac, and Ranger
Chevrolet - Up to $4000 rebate on 2009 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Corvette, Silverado 2500/3500 and up to $3500 on 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche, Impala, Trailblazer, Traverse, and Silverado 1500 � and up to $2000 on 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche, Suburban, Tahoe, Silverado 1500/2500/3500.
Kia - Up to $5000 rebate on 2009 Kia Sorento, Spectra, and $3000 on 2009 Kia Amanti and Borrego
Mazda - Up to $5000 on 2009 Mazda RX8 and Tribute
Mitsubishi - Up to $3500 rebate on 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Galant, and Raider � and up to $3500 on 2010 Mitsubishi Endeavor and Lancer
Nissan - Up to $5000 rebate on 2009 Nissan Titan and $3750 on 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid and Quest � and up to $5000 on 2010 Nissan Armada and Titan and $3000 on 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
Suzuki - Up to $4000 rebate on 2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara and XL7
Toyota - Up to $3000 on 2010 Toyota Tundra
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, Edmunds Price Promise, and 1-800 Car Show are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.California Residents - Important:
There is a new online car buying service called Roadster, available only to California residents, which I highly recommend you try - especially if you hate the stress of haggling with a car salesman. They provide an expert concierge who negotiates the price of the car and delivers it to your home with zero hassle - you never have to interact with a dealership. Here is my in-depth review of Roadster and why I recommend it.- Gregg Fidan
About: Gregg Fidan
Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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