2012 Car Buying Calendar

January

• January 03 - Consumer Reports announces Best New Car Values for 2012
• January 09 - Hyundai Elantra and Land Rover Evoque win North America Car/Truck of the Year
• January 11 - Polk announces 2012 Polk Loyalty Award Winners (Winner: Ford)
• January 11 - J.D. Power Releases 2012 Customer Retention Study (Winner: Hyundai)
• January 14 - Detroit Auto Show: (January 14 - 22, 2012)
• First week of January is typically the best time to buy a used car More Info

February

• February 02 - IntelliChoice Announces 2012 Best Overall Value of the Year Awards
• February 08 - KBB Announces 2012 Total Cost of Ownership Awards
• February 08 - Insure.com Announces Least Expensive Cars to Insure for 2012
• February 10 - Chicago Auto Show: (February 10 - 19, 2012)
• February 15 - JD Power releases 2012 Vehicle Dependability Study for 3 Year Old Vehicles

March

• March 08 - Geneva Auto Show: (March 8 - 18, 2012)
• March 14 - J.D. Power Announces 2012 Customer Satisfaction Awards (Winner: Lexus)
• Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue Comes Out: Rating the best vehicles for the 2012 model year

April

• April 3 - Kelley Blue Book announces 2012 Brand Image Awards
• April 06 - New York Auto Show: (April 6 - 15, 2012)
• April 20 - Edmunds.com announces 2012 Best Retained Value Awards
• BMW set to start releasing 2013 model year vehicles

May

• May 23 - TotalCarScore.com releases Top Scoring Car Awards for 2012
• May 28 - Memorial Day Weekend - look for special incentives and rebates from dealers and manufacturers
• Nissan holds their Annual Tent Sale in May
• Manufacturers start increasing production to meet demand for the spring/summer sales spike

June

• June 01 - ALG releases Perceived Quality Study for 2012
• June 15 - JD Power releases Initial Quality Study for 2012 Models 2011 Results
• Kickoff to peak selling season. Automakers may begin offering larger incentives

July

• July 04 - 4th of July Weekend - look for special incentives and rebates from dealers and manufacturers
• July 11 - Pied Piper releases Annual Dealer Satisfaction Results (which dealers treat customers the best) 2011 Results (PDF)
• July 14 - Strategic Vision Announces 2012 Total Quality Awards 2011 Results
• Chrsyler typically holds their annual "Summer Clearance Event" in July
• Edmunds Releases Used Cars Best Bets (based on reliability, safety, value, and availability) 2011 Results
• Edmunds Releases 2012 Consumers' Top Rated Cars (21 categories) 2011 Results

August

• August 21 - ACSI releases Annual Ranking of Automakers 2011 Results
• Most manufacturers stop production on 2012 models, start retooling for 2013 models
• Edmunds Announces Lowest True Cost to Own Awards 2011 Results
• Toyota usually holds their Nationwide Clearance Event in August
• August is the worst time to buy a Used Car More Info

September

• September 20 - Frankfurt Auto Show: (September 20 - 27, 2012)
• September 22 - Intellichoice announces Motorist Choice Awards 2011 Results
• Most 2013 Mode Year Vehicles start hitting showrooms

October

• Consumer Reports releases Most & Least Reliable Cars for 2012 based on reader survey 2011 Results
• October is unofficially Truck Month - Ford, GM, RAM may provide large discounts on trucks

November

• November 16 - MotorTrend Announces 2013 Car of the Year 2012 Result
• November 17 - Green Car Journal Announces 2013 Green Car of the Year 2012 Result
• November 30 - Los Angeles Auto Show: (November 30 - December 9, 2012)
• KBB releases 2013 Best Resale Value Awards 2012 Results
• ALG releases their 2013 Residual Value Awards winners 2012 Results
• Intellichoice Announces Certified Pre-Owned Awards 2011 Results
• End of Year Clearance Sales begin for leftover 2012 models

December

• December 01 - Consumer Reports releases Ownership Satisfaction Survey 2011 Results
• December 03 - Tokyo Auto Show: (December 3 - 11, 2012)
• AOL Autos Announces Best Car & SUV for 2012 2011 Results
• Most manufacturers offering end of year sales incentives
• End of December is the Best Time to Buy a New Car