It's Cheaper to Buy a Car in California Now
The sales tax has now been reduced by one percent, making it more affordable to buy a new or used car in the state.
The surcharge sales tax was implemented in 2009 as a temporary measure to help California balance its books and only passed because there was a hard end date.
Buyers of a new car in California today could expect to save $270, based on an average price of $27,000.
This was enough of a savings to quell purchases in late June - with buyers waiting for the tax reduction in July.
It has been suggested that these delayed purchases may have been responsible for an industry-wide vehicle sales slowdown in June, which softened as the month came to a close.
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and Ryde Shopper 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.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
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.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
April 2021
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Apr 15, 2021
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars Apr 15, 2021
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Apr 15, 2021
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates Apr 15, 2021
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Apr 08, 2021
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Apr 08, 2021
- Best 0% Finance Deals March 2021 Apr 08, 2021
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Apr 08, 2021
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Apr 01, 2021
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Apr 01, 2021
- New Cars You Should Wait to Buy Apr 01, 2021
- Luxury Lease Deals Under $500/mo Apr 01, 2021
March 2021
- Best Car Deals by Category Mar 25, 2021
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Mar 25, 2021
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Mar 25, 2021
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Mar 25, 2021
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Mar 18, 2021
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Mar 18, 2021
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Mar 18, 2021
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Mar 11, 2021
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Mar 04, 2021
- Biggest Discounts on Leftover Models Mar 04, 2021
December 2020
- Best End of Year Car Deals Dec 31, 2020
- Real Prices of Midsize Luxury Cars Dec 24, 2020
- Real Prices of Small Luxury SUVs Dec 17, 2020