The so-called ‘Magic Week’ is the time of the year when dealers are so desperate to get rid of cars that they’ll sell them for a loss. Is this a real thing? It can be, although there are all sorts of variables at play this year. Inventory is up, and sales are down, which is usually the perfect recipe for scoring a great deal.
There’s always a catch, right? The Internet loves a catch-y headline, and this time, for this Morning Dump, I’m going to go through all the catches. There’s the obvious one, which is that the best way to get a good deal is to have a lot of money in the first place. There’s more to it, though, as I’ll explore today.
You know who is super-reliant on China? The entire nation of Germany, and now issues with getting rare earth metals and magnets are hitting European companies hard. Germany has a plan, though, and it’s to walk back the 2035 EV mandate, which seems to play into the hands of Chinese automakers that want to sell EVs there.
It’s not just Europe that’s looking askance at Chinese automakers, as BYD just launched a much cheaper alternative to the popular plug-in hybrids in Japan.
The Good Deals And Not-So-Good Deals Will Depend A Lot On Where And What You Shop
While no rational person should expect to suddenly get a great deal everywhere on a super popular car like a Toyota Sienna or Honda CR-V, there’s some logic behind the idea that from December 26th to January 1st, you might be able to get your lowest price/best incentives on a new car.
Some of this is the market overall, as the year is expected to end with a thud, as Cox Automotive points out:
“The new-vehicle sales pace had been expected to slow in the fourth quarter, and that’s what we are seeing,” said Cox Automotive Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough. “The headwinds from higher prices and fewer government subsidies for electric vehicles are finally slowing the market after a surprisingly strong previous six months. Sales began surging in the spring as buyers rushed to market to beat expected higher prices in the wake of announced tariffs. Now, with more tariffed products replacing existing non-tariffed inventory, prices are drifting higher, leading to slower sales which may last through the remainder of the year and into next year.”
As the Detroit Free Press reports, there is logic behind ‘magic week’ as well:
Overall, most car shopping experts and car dealers expect automakers to offer sizable incentives to move metal in December. General Motors has already started offering big discounts on Chevrolet Silverado pickups.
Likewise, many car dealers will negotiate more aggressively to get sales over the finish line to hit year-end targets. In fact, Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Powers, said the best days this year to buy a new car will be Dec. 26 through New Year’s Eve. He calls it the “magic week” for car buying. Eric Frehsee, president of Tamaroff Auto Group, confirmed Jominy’s prediction.
“Dealers will lose money to sell cars at the end of the year,” Frehsee told the Detroit Free Press. “There’s all kinds of goals and targets to hit and no one wants to fall short.”
You probably can’t just call up your local dealer and ask them how close they are to their yearly target, so you’ll have to look a little closer at what you want. As referenced above, Chevy is putting a lot of might behind Silverado this year, and for good reason. Not only is it a high-margin, profitable vehicle, but Ford is in trouble.
Specifically, it may not be the best time to get an F-150 because the plant that processes the aluminum for F-150 production keeps catching on fire for some reason. This means deals for the Ford truck might be harder to come by, whereas Chevy wants the killshot of outselling the F-Series for a quarter, or at least the company wants to make Ford sweat a little.
As mentioned, the ongoing affordability catch is also there. While lending is loosening up a little bit, your best way to get a deal is to have great credit in order to negotiate lower financing on shorter terms. If you can afford a 48-month repayment and can put a lot of money down, you’ll ultimately pay less over the course of the loan than someone who has a higher interest rate and can only afford a much longer term.
Is there any upside here for buyers? Sure, if you’re a Costco member and have been for a while, there are a bunch of $1,250 incentives on GM or Polestar products.
As you can see in the chart above, there are also deals to be had in certain segments. Do you want a mid-size sedan? Sales are down, so maybe a deal on a Camry or Accord isn’t so far out there as a concept. Do you want a Nissan Altima? No. No one wants a Nissan Altima. However, the deals for those are probably going to be excellent depending on where you live.
The other place to look is for vehicles and automakers impacted by tariffs. This is probably a bad time to score a good deal on a European-built car, as European brands are looking to protect profitability.
So, yeah, deals are out there, but it’s going to depend more than usual on the brand, the vehicle, and the geography.
European Automakers And Suppliers Looking At Supply Chain Disruptions
The un-flattening of the world is starting to continue apace, especially with China’s Ministry of Commerce putting stricter export controls on its rare earth minerals and magnets. These materials are key to making all sorts of advanced goods, and the Chinese government is fully aware of this dependence. After a year of governments questioning their reliance on China and implementing trade barriers, China is responding by increasing bureaucratic hurdles.
A new survey by the European Chamber of Commerce points out just how tough this is:
Delivery times for impacted goods have been disrupted, with 40% of respondents indicating that export control approval processes have added upwards of two months to delivery times. A similar proportion (38%) expect ‘significant’ disruptions to their supply chains, or production stoppages or slowdowns, if all of China’s announced export controls are fully implemented.
[…]
“China’s export controls have increased the uncertainty felt by European businesses operating in the country, with companies facing risks of production slowdowns or even stoppages,” said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. “They have also prompted strong responses from China’s trading partners, which has added more pressure to a global trade system that was already under a great deal of stress.”
The EU recently passed high tariffs on Chinese-built EVs, over the protest of the German government.
Germany: Let’s Maybe Chill On Those EV-Only Mandates
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would very much like it if the European Union didn’t keep its 2035 EV-only mandate, reports Bloomberg:
“Our goal should be a technology-neutral, flexible, and realistic CO2 regulation that meets the EU’s climate protection targets without jeopardizing innovation and industrial value creation,” Merz wrote in the letter, which reached von der Leyen’s office on Friday and was seen by Bloomberg.
Merz’s letter demands far-reaching changes to von der Leyen’s original plan to ban combustion engine vehicles by 2035. “We must consider the emissions of the entire passenger car fleet — that is, new registrations and existing vehicles,” Merz, the leader of Germany’s conservative CDU party, wrote.
The European Union is adoping EVs at a way faster rate than the United States, and even there the idea of getting rid of all combustion-powered cars without some sort of huge advancement seems difficult. I mean, one way could be lowering tariffs on Chinese cars and allowing that country’s automakers to sell a bunch of cheap EVs in Europe, but that’s even worse for German automakers.
Merz himself got elected partially on a promise to kick the economy back into gear which, in Germany, requires selling and building more cars.
BYD’s Sealion 6 Is Going To Challenge Japan’s Best
The BYD Sealion 6 is, visually, one of the least interesting vehicles for sale right now. From a technological and geopolitical standpoint, however, it’s fascinating. The BYD plan, besides selling EVs outside of China, seems to hinge on selling plug-in hybrids.
While tame, visually, the Sealion 6 is competitive on range and features with both the Toyota RAV4 Prime and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in Japan. On price? It’s not even close. The Sealion 6 will sell in Japan for about $25,600 for the FWD model, compared to $36,500 for a RAV4 and $34,100 for the Outlander. Even the AWD Sealion 6 is just $28,900 or so.
Will Japanese buyers go for it? There’s a reason why they may not, as Nikkei Asia reports:
The debut takes place with relations between Japan and China worsening. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in parliament that an armed attack on Taiwan could become “a survival-threatening situation” for Japan. In response, Beijing has taken a series of measures, including urging its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan.
In a group interview on Monday, Tofukuji said there has been no significant increase in canceled orders. “We have not received requests to cancel from customers awaiting delivery. Customers are observing the situation calmly.”
He also said the company has not received any requests to cancel Monday’s news conference from either the Japanese or Chinese governments.
“We cannot predict how bilateral relations will develop, going forward, and there is no major impact at this time,” he said. “But if such a relationship persists into the future, it is natural that concerns will arise.”
If the People’s Republic of China invades the Republic of China (Taiwan) it’s a scary moment for Japan, but the quesiton is how much Japanese buyers are influenced by geopolitics.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
Will we end the year strong? The Counting Crows see “A Long December” coming.
The Big Question
What’s the best new car deal in your area?
Top photo: Silverado
Wife’s “13 Lincoln MKX needs struts, shocks and ABS module. (2K just for that.) Deciding now whether to spend the money or trade. She likes the car and wants to keep it, and I can’t get at all excited about the mid-size crossovers that she wants.
I’m just sad typical dealerships don’t tend to keep affordable used conversion vans on the lot.
I recently learned how uniquely awful it is to try to get cash on short notice from an online-only credit union (which has, in all other respects, been perfect for me) and knowing that 99% of any conversion van in good condition I might find will be sold by a private seller and “cash only”…yikes.
“Sealion”??
Pronounced “Se-AL-ion”?
Or Shay-leon (Irish)?
Or “Sea Lion”? Does it sit on a rock all day and bark?
I have not done the research, but simple logic tells me that it is for the worst possible vehicle, in the worst possible color, with the worst options, at a high price after the discount. And I will not bite, because it is not what I want (hybrid mini-wagon under $40K?).
The local Porsche dealer appears to have a ton of inventory. Maybe there is a deal on a drab orange automatic 911, for only $120,000 instead of $140,000. Not biting.
But, will “dealers take a loss” as suggested? An unsold car is not a loss. It just takes up space, which costs money and the dealer misses out on bringing in a car that will sell. Not as if the car rots.
Also, there are other ways to get vehicles off the lot faster (but will realize a larger loss): auctions, turn them into loaners, trade with another dealer, etc.
“auctions, them into loaners, trade with another dealer, etc.”
…Leave the doors unlocked with the keys on the seat and the gates open, way overcharge the battery, have a tree fall on it, leave it parked in the lowest point on the lot with a hurricane approaching, put on a bear suit and trash the interior for the cameras, leave a dead fish on the floor and wait for a real bear, let a methhead take it for a “test drive”,…
The EU is not banning new ICE vehicle sales in 2035. They have a fleet average similar to the USA’s CAFE but measured in g/km CO2. Just like in the USA there is a fine for missing the target but the fines are rather low. 95 Euro per g/km CO2. Pay the fine and you can continue selling whatever you like.
A current E300e is rated at 50 g/km CO2 so the fine would be 4,750 euro to sell it in a decade.
Love me some Crows. I am staying out of the market until things settle down politically. I expect a minor to medium correction sometime in 26. Maybe next Christmas or even 27. The Honda is doing fine for now. Have shopped a cx70 which is nice but priced like a bmw or Mercedes up here, so for now, nope.
“I can’t remember all the times I’ve tried to tell myself to hold onto these moments as they pass.”
Long December is such an amazing song; 29 years running.
Was going to throw that line down Mr. SWG.
You beat me to it.
In my “Long December” that line couldn’t be more powerful, or ironic.
I spent 40 years hanging on to the moments as they passed, now hang on to the memories.
Not as sweet but grateful for each and every one.
Hope you can publish more stuff soon man, enjoy what you do.
Happy Holidays to you all.
Dang. I got curious and checked around me, and it looks like I can 0% financing on:
This is all on TrueCar, so I don’t know how realistic it is. And it is largely moot as I don’t need a (counts on fingers) ninth car.
We’re selling my gma’s 06 TL and I’ve been considering buying it. I don’t know if I want it enough to get rid of my Fit. The Acura is infinitely nicer inside, faster but the transmission is a potential time bomb. I feel like I would regret selling the Fit, as fun as it is. But at nearly 300k, the Fit is also a potential time bomb…
Anyone have some input? It’s a pretty typical grandma car, 65k miles, a few repaired body panels. The Fit is a manual which is the main redeeming quality.
I’ll say this—coming from a Fit almost everything nowadays is gonna feel ginormous. Go with the TL, run it until it ain’t a car no more, then assess your options.
My other car is a lifted Bronco. Not too worried about the size.
I don’t hang out on Acura forums so I don’t know what transmission issues are time bombs. I have a ’17 Accord V6 and haven’t had any issues through 70K miles. Also put nearly 70K miles on an MDX. But you will certainly burn more fuel than with the Fit. Especially around town. The Accord gets around 40 MPG on long freeway drives but half that around town. I imagine the TL doesn’t do any better.
Change the transmission fluid if grandma didn’t; don’t drive it like you stole it and you should be ok.
The transmission issues were long, long gone by 2017 as far as I know. It was something like 1998-2005, but maybe also some 2006-2007 depending. And specific to V6s with automatics.
Nope, as I stare out the window at piles of snow and salt I figure I don’t need to subject a new car to that right away. Let me at least have a fun summer with it first. Also, I’m feeling pretty broke!
Certainly don’t _need_ a car right now, but I may pick up a new Bolt next year if (as I expect) money is on the hood quickly. If the midrange trims are available around 25-26k I would be a buyer as a 3rd car for my family. It’ll all depend on final pricing and specs though.
The main thing I like about it is the LFP battery which will have a far higher cycle life and thus would be likely to have minimal degradation over the 10+ years I’d expect to own it. I don’t need it to be a road trip vehicle as we have ICE vehicles for that purpose.
I’m not in the market, but there’s only one place that seems to be wheeling and simultaneously dealing around these parts…
And that’s the Nissan dealer.
And hey, they have a bunch of Frontiers for genuinely tolerable outlays. Like a 2025 Pro-4X for only 38k. And other Frontiers hanging around the 36k mark. Honestly, that doesn’t seem like a horrible value for a perfectly decent mid-sized truck, considering a comparable Tacoma is probably 7k more expensive. Meanwhile, they’re selling Sentra SVs for 22k.
I, like everyone else have beaten up on Nissan quite a bit but like, there’s a point where the value can’t be ignored.
The TRD Off-Road I looked at right when the new Tacos debuted was 55k. So 17k more expensive than the Nissan. In terms of off-road equipment, I’d say those are comparable. No idea how either truck was equipped interior-wise.
Frontiers are seriously overlooked. I understand the Nissan stigma where people don’t want to associate with Rogues and Altimas, but it’s arguably second best behind a Tacoma. I’d definitely pick one over a Ranger or a Colorado unless I was looking for a Raptor equivalent to which Nissan has no answer. 20K saved can go a long ways on the aftermarket though.
No purchases on the horizon, new or used. We’ll just keep the quantity over quality plan going here. There are plenty of working cars for the drivers in this household, a few more than we actually need. Taking at least 1 off the road for the winter.
How new does it have to be to be “new”? Does new to me count? Cuz there’s some great prices on old garbage I really want and don’t need right now. 1955 Desoto, 1938 Plymouth, 1966 Charger, a couple of 70s International quad cabs…
My buddy just sent me a Gremlin listed for $900 obo.
Just, whatever you do, don’t feed it after midnight.
The lovely Desoto.
38 Plymouths are cool looking. Always look good in movies when you wander a period car that no one can identify.
I just wanted to mention for anyone who cares that Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mazda, and Lexus were all absent from this years’ LA Auto Show. Jaguar of course I understand, but LA has got to be the biggest American market for all of those other manufacturers.
Not much point in auto shows today. They used to be great with all kinds of concepts and tech displays. Today the majority aren’t even attended by the OEM – instead they just have some local dealers take inventory to the show.
I was in Detroit this year while the show was going on but passed. Went to the Henry Ford Museum instead.
It was pointed out to me that Acura was also missing last week in LA. I haven’t gone to the LA show since before the pandemic, but went this time because someone gave me a couple of free tickets.
Parking was $32. which is part of why I don’t go much anymore. It’s hard for me to enjoy looking at cars I can’t afford while still stinging from
being exploitedhaving been charged what the market will bear for the privilige of putting my car in their garage for three or four hours max.I’ll go again (maybe by subway next time) only if free tickets show up again. The two most interesting things I saw were both in Kentia hall, where the aftermarket/tuner stuff is, and they include an air-cooled Beetle painted as if it were in a manga, complete with B&W background (I know Nissan did something like this for their entire display at the most recent Japan auto show):
https://imgur.com/a/6QqcGq8
…and there was this creepy yet intriguing “Mouth of Truth” thing, which it took me a bit to understand was some sort of massage device (I think):
https://i.imgur.com/SWtIhpQ.jpeg
Hyundai Ioniq 5/6s, Kia EV6s, Equinox EVs, and Blazer EVs seem to be some of the best deals around for new cars. Used? Some of the luxury EVs seem like they can be had for an absolute STEAL. Any of the Mercedes EQ stuff is so depreciated I’d be able to tolerate the horrible looks. Taycans, eTrons, Lucids, etc are all getting nailed with depreciation too and would make for an amazing commuter.
The Lucid Air Touring is seriously tempting, but they’re hard to find and harder to find someone to work on.
Yeah, I browse used ones a lot. They just seem like such a good deal. But reliability has been pretty suspect and I don’t live near a service center. I would 100% prefer one over a Taycan, but would probably prefer the actual ownership experience of a Taycan because there is a Porsche dealer 10 minutes from my office whereas the closest Lucid center is 4ish hours away in Canada or 6ish hours in NYC.
The problem with the used Lux EVs is the same as normal German used cars. You’re one electrical fault away from a mechanically totaled vehicle.
Worse than typical used Germans, really. Long-term service and parts availability are way more of a question mark. Finding parts and service for an old BMW or Mercedes isn’t all that hard AFAIK, just extortionate.
I just wanted to mention for anyone who cares that Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mazda, and Lexus were all absent from this years’ LA Auto Show. Jaguar of course I understand, but LA has got to be the biggest American market for all of those other manufacturers.
Assuming the daughter’s Subaru Legacy makes it through its PA inspection one more time, I’m not really looking. After an hour or so out in the cold trying to get yet another headlight bulb to fit in the damned thing, though…
My Tribeca used to eat bulbs on a quarterly basis. Switched on a set of Amazon LED bulbs (high and low beam) and haven’t had a problem since.
The fog lights used to go out regularly as well until I repaired the wiring harness destroyed by the Subaru techs replacing burnt out bulbs. Subaru’s design is crap in a paper plate making bulb replacement an exercise in creative cussing.
I joined the CR-V hybrid club on Black Friday. Large dealer inventory, lower-than-credit-union interest rates from Honda and a fair offer on my 2014 CR-V with 144K on the clock. Everything just aligned.
The only thing that would make me more nervous about the future of the economy is if I found out Toyota was giving people good deals on RAV4s. O.O
Up here in Canada the Honda credit rates are so bad that the dealership explicitly suggested I look elsewhere. 5.5–7% on leases and financing.*
*unless you want an Accord, then they’ll do 2%.
Ouch.The dealer I used (on the Alabama Gulf Coast) was covered up with Accords. Still had 2025 models on the lot.
Tamaron I would assume?
Wish the Toyota folks would show a little bit of decency.
But they know what they got.
Good luck with your new Honda.
Interested in how it works for you, let us know.
Yup. I’ve bought from them over the years. Been mostly positive. The service department is another story…
My Scion needs air bags replaced.
After the debacle with the replacement of one of them at Eastern Shore T, I will be taking it to Mobile.
What I dislike about the Toyota dealers the most is the required dealer options on every damn car.
But I’m old and like to yell about shit.
Yeah – same. I told the dealer that I would wait for my vehicle choice to come in without the add-ons. They sold them to me at their cost to move the iron. $1,950.00 asking down to $375.00 for the extras. I could live with that.
I’m about to attempt the VTC rattle fix with a new spring. Fingers crossed the 2013 crv survives the open heart surgery.
“BYD’s Sealion 6 Is Going To Challenge Japan’s Best”
In my view, being the best isn’t just about features and performance. It’s also how durable it is and how well it holds up in places like the rust belt.
To draw a parallel… rust belt ownership absolutely destroyed early Japanese cars and they didn’t get truly durable until the late 1980s.
Same deal with early Hyundai/Kia products.
So to me, the real test on whether a BYD product is ‘beating the Japanese’ or anyone else is to see how well a BYD product holds up after 10 years of rust belt ownership.
“What’s the best new car deal in your area?”
Couldn’t tell you as I’m not in the market for a car.
Arguably, rust belt destroyed German cars and American cars as well. Surviving 10 years was purely aspirational for a great many cars.
Fords and GMs succumbed to frame rot in the 70s, 80s, and into the 90s. And I can’t speak for personal experience for Chrysler, but I would suspect they suffered the same fate.
But some cars held up better than others. The later VAG products with fully galvanized steel bodies held up way better that Mazdas of the 2000s, for example.
It was common to see 10+ year old Audi 5000s and Audi 4000s with little to no rust.
And the Toyotas and Lexus vehicles from the 1990s and later have also held up better than average.
In my experience, certain Ford, GM and Chrysler products would hold up decently well. The Ford Focii and Escorts I had would start to rust around 8 years of age.
By comparison, early Hondas and the VW Squareback (like the one my dad had), would often have serious rust after just 3 years
How’d Saabs and Volvos do?
They generally have held up well in terms of rust as well… better than average and better than typical Ford and GM vehicles.. I had a 2000 Saab 9-3 and by 2012, still didn’t have a spec of rust on it.
No idea what the best new car deal is, because I have zero interest in anything currently being sold. I’m good, thanks. Though if anyone comes across a screaming deal on a mint w124 Mercedes wagon or Alfa Spider, please let me know. I intend to backdate my fleet over the next few years.
I would not drive a Chinese car if it was given to me for free. I do pay attention to geopolitics.
How’s this?:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/livermore-1995-mercedes-e320-wagon/7896106851.html
Not bad, but about five years too new and 4X as many miles as I want. I want a *minter*, as in I would be willing to pay what I paid for my ’14 for a truly museum-quality one.
THAT is going to be a very tough order. And then you end up with a pretty, pretty unicorn that’s much too nice to drive even in the summer.
Next thing you know its being fine polished with a diaper, then stored with all its fluids drained in a plastic bubble inflated with pure, dry nitrogen.
I would drive the wheels off it (to the extent I put many on any one car to start with), just like I would a new one. Call me Jay Leno Jr.
Not even a little bit. Cars are meant to be driven, not stared at.
Well I wish you luck finding your herd of unicorns.
I am not actively looking. But if one comes up, I’ll be interested. And they DO come up occasionally – they are just expensive. If I wasn’t building a house, there was an ’83 w123 280TE that was for sale in MI that would be in my driveway right now. ~$20K. One of those would do just fine too, though a bit more painful to own as they were never sold in the US, only the diesels. I don’t really want another diesel.
The closest I can find like that is this cheap, low mileage W201:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/san-jose-mercedes-benz-190-low-miles/7893921209.html
Although how about this unicorn?
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/van-nuys-1971-mercedes-220-original/7893155181.html
Not a wagon. That’s about the nicest 190E I have seen in a couple decades though.
There are all sorts of vintage minty Benz’s out there. The buyer demographic makes them relatively common. Old, rich, don’t drive much, keep them impeccably maintained and garaged. The opposite of the life of a typical economy car that is used up and tossed away.
Yeah not a wagon, I know. Like I said its the closest I could get to your unicorn. Sometimes the closest thing is a rhinoceros. Or a narwal.
If I do come across an actual unicorn be it German or Italian I’ll keep you in mind. We don’t get rust here so vintage Alfas are still around. As are Fiat 124 spyders if you are so inclined.
Thankfully, nice Alfa Spiders are a LOT more common than nice old Benz wagons. That one will just need application of wallet. 🙂
Gee, it even still has those crazy Kangol magnet seat belts. No latches, just held together with a magnet.
I loved ours.
Oh, that’s just over the hill from me.
New wiring harness?
Hmm…
Tempting isn’t it?
What I really need is a cargo carrier to abuse in upstate NY, but that wagon is pretty tempting. I’m already abandoning cars here, but that looks nice.
Old guy in a fast wagon is pretty invisible. The only time I ever got pulled over in my Volvo 740 turbo was when I passed a Utah highway patrol going 95mph, had a fun chat ( really, the guy was nice ) and got a warning for 80. “Keep it 70ish for another 20 miles, then you are in Nevada, and no-one gives a fuck.”
My son was impressed and thinks I have some sort of Jedi mind trick capability.
I know someone who just got a new CX-90 Turbo S (not sure what trim, I think one or two below top) for about 5-6k off MSRP at a really low interest rate. Not some screamer of a deal, but my area has few discounts on anything other than the slowest sellers.
Unrelated to deals, the new Hyundai Palisades must be absolutely flying off dealer lots, I saw 4 new ones in about 10 minutes yesterday without even looking, and they’ve been on sale for what, 2 months? Can’t even imagine how fast the Tellurides will go once they hit lots, but I bet those sales figures will be astronomical.
I live in DC. There are very few “good” deals on new cars out there unless you want a Hyundai/Kia, Nissan, or an EV. Speaking of which, a couple dealerships have hybrid Santa Fe Calligraphies listed for $10,000 off MSRP right now. I saw one listed locally for $40,000-ish and I do think it’s a lot of car for that much, particularly if you want a family hauler.
But anyway, the best bad time to buy is still a bad time to buy. We aren’t going to be in the market again until we absolutely have to be, and unless you want something there are deals on right now (BEVs, half ton trucks, etc) or have fuck you money you don’t care about setting on fire I’d recommend staying on the sidelines
Until the current administration is gone I’m not even looking, well except for old French cars from actual France, bought while I’m in France which I can’t right now because of the dog. Also the EV I want will be just that much cheaper in 2 or 3 years. I can wait for that tasty depreciation someone else ate
*gazes at GV60 Magma*
You and me both amigo!
The orange color is to die for. I was referencing an ionic 5 but you just changed my mind.
It’s a very different car, but the Honda Passport’s orange is absolutely fantastic as well
The Japanese car auction sites have an interesting selection of of French cars for less than getting them from France.
I was admiring a Renault Espace and a Fiat Multipla last night and there are always a selection of LHD 2CVs.
Ever see the movie Wasabi? A DS in Tokyo. A part of me wishes that you wouldn’t have posted the availability of French cars via Japan. Now I must go down a rabbit hole. Merci beaucoup
As a person who sells cars, yes that week really is the best week to get a great deal on a car. With that being said, make sure that the car with the best deal on it is what you want. The screaming deal is usually attached to a specific vehicle or set of vehicles, generally a last model year that’s been on the lot for a while.
This is why, despite my frugal nature, I try not to get too caught up in dealhunting for cars. The ones with big discounts are usually some stupid configuration like a two-wheel drive truck without heated seats in Minnesota. Sure, I could save a few grand up front, but I’d hate owning the thing for the next 10 years and that’s not worth it.
Anyone here going car shopping the last week of the year? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Just put new tires on my car. I’m good for now.
Me too.
I hope to never be one of the many tales of woe where someone got rid of a car and regretted it.
All three in my fleet have fresh tires and no known issues, so nope.
if I can get 0% financing and some extra incentives then it is not out of the realm of possibility. But also not a priority.
Gotta make it a December to remember and buy his and hers GMCs for Christmas as a surprise, or have commercials been lying to me that people spend $200k on cars without consulting their spouse?
https://youtu.be/WcEylCwkSxE?si=4a0uab8bd6WBdAbv
beat me to it
Love this one lol
Hey Kathy…
Was gonna make a joke about someone getting boned, but it really sort of writes itself.
Only if they get one of these.
https://goldenopenings.com/collections/car-bows
Not me, the GR Corolla is just fine. But the girlfriend’s Fiat 500X is on its last leg and I fear for its future.
Which year of GR?
2023
Nope, not for a few years unless my kid’s Kia runs out of oil and dies.
Sure, is Santa dropping 35 grand into my stocking?
Unless you’re planning on financing, I’d ask Santa for at least $45K
Nah, a new Camry would work. At least until the tech stuff started to drive me nuts.
Nope. Cars are getting work done before they hibernate for winter.
No. There’s nothing I want (that would be within my budget) and I love my eleven year old Fit that’s been extensively maintained and is about to hit only 100K.
In a couple years when it’s RMD time, maybe a second car as a toy, but I can’t decide between sports car or boulevardier.
Hard to do a better car than a Honda Fit/Jazz.
Great handling, fantastic transmission, and feels like a Tardis on the inside.
Honda would be selling these by the bushel if they still sold this in the U.S. market. Sure the margins aren’t what the bean counters want but it’s a really good car that’s affordable-ish.
Obviously I agree!
I did mine last year – was emailing paperwork on 12/31. Very glad I did it when I did, the deals have not come back. Just getting the car broken in now.