Car buying is tricky. You must first sort out which model actually fits your family’s needs and budget best. Then you have to resist the salesperson pushing other fancier vehicles on you. And if all of that wasn’t difficult enough, you have to keep track of which holidays come with the best deals on used cars. So you can be forgiven for missing the two best days to buy a car in 2025.
The iSeeCars website sifted through 39 million used car sales in 2023 and 2024. What the analysts found was a distinct pattern as to when used car dealerships offer the best deals. Better yet, they think they know why. Without further ado: the best day of the year to buy a used car is the first one. That’s right, New Year’s Day. So what’s the second one? Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
I know, plot twist! Some employers don’t even give you Martin Luther King Jr. day off. But apparently used car dealerships are all about it, and used cars are available with 43.3% more deals than the average day. What about New Year’s? That holiday comes in at 47.9% more deals than average. If you are smelling a pattern here, you aren’t wrong.
In fact, you might have already had a savvy friend or family member tell you to buy used cars in the winter. Karl Brauer, iSeeCars executive analyst, said, “Most people have a sense that car shopping slows down during the winter months, with car dealerships often struggling to find customers.” And in this case, “most people” are correct.
“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…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.”
— Karl Brauer, iSeeCars executive analyst
So just how much better are these deals during this time of year? Much better. So much better, in fact, that buying anytime in January makes you four times more likely to snag a deal than on Veterans Day. Here’s how various times of year stack up, according to iSeeCars:
| 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% |
So, if you are ready to buy, winter is the time. But there are a couple reasons to wait. If you don’t have a down payment together, all the deals in the world might not offset the higher interest you’ll pay over the lifetime of your loan.
What’s more, used cars aren’t exactly cheap right now. Used car prices are still 29.6% higher than pre-COVID levels. Yikes. So if there’s a vehicle you aren’t in a hurry to buy, it might be a lot cheaper next holiday season.
Curious how cheap used cars are right now? See listings near you with MotorBiscuit’s car buying search engine.
