Shopping for a new ride in Georgia? The price you pay can depend on when you shop. Many things change during the year, including special deals and lower prices; catch the right moment and you can unlock big savings.
In this guide, you’ll learn when it is the best time to buy a car, and pair your purchase with the right, affordable auto insurance—so you save on both the price and the policy.
Best Times to Buy a New Car in Georgia
Put the calendar on your side before going car shopping. There are certain times of the year that are better than others for getting the best deal beyond sticker price. If you know how –and when– to look, you could save hundreds, or even thousands of dollars at dealerships.
Here are some of the times to search for the ideal vehicle at the best possible price–and why.
End of the Month
Salespeople are expected to sell a certain number of vehicles per month. This is called a quota.Car dealers and salespeople have monthly sales goals. If they hit the goal, they can get bonus money. At the end of the month, they work harder to make deals. If you can, wait until the last few days. Your purchase might help them reach their goal. Go in and show you’re ready to buy. You could get a lower price on a car.
End of the Quarter
The office staff is busy doing the math because the dealer must hit sales goals every three months to stay in good shape and keep the doors open. If selling you a car helps them hit that goal for the quarter, they will be ready to make a deal.
End of the Year
There’s nothing like the annual milestone at your local new car dealership. It’s also holiday time, when fewer consumers are thinking about buying a vehicle. There’s too much else going on and sales drag. That makes it a great time to be one of the few people wandering into the dealership and taking a serious look around.
In addition, a 2025 vehicle is only considered to be a new vehicle in, well, 2025.The 2026 cars are already on the lot. The store and lot have limited space, and money is tight, so salespeople are told to move those “old” 2025 cars fast.
Car makers give a suggested price, but you don’t have to pay it. Don’t focus on the sticker price. Ask for a better deal and try to pay less than the sticker.
Holidays and Holiday Weekends
It’s not just the year-end holidays that can generate pretty good new car price cuts. It’s any time when most people don’t want to go vehicle shopping. Such as the time around Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, and, yes, Christmas and New Year’s and any other festive or family occasion.
At any point in the calendar when the dealership is devoid of customers, you’ll stand out. In a good way. The red carpet will be rolled out for you, and you will get special treatment just to get salespeople some much-needed commission money.
Mondays
You might not want to go car shopping on New Year’s Eve or over the Thanksgiving weekend. But … Mondays? What’s wrong with that? This day of the week is a simple strategy that could fetch you a good price on a new vehicle. And it’s a strategy that’s easy to do.
The beginning of a new workweek has dealership personnel hitting the ground running. Salespeople and management alike have those quotas and bonuses top of mind after the weekend. And Mondays are generally quiet days for dealerships. Put it all together, and you’re likely to command the attention of deal makers and get a better price for your new vehicle on the first day of the workweek.
Autumn
Yes, there’s even a preferred season for shoppers.
If you’d like to earmark a season for dealership deal-making, it’s in the fall. That’s when inventory clear-outs begin. Out with the old(ish), and in with the new. Car models, that is. Even though you’re actually getting a new car, the dealership sees the expiring model year as one that’s swiftly aging. Tips for Earning the Best Car Insurance Rates
Your car and its insurance go hand in hand. In the Peach State —as in nearly every other state—you can’t legally drive without coverage. And because auto insurance premiums in Georgia are often higher than the national average, it pays to be strategic. Just as you can time your purchase to get the best new car deals, you can use similar tactics to save on your policy.
Here are a couple of tips for getting the most coverage for the lowest premiums.
Go Insurance Shopping First
Know what you want to buy at the new car dealership down the street? Great! But before you shake hands and sign the paperwork for your new ride, give your auto insurance agent a heads-up. Explain what you intend to buy and ask for a rate quote on an auto insurance policy. You could be glad you did.
You might be eager to buy your first high-performance sports car until you find out the cost of insuring your shiny new ride. Insurance rates are based on multiple factors, but they include the price of repairing and replacing a car and the likelihood that you’ll crash or your car will be stolen.
Some vehicles tend to get into accidents more frequently than others. If a consumer buys a high-performance sports car, it’s because they want to drive it. Fast. And that can lead to a higher collision risk. So they’ll charge you more than if you were to buy a more conservative and less costly vehicle.
Therefore, there’s a wide range of insurance rates based on vehicle makes and models. Being forewarned with a coverage cost quote is a good idea, whether you decide to go ahead with your original purchase plan or start researching vehicles that don’t cost nearly as much to insure.
Do Business with an Independent Insurance Agent
Independent agents don’t work for just one insurance company. Instead, they have established contractual relationships with multiple insurers. As a result, they don’t have a “take it or leave it” attitude when you ask for a rate on your coverage.
Instead, they can compare quotes from multiple carriers to find you the right coverage at the most competitive rates. Only independent agents have that flexibility, and they can also suggest other ways to save on car insurance in Georgia—for example, by bundling your auto policy with your homeowners or renters coverage, or adding other plans to qualify for discounts.