Is it a good time to buy a used car in California?
End of the Year: October to December This is widely considered the best time to buy a used car, and for good reason. Many dealerships in Southern California—especially in car-heavy areas like Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire—offer aggressive pricing during the last quarter. Generally speaking, the best time to buy a used car is at the end of the month, especially at the end of a quarter: March, June, September, and December. Dealers will be keen to meet their sales targets and, in turn, may offer better deals.
What is a reasonable dealer fee for a used car?
Keep reading to learn more about what fees you can expect and which ones can be negotiated during the car-buying process. You’ll likely have to budget 8% to 10% of your car’s purchase price to cover dealer fees. Some dealer fees are required, such as the mandatory taxes from your local or state government. For an in-depth affordability calculation check out Kelley Blue Book’s Car Affordability Calculator. You might comfortably afford a vehicle costing roughly half of your salary. So, if your annual salary is $100,000, then you might shop for a car (or cars) worth a total of $50,000.Start With Your Gross Income To get an idea of how much car you can afford, a good rule of thumb is to pay no more than 35% of your annual pre-tax income. So, if you make $50,000 before taxes per year, your car purchase price should not exceed $17,500.Start With Your Gross Income To get an idea of how much car you can afford, a good rule of thumb is to pay no more than 35% of your annual pre-tax income. So, if you make $50,000 before taxes per year, your car purchase price should not exceed $17,500.