You still have time to hunt down 2014 bargains, Edmunds.com report shows

Did you miss the deals on 2014 model-year vehicles at the end of the year?010615 SC You Still Have Time to Hunt Down

Well, don’t despair. You almost certainly can save money if you’re willing to shop for a 2014 model instead of a 2015, based on Edmunds.com’s Key Insights Report.

And that should be true until there are almost no 2014 models left on dealer lots, the report showed.

While incentives on 2014 models were likely to start the year a little lower on average than those end-of-the-year bargains, they may carry more than three times the incentives available on 2015 models.

“It may appear that a similar 2015 vehicle has the same selling price, but incentives are typically weighted towards the outgoing model year, and that makes all the difference in the out-the-door cost,” according to the Edmunds.com report, entitled “Model Year Selldown.”

Last January through April, the outgoing 2013 model year included incentives around 7 percent, while incentives on the new model year were around 2 percent.

Incentives on the outgoing model year were highest the last four months of the 2014, ranging from 9 percent in September, October and November to 10 percent in December. Meanwhile, average incentives on 2015 models rose from 4 percent to 6 percent over that same period.

So where do you look for these model-year bargains?

Edmunds.com, which is a resource for shopping and automotive information, has something to say about that as well. As 2014 drew to a close, RAM, Infinity and Ford had the largest inventories on dealer lots, while Acura, Audi and Volvo had the smallest inventories remaining.

Of course, a lot more goes into buying a new car than simply getting a bargain. Looking for a 2014 vehicle now may mean you won’t get exactly what you prefer – brand, model, color, options. But if you are flexible, then the model-year incentives may, in fact, make all the difference.

See the Santander Consumer USA blog for more news on auto-, auto-finance and SCUSA-related topics. 

More Like This

Why ‘Made in America’ may matter for your next car purchase
June 4, 2018

Why ‘Made in America’ may matter for your next car purchase

The company that produces the most-American vehicles is, well, Japanese. That’s right. And it isn’t Toyota. But it may matter to you soon if you’re considering purchasing a new car. Thirty-three of the top 50 vehicles based on percentage of…

GM and Toyota make most-dependable vehicles, says J.D. Power
March 10, 2015

GM and Toyota make most-dependable vehicles, says J.D. Power

General Motors and Toyota Motor Corp. products dominate new rankings of the most-dependable vehicles available. The two automakers ranked atop 14 of 19 most-dependable segment/categories with seven wins each, while Mercedes-Benz scored two category wins, and Kia and Mazda each…