Discounts in December or new model year car in January?

gopaneel · 12th December 2020, 23:40

I've been waiting a long time to buy my first car. This year I finally think I can afford one and I've more or less decided on the Swift. But ever since April, I've been hearing about the possible launch of the new Swift in the festive season. So I've been waiting for it. But the festive season has come and gone, and no signs yet of the new Swift. Instead, Maruti has announced price hike plans.

So I thought I'd go over to the showroom and check out the offers for December. For the Swift it seems there are discounts of about 20k in December. I wouldn't have had a problem waiting till January but with the price hike coming up, it looks like I will end up paying atleast 20k more for the 2021 model, assuming there will be no discounts for the 2021 manufactured cars. The sales executive thinks I might have to pay about 30k more considering no discounts and the price hike. He also mentioned they are yet to hear about the Dualjet update for the Swift.

I've tried to find threads related to December vs January car purchases, but I only found threads older than 2010. I would like to hear from wise bhpians whether it is worth spending 30k more for a January manufactured car. Or if it makes sense to go for the Swift now, save 30k and get my first car ASAP

Mods, apologies in case this is not the right section for the thread.

Agarwal_Aayush · 13th December 2020, 00:29

Well, it totally depends if you wish to keep your car for a long time or sell it after 5 yrs or so.
Having a Dec car will make it a 2020 yr car and not a 2021 car which will have impact on your cars resale value. It however will be somewhat nullified if you keep cars for longer time.

fazayal · 13th December 2020, 00:46

Buy the car in 2020 and get it registered in 2021. Resale would be better than 2020 registered car (but less than 2021 manufactured car).

TrackDay · 13th December 2020, 08:43

These things are only relevant if you plan to swap the car every 4 - 5 years or so.

Seeing that you have selected the swift, It should serve you well. It is a no-nonsense car with fantastic support and after sales network. Also the car is pretty much a peppy thing and a joy to drive. The resale value on the swift is also good.

Most of the resale value depends on how you have taken care of the car. How many kilometers it has been driven. Whether you have the service records etc.

Rajeevraj · 13th December 2020, 08:55

I personally do not believe in this waiting for the next year model stuff. Unless there is a facelift or new feature additions expected it is always best to pick the current offering with the discounts. Dealers will also be eager to close deals and hence will offer more discounts.

Most manufacturers increase prices in Jan and the extra you pay will easily be more than any resale value benefit you would potentially get by purchasing in a new year. The swift, being a popular car will suffer even less due to this.

aargee · 13th December 2020, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopaneel

whether it is worth spending 30k more for a January manufactured car. Or if it makes sense to go for the Swift now, save 30k and get my first car ASAP

If you don't mind hearing something from a non-wise BHPian...

First of all you cannot get a Jan 2021 manufactured car in Jan 2021, you might've to wait until Feb end or even Mar 2021. Yes, it takes usually that much time, it's not possible to get a hot baked car right out of the oven!!

Next is, if you're able to spend some 5-6 Lakhs on a car, 30K is hardly 5-6% more, which means, it's once in a lifetime probably. So keeping that point aside & thinking is worthy.

Next point, what is that you get buying now versus Feb/Mar (thinking ideally towards a Jan manufactured car)? Is your objective selling the car sooner? Even then it's not worthy thought because a new car bought in Jan 2021 fetches highest resale value probably Feb 2021, then you can imagine the selling price on the years to come!! So, it's not worthy keeping this point as well.

IMHO, most important things to consider are...

Immediate need for the car
Immediate discounts on long term ownership
Used versus new car
Loan versus own money
For loan, bank that loans lowest interest rate

Anxiousblock · 13th December 2020, 09:51

If you want to keep the car more than 5 years then definitely go for discount. My friend negotiated 40k discount on wagon r in July. On Swift you can easily negotiate 50-60k discount. Don't settle for discount of less then 50k in Maruti. Check different dealer too if possible. You can get discounts in January on remaining stock too. The color choices may be limited based on stock remain.

ruzbehxyz · 13th December 2020, 12:45

I agree with all the views mentioned here.
If you want it, then go for it.

It's better to negotiate a further discount from the dealer and buy it now. Sometimes they may not give it, so you can squeeze in some accessories.

gusfring · 13th December 2020, 13:47

My understanding is that production for 2020 has been stopped by now. So, it is also likely that your preferred variant and/or colour is unavailable. If that is the case it is obviously best to defer to 2021. Seeing as it is a first car, it is important not to compromise on what you want to get, be it variant or colour.

With a 2021 purchase, you'd be losing out on a good chunk of the discounts/offers. Hike maybe significant too, especially since Swift is selling so well anyway. I'd say get it now, if you're holding onto the car for a good amount of time as this won't be a big issue.

landcruiser123 · 15th December 2020, 09:56

If you think you'll keep the car for 8-10 years, go ahead and buy it now. 2020 has been a tough year for manufacturers & dealers. They have to hit their sales numbers and would love to get rid of their inventory - bargain hard and you'll get a good price.

self_driven · 15th December 2020, 09:59

First things first, 30k discount is too less. It makes sense to go ahead with the purchase now if you'll keep the car for minimum 7-8 years. If you sell it before that, you'll lose more money than what you saved due to the year difference.

Secondly, you will have to wait at least till mid-January to get a MY2021 car. Swift was launched in 2018 and going by Maruti's product update cycle of 3 years, a mid-life facelift will come next year. It would be prudent to wait till more information is available about the same. If for some reason you don't like the facelift, you can push for discounts on the outgoing model 3-4 weeks in advance. Manufacturers gradually reduce production of models which are at the end of their product cycle and it becomes hard to find stock of the outgoing model with dealerships.

2000rpm · 15th December 2020, 10:00

I you wanna buy a car and are getting a great deal (not good, great!), buy the car on the spot!

Upfront discount is much better than higher resale 5 years down the line!

Scorpio80 · 15th December 2020, 10:26

The only place manufacturing year matters is during resale within the first 5 years. However, resale also considers mileage, wear and tear, care which will not vary whether one buys the car in December or January.

Unless one plans to change cars every few years, it would make sense to go for discounts in Decembers which would, in most cases, take care of the difference in resale value. The cost advantage of car bought at discount will increase with every extra year of car ownership.

RaghavEvoX · 15th December 2020, 10:47

I bought my car in 2nd week of Dec 2017 with zero discount. It was the next-gen Verna which was launched 2 months prior. All my friends told to wait for 3 more weeks but the itch to take delivery was so much that I took the delivery on 12th Dec.
And I am planning to keep the car at least for 7 years, so I thought it doesn't make much of a difference.

DrCar · 15th December 2020, 10:55

If you can, please wait till February 2021 (instead of January 2021) to buy a car manufactured in December 2020.
Car waiting in a yard or showroom for 2 months isn't a big deal. Get a proper PDI done before taking the plunge. Make sure that the car wasn't drenched in the rains.

One of my relative bought a December 2019 manufactured Grand i10 on February 2020 with a flat discount of close to 1.3 lakhs. They also got free accessories along with it. Grand i10 was a hot seller then and inspite of that he got a wonderful deal. The car was bought in Kutch region of Gujarat which hardly receives any rainfall, so getting a drenched car was the least of their worries.

Wait for a month more till February 2021 and you just might get a wonderful deal on a car which is a segment higher.
All the best for your new car.

12th December 2020, 23:40	#1
gopaneel BHPian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 59 Thanked: 211 Times	Discounts in December or new model year car in January? I've been waiting a long time to buy my first car. This year I finally think I can afford one and I've more or less decided on the Swift. But ever since April, I've been hearing about the possible launch of the new Swift in the festive season. So I've been waiting for it. But the festive season has come and gone, and no signs yet of the new Swift. Instead, Maruti has announced price hike plans. So I thought I'd go over to the showroom and check out the offers for December. For the Swift it seems there are discounts of about 20k in December. I wouldn't have had a problem waiting till January but with the price hike coming up, it looks like I will end up paying atleast 20k more for the 2021 model, assuming there will be no discounts for the 2021 manufactured cars. The sales executive thinks I might have to pay about 30k more considering no discounts and the price hike. He also mentioned they are yet to hear about the Dualjet update for the Swift. I've tried to find threads related to December vs January car purchases, but I only found threads older than 2010. I would like to hear from wise bhpians whether it is worth spending 30k more for a January manufactured car. Or if it makes sense to go for the Swift now, save 30k and get my first car ASAP Mods, apologies in case this is not the right section for the thread.
	(11) Thanks

13th December 2020, 00:29	#2
Agarwal_Aayush BHPian Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: HR-26 Posts: 115 Thanked: 255 Times	re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? Well, it totally depends if you wish to keep your car for a long time or sell it after 5 yrs or so. Having a Dec car will make it a 2020 yr car and not a 2021 car which will have impact on your cars resale value. It however will be somewhat nullified if you keep cars for longer time. Last edited by GTO : 13th December 2020 at 09:15. Reason: Let's not go off-topic
	(6) Thanks

13th December 2020, 00:46	#3
fazayal BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 194 Thanked: 1,235 Times	re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? Buy the car in 2020 and get it registered in 2021. Resale would be better than 2020 registered car (but less than 2021 manufactured car).
	(18) Thanks

13th December 2020, 08:43	#4
TrackDay Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Magic land Posts: 1,057 Thanked: 4,424 Times	re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? These things are only relevant if you plan to swap the car every 4 - 5 years or so. Seeing that you have selected the swift, It should serve you well. It is a no-nonsense car with fantastic support and after sales network. Also the car is pretty much a peppy thing and a joy to drive. The resale value on the swift is also good. Most of the resale value depends on how you have taken care of the car. How many kilometers it has been driven. Whether you have the service records etc.
	(4) Thanks

13th December 2020, 08:55	#5
Rajeevraj Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,643 Thanked: 17,926 Times	re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? I personally do not believe in this waiting for the next year model stuff. Unless there is a facelift or new feature additions expected it is always best to pick the current offering with the discounts. Dealers will also be eager to close deals and hence will offer more discounts. Most manufacturers increase prices in Jan and the extra you pay will easily be more than any resale value benefit you would potentially get by purchasing in a new year. The swift, being a popular car will suffer even less due to this.
	(19) Thanks

13th December 2020, 09:51	#7
Anxiousblock BANNED Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Vadodara Posts: 49 Thanked: 187 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? If you want to keep the car more than 5 years then definitely go for discount. My friend negotiated 40k discount on wagon r in July. On Swift you can easily negotiate 50-60k discount. Don't settle for discount of less then 50k in Maruti. Check different dealer too if possible. You can get discounts in January on remaining stock too. The color choices may be limited based on stock remain.
	(4) Thanks

13th December 2020, 12:45	#8
ruzbehxyz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: MH02 to MH46 Posts: 1,614 Thanked: 6,601 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? I agree with all the views mentioned here. If you want it, then go for it. It's better to negotiate a further discount from the dealer and buy it now. Sometimes they may not give it, so you can squeeze in some accessories.
	(1) Thanks

13th December 2020, 13:47	#9
gusfring BHPian Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Hogwarts Posts: 63 Thanked: 114 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? My understanding is that production for 2020 has been stopped by now. So, it is also likely that your preferred variant and/or colour is unavailable. If that is the case it is obviously best to defer to 2021. Seeing as it is a first car, it is important not to compromise on what you want to get, be it variant or colour. With a 2021 purchase, you'd be losing out on a good chunk of the discounts/offers. Hike maybe significant too, especially since Swift is selling so well anyway. I'd say get it now, if you're holding onto the car for a good amount of time as this won't be a big issue.
	(1) Thanks

15th December 2020, 09:56	#10
landcruiser123 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 2,987 Thanked: 6,865 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? If you think you'll keep the car for 8-10 years, go ahead and buy it now. 2020 has been a tough year for manufacturers & dealers. They have to hit their sales numbers and would love to get rid of their inventory - bargain hard and you'll get a good price.
	(1) Thanks

15th December 2020, 09:59	#11
self_driven Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 1,069 Thanked: 3,004 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? First things first, 30k discount is too less. It makes sense to go ahead with the purchase now if you'll keep the car for minimum 7-8 years. If you sell it before that, you'll lose more money than what you saved due to the year difference. Secondly, you will have to wait at least till mid-January to get a MY2021 car. Swift was launched in 2018 and going by Maruti's product update cycle of 3 years, a mid-life facelift will come next year. It would be prudent to wait till more information is available about the same. If for some reason you don't like the facelift, you can push for discounts on the outgoing model 3-4 weeks in advance. Manufacturers gradually reduce production of models which are at the end of their product cycle and it becomes hard to find stock of the outgoing model with dealerships.
	(1) Thanks

15th December 2020, 10:00	#12
2000rpm Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,530 Thanked: 6,132 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? I you wanna buy a car and are getting a great deal (not good, great!), buy the car on the spot! Upfront discount is much better than higher resale 5 years down the line!
	(2) Thanks

15th December 2020, 10:26	#13
Scorpio80 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Mumbai Posts: 78 Thanked: 84 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? The only place manufacturing year matters is during resale within the first 5 years. However, resale also considers mileage, wear and tear, care which will not vary whether one buys the car in December or January. Unless one plans to change cars every few years, it would make sense to go for discounts in Decembers which would, in most cases, take care of the difference in resale value. The cost advantage of car bought at discount will increase with every extra year of car ownership.
	(1) Thanks

15th December 2020, 10:47	#14
RaghavEvoX BHPian Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Chennai Posts: 174 Thanked: 1,046 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? I bought my car in 2nd week of Dec 2017 with zero discount. It was the next-gen Verna which was launched 2 months prior. All my friends told to wait for 3 more weeks but the itch to take delivery was so much that I took the delivery on 12th Dec. And I am planning to keep the car at least for 7 years, so I thought it doesn't make much of a difference.
	(2) Thanks

15th December 2020, 10:55	#15
DrCar BHPian Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Mumbai Posts: 216 Thanked: 915 Times	Re: Discounts in December or new model year car in January? If you can, please wait till February 2021 (instead of January 2021) to buy a car manufactured in December 2020. Car waiting in a yard or showroom for 2 months isn't a big deal. Get a proper PDI done before taking the plunge. Make sure that the car wasn't drenched in the rains. One of my relative bought a December 2019 manufactured Grand i10 on February 2020 with a flat discount of close to 1.3 lakhs. They also got free accessories along with it. Grand i10 was a hot seller then and inspite of that he got a wonderful deal. The car was bought in Kutch region of Gujarat which hardly receives any rainfall, so getting a drenched car was the least of their worries. Wait for a month more till February 2021 and you just might get a wonderful deal on a car which is a segment higher. All the best for your new car.
	(3) Thanks