In these months it is best to buy a used convertible

The leaves fall from the trees and always land right between your windshield wipers. grrr. It is autumn and in two months we will enter winter. This may not seem like the best time for convertible enthusiasts, but it is. Because now is the best time to buy a convertible.

We often hear the advice that convertibles are best bought in winter because that’s when they’re cheapest. AutoTrack was commissioned by Autovisie to research this statement and shows the best periods for buying a used pleasure car.

increase in supply

On the sales side, with a supply of almost 180,000 cars, 2.3 percent (January 2022) are convertibles. Despite the scarcity on the used car market in 2021, this is a decent increase compared to January 2021 (1.9 percent).

The range of convertibles fluctuates more during the year than the range of other body vehicles. Typically, spring and summer supply is greater than the fall and winter months, according to AutoTrack. Nevertheless, the range of convertibles has increased significantly in the last few winter months, as the chart above shows.

If we look at the peak of supply and the trough, that was about 1000 cars difference in 2020. Not only the seasons, but also Corona had a great influence on the offer. In 2022 this difference was smaller and the variation in supply over the months was less than 500 units.

Best time to buy a convertible

But when is the best time to buy a convertible? The advice to buy a convertible in winter is correct. In the months with better weather, prices are often 2 to 4 percent higher. Not only winter, but also autumn – just after summer – is a good time for shoppers.

The average value of convertibles has risen less than the value of other used cars in recent months. Although the price of convertibles appears to have fallen sharply, the increase in the overall value of the cars partly explains the fall in price compared to the Dutch car park as a whole.