What's going on here?
We've dug into the numbers to try and settle it once and for all - are convertibles really cheaper in winter?
Tell me more
Looking across every single convertible we've seen sell in Europe since 2019 shows a super curious pattern.
Firstly, we can see the premium people are willing to pay on average, across every model in our database when you look at the price of the convertible to the non-convertible variant, convertibles are 26% more expensive on average.
Let's not get distracted by that though. Back to our original question.
In the interests of clarity, the Northern Hemisphere winter runs from 21st December to 20th March.
So is that the best time to buy a convertible?
Surprisingly, absolutely not. Mid-late winter is generally the worst time to buy.
Taking a step back the price trend for convertibles throughout the year very closely mirrors that of non-convertibles - there really isn't that much trend difference between the two types of vehicle.
In fact, if you buy your convertible in February it is the worst (most expensive) month of the year to do so.
Why is that?
Multiple factors at play primarily though it comes down to the seasonal factor.
People are feeling the winter gloom and want something to look forward to as Spring approaches plus the fact those heavy Christmas expenses are increasingly further in the rear view mirror.
Perhaps there's also an element of people thinking they're going to buy in winter while prices are depressed, before they rise as we head into Spring. It seems that idea is deeply misled. Contrarian thinking is the way to go.
Interestingly when you look at locations in other continents with hotter climates (and therefore winter gloom is less of an issue) the price rises in mid-late winter months are far less pronounced.
So when should you buy?
The two cheapest months for vehicle values are actually November and December.
You've got to be ahead of the crowd and conventional wisdom.
Fingers crossed for you that the perfect car you lust after comes to market in November for you to scoop up a pre-Christmas bargain.
Just make sure there's enough funds left over to get the turkey on the table.
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