January and February are the best months to buy a used car, says expert

There is no perfect month to buy a used car at a discount, but January and February usually bring together favorable conditions for those who research, compare and are willing to negotiate. The assessment is by Fred Bittar, CEO of Comprecar, and is supported by the sector’s numbers: January is precisely the month in which fewer Brazilians close deals.

According to Fenauto — the federation that brings together vehicle dealers — 1.34 million used and used units were sold in January 2026, down 24.5% compared to December.

The entity attributes the decline to typical expenses at the beginning of the year, such as IPVA, IPTU and school enrollment, and the vacation period. Fewer buyers in the store means, in practice, more room to negotiate.

Comprecar, an ad marketplace that has been operating since 2001 in the interior of São Paulo, says that January usually registers the highest volume of visits to the portal, a sign that consumer interest grows in this period. The company points out, however, that the indicator measures search, not price.

“Regarding the entry of advertisements, prices and the opening of shopkeepers for negotiation, we do not currently have data that allow us to point out a specific month,” says Bittar. He recalls that the used market varies according to supply, demand, credit, behavior of the zero-kilometer market and economic conditions.

Time of year is not the only factor

For the executive, the calendar weighs less than the operation as a whole. The time the vehicle is in stock, the model, the version, the demand for that specific car and the commercial conditions of each store directly influence the negotiation margin.

Thus, a used one that has been parked for months in the yard tends to yield more rebate than a newcomer disputed model.

The end of the year also opens windows, especially for commercial campaigns, inventory renewal and closing store goals. According to Bittar, there is no single time that works the same way for all vehicles and consumers.

Those who decide to wait for the beginning of the year, however, need to take into account that the calm is short-lived. Also according to Fenauto’s data, February 2026 has already grown 1.7% over January, and March soared 22.8% in the monthly comparison, with 1.67 million units traded.

In other words: the bargaining gap closes quickly as the market picks up pace.