Your best bet for car shopping on July 4th weekend

Some dealerships may offer July 4th deals, but the holiday weekend can attract lots of customers, so be prepared to encounter crowds. Getty Images

By Sanjay Salomon | @SanjaySalomon

June 29, 2015

If you’re searching for a new car, the July 4th weekend might be the right time to go shopping. As long as you pick the right day, that is.

Because it’s a holiday weekend, consumers should be prepared to encounter plenty of other shoppers who turned out at the dealership with the same idea.

“The American public and retailers are in this symbiotic relationship with three-day weekends, so retailers offer sales when people have time to shop,’’ said Carroll Lachnit, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com.

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See these July 4th deals from Consumer Reports

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In terms of car-shopping holidays, Lachnit points out that July 4th weekend isn’t the same as other three-day weekends because the holiday occurs at the beginning of the month instead of at the end when dealers normally push incentives to move cars faster and meet monthly quotas. But those incentives that dealers use in June are frequently extended into July to attract holiday weekend shoppers. You can check local rebates and incentives through Edmunds.com.

To have the best July 4th buying experience, Lachnit and Edmunds.com offer the following advice.

Be realistic

The dealership will likely be swamped with customers this weekend, so don’t show up without doing your homework first. Also, allow yourself enough time to inspect a car up close.

“Do the bulk of your research at home and get to a dealership early if you want to take a test drive because the number of people at the dealership will increase as the day goes on,’’ said Lachnit. “The early bird gets the worm. It’s a cliché but in this case it’s true.’’

Do some research beforehand

Whether you’re going to lease or buy a car, Lachnit recommends touching base with a bank or credit union to see what kind of interest rates you qualify for. But the main thing is to ask these financial questions before you hit the dealership.

“Getting your finances in order is best done at home,’’ said Lachnit.

Go shopping on a weekday

If you have a three-day weekend, it might make more sense to hit the dealership on the weekday in order to avoid the crowds.

“If you have Friday off, that may be your day to get this stuff done,’’ said Lachnit.

“If you’re going on Saturday be prepared for how busy it’s going to be,’’ she said. “You’re going to get less one-on-one attention compared to a weekday, so set your expectations correctly.’’