[Zappo]

taking the delivery in december and then registering it in Jan is one way of having your cake and eating it too. Typically car dealers add some extras, freebies, discounts etc during december to push sales. if the dealer is stuck with too much of stock the sweeteners can be more. Thus you get a better deal and yet a new year registration.

however there are some smart buyers out there who do not go by the registration date but ask you to open the bonnet and check the year of manufacture of the car. that will negate the new year registration advantages for you.

also remember that just buying in january may not help much. at least till the middle of january dealers may keep selling the last year's model if they are still left with the stocks. so better check the year of manufacture if you are buying in january.

[mithun]

Originally Posted by msdivy

If a car costs 10L in Dec 06, will it cost 8L in Jan 07 (20% depreciation)? I dont think so. Anyway, it makes sense to calculate the age of car in months.

But the typical Indian buyer will never think like that way !!! So when it comes to resale value there is a hell lot of difference between Dec 31 & Jan 01....

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by mithun

when it comes to resale value there is a hell lot of difference between Dec 31 & Jan 01....

I endorse Mithun's view.There is a big difference in the resale values of a Dec reg. car and the immediately next Jan regd. car.Even the Dec 31-Jan 01 24 hrs makes a big difference.

Example: A Jan car of say,market value Rs.2.5 L would fetch Rs.15000 less if it is a Dec car.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

If the car is going to kept for a long time, i think it is a good idea to buy in december...

Reasons???
1. Better offers...
2. Since most prospective buyers will be postponding their decision to buy cars in january, dealers wuld also be eager to reduce their margins...
3. If a car is bought on the third week of december, it can easily be run till the first week of january with the teamporary registration... Ou'd get the offers, and the new registration too... afterall, why do you buy a cake if you cant eat it???
4. The differnce betwen a year wont be much, for an old car... for eg: Now, 98 model M800 fetches 85k, while a 99 modelo fetches 90k... Not much of a differnce 7-8 down the line....

But.. if you dont plan to keep the car for more than 2 years... It would be disastrous to buy it in Dec...
Reasons???
1. Will only be considered as 2006 model...
2. For an old model, its model life cycle would be ending, and there is chance of an upgrade.
3. The differnce in resale value will usually be bigger than offers in december... for eg, a swift 2005 model sells for 3.5k here, while a 2006 model fetches 4L+...

[yeis]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

If the car is going to kept for a long time, i think it is a good idea to buy in december...

Exactly. In first few years of car purchase, depreciation is more thus if one sells car within 2-3 years, loss in resale will be more than discounts. As car goes older i.e. more than 5 years, depreciation is hardly 10-20k flat so discount will be more than depreciation.

Can't find much advantage other than resale but there seem to be one disadvantage, you will have to wait till February to buy a new car. As the car you buy in first few weeks of January will be 2006-model only. Fresh stock (2007-model) comes in late Jan or early Feb!

[navdeep]

yes I agree with crazy driver.. hardly makes difference if you are going to keep it for around 5 years or more..

[pradkumar]

Why one month? The moment you take the new car out of the showroom, it is calculated as 20% depreciation (and 12% depreciation in subsequent years). Of course, it is only a general rule -- the resale value of a car depends on various factors.

Pradeep

Originally Posted by msdivy

If a car costs 10L in Dec 06, will it cost 8L in Jan 07 (20% depreciation)? I dont think so. Anyway, it makes sense to calculate the age of car in months.

[pugram]

Originally Posted by pradkumar

Why one month? The moment you take the new car out of the showroom, it is calculated as 20% depreciation
Pradeep

My cousin bought an Indigo LS TDI 7 months back and he's selling as he is moving out of town to another state. Depreciation @ 10k per month is the discount at which the car is selling.

[vikram_d]

Like I have already mentioned buy a vehicle in Mid-december and then wait till Jan for permanent registration. The temporary registration is valid for a 30 days so you have no problems. It used to be 90 days earlier but I think it is 30 days now.

[speedzak]

The temporary registration is valid for 30days only. But it can be extended for 90days.

[omvnbhatt]

Originally Posted by speedzak

The temporary registration is valid for 30days only. But it can be extended for 90days.

now temp.registrtion is valid for 10 days otherwise you have to pay penalty. registration has to be done within 10 days of insurance date as some dealer used to make fake letters.

[Max]

Originally Posted by omvnbhatt

now temp.registrtion is valid for 10 days otherwise you have to pay penalty. registration has to be done within 10 days of insurance date as some dealer used to make fake letters.

Keep 100 bucks note in your driving license.

[kvish]

If you are talking in general, I would say, it depends on when you want to sell the car, if you are planning to change cars every 2 years, then it makes sense to buy a car in JAN.
Let me give you an equation:
Lets assume you are getting a 20-30K discount/freebies on a car which you wouldnt have got in the new year. Now calculate an 8% interest to it for about 5/6 years, it comes to around 48000... The price differential between a 5year old car and 6 year old car isnt 48000 ( I am talking about an average car of around 5L).

Now coming to the important point specifically for this year: Beginning of 2007 there will be a min 5% (infact it says 5-8%) increase in prices of cars due to increase in commodity prices..according to outlook money...current issue...
So you add your discount + savings due to hike, I am sure that's a pretty good deal...

So go get your car, and get it FAST

[Wheeliej]

Originally Posted by vikram_d

Like I have already mentioned buy a vehicle in Mid-december and then wait till Jan for permanent registration. .

Nope wont help, I faced this problem 10 years ago. i booked a Maruti Van in August and got delivery in Jan, but date of manufacture mentioned on invoice (and RC Book, too, I think) was of December, thus when i wanted to sell it 3 years later, all the brokers / buyers who approached me, wanted to pay the 1995 price for the vehicle, based on the date of manufacture.

[mithun]

Originally Posted by Zappo

also remember that just buying in january may not help much. at least till the middle of january dealers may keep selling the last year's model if they are still left with the stocks. so better check the year of manufacture if you are buying in january.

Would you please explain what difference does the manufacturing date makes on a car as long as the manufacturers does not add any new features or change the engine specifications ?