Hi Yetti,

It doesn’t make a lot of difference to be honest. While there is, generally, a larger number of cars being traded in in January as people rush to get the new registration plate, that’s not much of a help to you as, if used cars are cheaper because there are more of them, then the value of the car you’re trading in will be proportionally lower too. Unlike the new car market, which has its dramatic peaks and troughs throughout the year, the used car market in Ireland is much less seasonal, and much steadier. The value of cars doesn’t fluctuate much according to the month. Shopping in December might just get you a slightly better deal, though, as some dealers may be keen to get rid of some stock in anticipation of trade-ins. That will vary hugely from dealer to dealer, though.