Overhaulin' - what happens to car deals after model year end closeout?

what happens to car deals after model year end closeout?

i am currenlty in the market to lease a new suv. not quite sure what make or model yet. my old lease expires on Sept. 18th and i am planning on turning car in at that time. does anyone have experience with auto-dealers and their model year end closeout offers? it seems like everyone in this area, cleveland OH, has all kinds of deals right now on 2007 cars that are set to expire on Sept. 3rd. what happens after that? do you think they will be offering even better deals on these 2007's after that date? or should i take advantge of these offers now? i have a window between the 3rd and 18th of September and i am trying to determine if i need to go get a car now or wait for the potentially better deals... any/all advice is appreciated. thanks.

Public Comments

Sure, you can expect a better deal the longer they have the car on the lot. I got a 2003 in Feb of 2004 and got a heck of a deal. You just may not get a great car because all the good ones have been picked over. I got lucky.
september is usually when a dealer gets the first shipment of the next year model (2008). which means they need to make room for them. on top of that the dealer wants to get all 2007 off the lot by the end of 2007 because if they don't they must pay taxes on them. the deals will continue to get better as the year comes to an end, but the selection gets worse.
The truth is no one other then the powers that be at the manufacture level know what specials there will be come September 3rd. At the dealership level, management does not know until the day of, what new incentives the dealer will get from the manufacturer. However, if your current lease is up on the 18th, you have already made your final lease payment - why not turn it in at a few weeks early at the dealer you plan on doing business with? That way you get a new SUV and you dont have to worry about turning in your old one. There is an old saying in the car business, "Why continue to look for a good deal while passing on a great deal?"