Location is good for real estate purchase. Timing is good for vehicle purchase. They can be mixed or matched sometimes but not often. Buying a 4X4 in January in a snow belt is probably not the best time. If you can, wait until April near the end of month. If you can really wait then hold out til summer. If you can really really wait hold out til November end of month.
If the OP waits until the end of April he's lost both the the ability to buy a new 2013, and the negotiating leverage that would have provided for a better deal on a 2014. If he holds out until November he's blown off almost an entire year without the 4 Runner to enjoy, only to put himself in the exact same position he's in today, but for the 2014 - 2015 model year.
Moreover while location and timing can play a big role in real estate or vehicle purchases, the number one item in getting your best deal
by far, is the need and desire to sell.
Someone who's already been transferred to a job in another state is guaranteed to consider offers they would have rejected if their move was across town and they're still living in the house. Likewise if someone is struggling to make the payments on the mortgage, you know that house is ripe for a smoking deal.
The same potential exists for vehicles, it's only the details that change. Some dealers will sit on a price until the cows come home, others have a low profit - high volume attitude. One dealer may dig in those heels on a left over model, while another picks a target date to get that stock off the lot.
Most dealers depend on a system called "flooring." A financial institution (Bank of American is a huge player for car dealers) pays the manufacturer for deliveries, so the dealer can leverage their operating capital into more stock
available for you to drive home today. Just as you leveraged your buying power with a bank loan to purchase the 4Runner you're enjoying.
The clock is ticking, and every day's interest eats into profit. At some point dealers decide to cut the cord and get older stock off the books. Custom orders have potential savings for you in the opposite direction. Especially for cash deposits. They've got your money which makes their books look better to the bank. Then as soon as the car arrives it's delivered, so the flooring costs are nil. Ergo their profit isn't subject to flooring costs, and you can use that fact to your advantage.
Sometimes it all comes down to the time of the month and sales projections. It's not always true you get your best price on the 30th or 31st. However that dealer with the T4R you're craving? Their sales this month may be in the dumpster, and they're just looking for numbers on the board...at any price.
Yes they may want to hold out that 4WD for a big price because it's snowing. However it just may also be that snow caused their showroom to be as quiet as the morgue for three weeks, and they need some sales. That dealer who was inflexible last week, may be salivating for your offer next week! There is no panacea on the time to buy, nor better deal in one part of the country as opposed to another. It's all about the desire and need to sell at YOUR dealer, which is exactly why being flexible is the key to getting that rig you want.
