ATV and motor vehicle riding are becoming popular with increasing followings each year, and many people are purchasing these machines to go out and enjoy time on dirt trails. While this is a fun and exciting new activity, it can be an expensive hobby to pick up. This is why many people want to try to purchase an ATV with the most affordable pricing possible.
The best time to purchase an ATV is from late fall to early winter, as most ATVs are on sale because of holiday clearance. Dealerships are also trying to sell most of their stock during this time of year. However, stock is often limited during the fall and winter.
There are, clearly, a lot of factors that play into the price of an ATV. ATVs are generally more expensive products to buy, and there are a lot of influential factors that play into the pricing. When you are aware of what makes ATVs more and less expensive, it becomes clear what time of year will be the most rewarding and reasonable time to make such a large purchase with the best deal possible.
The Off-Season for Off-Roading
Depending on the weather where you live, the most popular season and time of year for ATV riding will vary slightly. In the Northeastern United States, the weather will get significantly colder in the fall and winter. Because most riding is done up in the mountains and foothills, the likelihood of snow is very high in these areas as well, making it much more difficult to ride safely. With layers of snow and other obstructions in the paths, fewer and fewer people are going to be out riding ATVs. Be warned, you will likely need to use a snowmobile instead of an ATV, or a snow-equipped ATV, to safely ride on snowfall found in mountainous areas.
While this is true of areas that experience colder winters, it is not entirely relevant to warmer areas. For those that live in southern states where the weather is fair year-round, there will be other important factors influencing the price. With warmer temperatures year-round, the demand for ATVs will not drop as much as in areas that deal with heavy snowfall. A decrease in temperature is likely to cause at least a slight adjustment in prices according to demand.
Due to weather limitations in many areas, the majority of ATV owners will limit their riding to the spring, summer, and early fall seasons. Manufacturing and marketing groups know how much more common it is to ride ATVs in these warmer months and will adjust their selling techniques accordingly. There is a lot of interest among consumers to purchase, update, and use ATV off-roading vehicles, which means that the companies that sell them will increase their stock to accommodate the increase in local or nearby demand.
Toward the end of fall and the beginning of winter, stores have fewer customers. Because of this, they will often drop their prices to try and get more sales. However, this price drop does not last all winter. Towards the end of winter, people will start getting excited for the spring weather coming soon and sales will increase again as people prepare for ATV season by buying an ATV vehicle of their own. Any off-season sales will end a little bit after the new year.
October through January generally have pretty low prices throughout, but the absolute best deals are going to be right at the end of the year due to holiday sales. Combining off-season prices with sale prices gives you the best deals of the whole year!
Holiday Sales
This is an important point to consider when looking at making any substantial purchase, especially one as large as an ATV. Holidays are great times to get gifts, which also makes it the perfect time for sales. Most holidays throughout the year will have some sort of sale, especially the big gift-giving holidays.
In the United States, Christmas is considered to be one of the largest and most widely celebrated holidays, so great deals typically lead up to the end of December. Right after Thanksgiving at the end of November, Black Friday has some insane sales to start the holiday sale season. You can shop online on manufacturer websites during Cyber Monday following Black Friday to look at additional options as well.
ATV manufacturers and outdoor stores will also follow the typical sale schedule with store-wide deals or specific ATV sales. This makes the end of November through December the best time to buy an ATV since it is also the off-season. If you have a specific make or model in mind, look ahead at what sales they are offering online and in person. Most of the time, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are going to offer the best prices.
Some stores offer “Black Friday” style deals throughout the whole month and some places will have a second sale a few weeks later right before Christmas. The Christmas sales may or may not be better than the post-Thanksgiving deals, so check online or call physical stores to get an idea of what sales they are planning to offer!
During this period around December, the prices of ATVs drop considerably lower than their original price. This drop is most significant in older models. Stores want to clear out their old stock before the new models come in the spring, so they will focus most of their efforts on getting the oldest models out the door the soonest. The older models will be cheaper because of their age, and also because the store is under pressure to make more space. Be sure to look at the price drops on ATVs while there are holiday sales, as this is sure to save you money.
There are also usually smaller holiday sales throughout the year that offer discounts or lower costs. Easter, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, and others might have sales, depending on the store. You will have to check individual advertisements for your preferred store or manufacturer to see if they have any specials going on throughout the year.
Newer Releases Drop Prices for Older Models
Manufacturers produce more ATVs in preparation for warm weather months. Due to the increase in demand, there will be new releases for ATV models in the springtime. As is true in marketing, releases of new models of any product will bring a decrease in prices for the older models of the product. This means that most ATV models that are already released will become cheaper in the spring, but there will be many newer and more expensive models to choose from as well.
The springtime new release sale in May or June is a good time to shop for new models, right as they are replaced by the new line. New models drop in price right as the next year’s models are introduced, so you can get an amazing new model for much cheaper if you wait for the drop.
If you are interested in having the newest model of the year, there are often some sales going on with the newest releases to promote the new models during spring as well. Buying in spring may work well for the newest models, but prices overall will still be the cheapest in the fall and winter.
Avoiding Price Increases
The highest prices are typically seen in the late spring and through the summer. After the new releases in spring, prices will rise from there. Many people do not think to buy an ATV until it is ideal weather. Sometimes they do not realize they need to replace their ATV until the first ride of spring. Manufacturers count on the high demand in the warm weather to allow them to raise their prices and make extra profits. If you plan to go ATV riding during the summer, make sure to buy your vehicle many months in advance!
Prices often increase in summer also due to a lack of supply. The new models can run out quickly, leaving fewer options, and making available ATVs more expensive. If you are shopping in the spring, you need to hit the stores right as the new models come in because prices will increase as soon as people start buying out stock.
You will see price increases during the summer for new ATVs, but also for used ones. Whether you are shopping through a used dealer or doing it yourself with a website like Craigslist or KSL, ATVs will cost more during the summer all around. Most people selling used ATVs are very aware of the changing demands of the seasons and they know they can get more money for it during the summer. Independent sellers may even wait to list their ATV until the weather is warm because it increases their chances that more people will want to buy it and more people will be able to pay a higher price.
Buying During the Spring
If you are going to buy an ATV during the spring, you should buy it as early as possible in the season. As it gets closer to summer, there is more demand, and prices will increase to match.
Around May or June is when manufacturers release all of their new models for purchase. These new models will be pretty expensive, but this might be the best time to buy during spring, as long as you are buying an older model. Right before and during this release, the older models will likely go on sale so they can make room on the floor for the new ones coming in. The huge influx of vehicles also allows sellers to decrease the prices on some less popular models.
This is probably not the best time to buy something new and flashy, but if you are looking for a basic ATV that is a few years old, right before the spring release may work well for you. Call your preferred store or manufacturer to find out when they are getting all their new stock in and if they are running any sales around that time.
Buying During the Summer
There is essentially no good time to buy an ATV during the summer. It is tempting to buy an ATV, but since everyone wants to be out riding, sellers will raise the prices as high as possible due to the high demand. If you are going to buy during the summer, try shopping while holiday sales are being held. Some outdoor stores will run store-wide discounts on holidays like the Fourth of July and Father’s Day!
Buying During the Fall
If you are buying during the fall, you may want to buy your ATV as soon as possible so that you can ride it a bit before it becomes too cold for you to use it. However, the best time to buy an ATV during fall is at the very end of the season, as the demand for them is very low by that point. When the demand for ATVs is lower, the prices will be lower as well. Wait until the very end of Thanksgiving. This time will have the best deals because you can shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday to find your favorite model at its cheapest price. At the end of fall, transitioning into winter is the best time to buy an ATV.
Buying During the Winter
It is best to buy early in winter rather than later. During holiday sales around Thanksgiving and Christmas, you will see a lot of clearance prices meant to clear out old stock and make room for the new. This is a great time to buy because you get cheaper prices and the store gets rid of old stock!
Don’t wait too long to buy, since at the end of winter, heavy advertising for spring ATVs will begin, increasing demand and prices. Forward thinkers will try to buy before the real demand sets in during mid-spring. At some point toward the end of the season, many stores will run low on the stock after getting rid of old models. While they wait for the Spring release, they may reduce sales to make sure they have some sort of variety available for buyers.
