There’s nothing more exciting than buying a new car, even if it’s only new to you. Used car shopping can be fun but exhausting, considering you never know what you’re getting. As such, we always recommend a pre-purchase inspection before buying a used car. But before doing that, it’s important to shop for a used car on certain days of the week. However, there’s one day in the week that you shouldn’t go used car shopping, and it may surprise you.

What is the worst day of the week to shop for a used car?

Believe it or not, Saturday is the one day you’ll want to avoid when shopping for a used car. Yahoo Finance says, “Because most people work during the week, Saturday is the first full day they have available to go car shopping. More customers typically mean higher prices and fewer deals.”

That’s partially true. During my time selling cars, I can attest to being less likely to budge on a car’s pricing due to the steadier influx of foot traffic. More customers means there’s a higher likelihood of selling a car for the advertised price instead of handing out a discount to offload a unit. That said, the used car prices weren’t technically “higher” on the weekends, just more solidified.

Another reason Saturday isn’t the best day to buy a used car is that the sales staff will be busier. This means you’ll have to wait longer, which will only add to your stress and exhaustion. If you’re stressed and tired, you’re less likely to make a good decision on what could be one of the most important buying decisions of your life.

As the story in Yahoo Finance points out, “there are exceptions to the rules.” If the last day of the month (or year) happens on a Saturday, it’s worth going car shopping. Also, if it’s raining, it’s double worth it to go car shopping.

Dealerships want to clear out as much inventory as possible every month, so shopping on the last day can be advantageous. Also, if it’s raining, there won’t be as many customers at the dealership, which is an even greater advantage.

What is the best day of the week to buy a used car?

If you want to take your time and have the best sales experience possible, I recommend shopping for a car on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Most dealerships are slow in the middle of the week since everyone is at work.

Also, Tuesday is an ideal day because the sales staff will be recovered from the weekend, the inventory will be accounted for, and there will be fewer customers. In that case, you may get a better deal on the car you want.

Mondays aren’t the best days because the sales staff typically conducts follow-up calls to customers from the weekend and updates the inventory. You may get a good deal on a Monday as well, but if the dealership is closed on Sundays, there could be plenty of customers coming in on Monday.

Allow for as much time as possible when shopping for a used car

When shopping for a used car, it’s important to take your time to make a well-informed buying decision. As such, I recommend visiting the dealership in the morning or early afternoon to afford enough time for test driving, questions, paperwork, etc.

Visiting a dealership at night, especially before it closes, is the worst time to shop for a car – no matter what day of the week. I have had customers shop for cars at the last hour of the day, thinking they would get a better deal, and it never worked. It only held up the sales and detail staff to get the car deal done, which was always a hassle. Instead, shop early on a Tuesday or Wednesday. When you breeze through the process and drive home in your new-to-you car, you’ll be glad you did.