Buying an ATV can be an expensive and discouraging adventure. If you are someone who doesn’t want to give up an arm and a leg for an ATV then you’ve come to the right place. So many factors go into the price of an ATV and exploiting those factors to get the best bang for your buck is so helpful.
Fall is the best time of the year to buy an ATV. The ATV season has just reached an end and sellers know the demand will be low so they price low. The pricing difference in different seasons will vary depending on if it is new or used but overall you will always find fall to be the cheapest season.
There are a ton of reasons and factors that lead to this answer. Buying in the fall is much cheaper but it can have some serious drawbacks. I don’t recommend buying in fall if you don’t have the precautions to deal with the harsh factors which we will go into a more in depth look at.
Why Buy In Fall?
Choosing what season you want to buy an ATV in can be the difference of hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Buying in spring or summer comes with plenty of benefits, the main one being the fact that you can hop on the seat and start riding right away. The main downside to this time of year is the price. Because of the hot temperature, the great conditions and the design of the ATV, riding at this time is ideal which is why prices are so high. When the prime ATV season ends though, the amount of people who want to buy starts a consistent decline which the price reflects.
So, what is the downside to buying in fall? Overall, the downside really isn’t that bad which is why the lower price is worth it. The only big problems with buying in fall is the storage and the lack of riding it may cause. Obviously neither of these are huge issues that will ruin your ATV experience but they are big enough to scare some buyers away. The storage is probably the biggest issue for most people. Winter is creeping up so fast and the conditions will just get harsher and harsher. At this time of year it is crucial that you keep that ATV locked up somewhere safe from the weather. Another big issue that scares people away is the lack of riding you can do. It is very possible to ride in winter and fall and sometimes even more fun. The problem is lots of people don’t like it and you can’t do certain activities. You can’t really go mudding when the mud itself has frozen over. The thing is, yes, for a bit you might not be able to ride or do certain activities but the reality is, All that will be possible in a few months when the weather warms up. Overall these are obstacles that are pretty possible to overcome so saving that extra hundreds or thousands is worth it.
What Is The Price Difference?
The price change will definitely vary extremely depending on where you live and what ATV you are looking at. I surveyed a 2023 Polaris Sportsman 850 Ultimate Trail between the start of may and the end of august which is prime ATV season the quad was going for $16,299.00 CAD. The same ATV and the same seller gave a $14.999.00 CAD price tag in October which is when ATV season is hitting that decline. Obviously this is just one ATV and the numbers would be very different with a different ATV or a different seller but this does show that buying in fall is much cheaper, about $1,300.00 CAD in this case. Generally about a 10-20% decrease could be expected but it does depend.
What Is Wrong With Buying In The Winter
Buying an ATV in the winter is a great idea and can be just as cheap or even cheaper than the fall. The only problem is storage, delivery and the riding experience can all cause problems. In the fall you at least have a bit of time before worrying about more extreme storage plans but if an ATV shows up at your front door during winter time you need a solution that day or else your brand new ATV could experience significant damage. Another problem is delivery, getting the ATV to your house from wherever you bought it from could be a hassle. If you have a delivery service to do it for you that could set you back some serious money, so much so that buying in the summer might end up costing the same. Like we talked about earlier there are certain activities that just wont be possible during winter which is yet another red flag. If you have all these issues planned out and you know you can cross those hurdles then definitely buy in the winter but if you don’t then maybe you should consider buying in the fall.
