OCTOBER CAR MARKET SURPRISE! Kevin Hunter The Homework Guy

October 2025 car deals. Why this month could be big for car buyers. Hey everyone, Kevin Hunter here, the homework guy. Did you miss the hot sales month of September? Well, 16 years actively working in the car business has taught me a few key lessons. While September is commonly a great month for car sales because it ends the fiscal year, we've just come out of one of the strongest months of car sales we've seen in a long time. And the big question is what's next? Well, October has historically been one sneaky good month to shop for a car. And for a lot of reasons, 2025 is shaping up to be extra special. Part of the reason is that we are 5 years outside of the beginning of the big pandemic shortages, putting that problem squarely in the rearview mirror. Today, we're going to dig deep into why if you miss September, how October can be a good opportunity for you, too. We'll discuss what kinds of deals you can expect, which new brands and categories are going to have the biggest discounts for you. used car buyers. October is also a particularly good month because of a flood of trades from the last 30 days. By the way, confidence is riding skyhigh on our car coaching staff after negotiating many stellar car deals this past month. So, for those of you thinking of having us do all the work so you don't have to, read up on our car buying service at the homeworkgu.com. Before we dive into today's topic, let me bring in the one and only amazing Elizabeth to help me walk through the layers of what makes October historically so interesting for car buyers. >> Thanks, Kevin. Well, October isn't usually the month people circle on their calendar to buy a car. It actually has some very favorable buyer conditions. Why is that? Well, we're in the final quarter of the year and the auto industry is now on the clock. dealers who missed sales opportunities are trying to move the last of their current model year vehicles to make way for the flood of incoming arrivals. That urgency combined with a bit slower demand and the end ofear sales goals creeping up creates a perfect storm for awesome discounts. So, right out of the gate, you've got four things working for you. Number one, if they missed out on a stellar September, dealers have urgency to clear inventory. Number two, automakers are rolling out new incentives to ramp up the beginning of this final quarter of the year. Number three, sales teams are under pressure to start Q4 strong. Number four, there are lots of good used car trades that came in during the previous month. The combination of these factors means deals more than just exist in October on both new and used cars. They actually are stacking up. A bonus is that the selection is still very good. >> Great point, Liz. And let's not forget by October, manufacturers have been tracking their annual sales performance closely. If a brand is behind on its targets, you better believe they're going to push incentives to catch up. That's especially true this year with more inventory in hand and increased competition between EVs, hybrids, and traditional gas vehicles. All of it is heating up. A big contributor to why October 2025 is shaping up as a buyer friendly month is because inventories are much higher than they were last year. Supply is no longer as strangled as it once was not long ago, and that means more cars sitting on the lots, which in turn means more motivation for dealers to cut deals. On the new vehicle side, sales were forecasted to reach 16.3 million units in 2025, marking the best year for the car market in the last 5 years. >> Exactly. So, let's talk about what these deals actually look like. In October, you can expect a mix of cash rebates. This represents the direct discounts from the automaker. Low or 0% APR financing, especially good if your credit is in good shape, and some subsidized leases. This means low monthly payments with manufacturers inflating residual values to make the math work better. There are loyalty and conquest bonuses, extra discounts for returning customers or for customers switching over from a competitor. There are dealer markdowns on top of factory incentives. That's especially good for slow selling trims. Now, don't expect all of these at once, but in October, you often have a menu of options that you can stack together. >> And here's where do-it-yourself buyers need to pay attention. Rebates sound great, but sometimes the real value is in the financing. If you're choosing between a $2,500 in cash back or 0% APR for 60 months, a 0% APR might save you more money depending on your loan size. But in many cases, we recommend, the math suggests taking the best rate you can find and go with that $2,500 rebate. One of our homework guy tips is always this. Do the math before you choose. Dealers love to steer you towards the option that makes them the most money. If they're suggesting you going one way, you might consider going the other, but you need to focus on which one keeps the most money in your pocket. Another note for you do-it-yourself buyers, if you don't want to go with our full service car buying with a professional coach, consider at least getting the $69 texting support with Liz or spend another 30 bucks and buy the direct phone call with me. We are the only YouTube influencers who talk directly to our audience. And we guarantee you won't regret it. One of the things I hear all the time when I do the phone call with a viewer working on their very own car deal is, "Wow, this was worth every penny." I can guarantee you that'll be the case for you, too. So, let's move into the real meat of October. Which categories of vehicles are going to have the biggest discounts this month? First up, sedans. They've been under high pressure for years as crossovers are taking over the car market. Brands like Nissan, Hyundai, and even Toyota may offer stronger cash back on sedans like the Ultima, Sonata, and Camry just to move them. Second, mainstream crossovers, the CRV, RAV 4, the Rogue. These sell well, but the competition is very fierce. that forces automakers to roll out lease specials and loyalty cash to hang on to their slice of the pie. Third up is EVs. With the federal EV tax credit drop off causing buyers to rush earlier this year, demand for EVs will significantly soften in Q4. That means automakers like Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Ford may sweeten the pot to get their EVs off the lot. And finally, the outgoing 2025 models. If a dealership still has 2024s or 2025s on the lot as the 2026s are flooding in, that's where you'll see clearance level pricing. >> Right. And let's not forget full-size trucks and SUVs. Ford, GM, and Ram sure built a lot of them, even surprising us with their production. And while they don't like cutting prices on their breadand butter models, the less popular trims are ripe for negotiation. If you're in a market where a lower demand vehicle is for you, the opportunities for deals are good for you right now. Domestic automakers in general like Ford and Chevy have more flexibility to throw discounts around in October because they produce so many vehicles in the US, almost too many. They'll protect their higher volume by using incentives more aggressively. >> Let's talk about brands for just a second. Honda has already rolled out their October deals like 0% APR on the Prologue EV and under $200 lease offers in some regions. Volkswagen is doing a 1.9% APR on the Atlas and thousands in cash back. Acura is dangling 3.99 APR on the ADX and strong lease numbers on the Integra. Ford has been running their employee pricing for all campaigns this year and could repeat something similar in October. There will be others joining the party too, but these are just the early headlines. What's important is that they show a trend. Mainstream brands are leaning hard into financing deals and leases. And if a lease is right for you, those leases are worth paying attention to. Automakers love to hide discounts in the lease math. A monthly payment that looks unusually low often means they've artificially boosted the residual value to cut the money factor. That's basically a disguised discount. For buyers, that's great news. Just make sure you understand the mileage limits and lease and terms before you sign the documents. >> So, what should smart car buyers do in October 2025? Here are some homework guy strategies. Number one, start shopping early in the month. Many incentives reset on October 1st, and the best inventory goes fast. Number two, be a little flexible. If you're picky on color or trim, you're going to pay more. If you're open-minded, you'll save more. Number three, stack the best incentives. Ask about loyalty, conquest, and finance cash. Sometimes they all apply together. Number four, always get preapproved for your financing. This gives you the comparison leverage if the dealer tries to push higher rate loans. Number five, use that market data. Track days of supply and look for models with higher inventory. That's where you're going to find those hot deals. >> Another Homer guy tip, don't just look at the flashy national ads. Regional incentives can be even better. For example, Toyota or GM might offer bigger rebates in one part of the country where they have over supply, but not in another where demand is stronger. So, always check incentives by your zip code. And don't assume the national commercial tells you the whole story. >> That's exactly right. And watch out for that fine print. Many October deals will say must finance through captive lender or offer valid through October 31st. Miss those details and you might lose out. Also, some incentives only apply to specific trim levels. So, don't be surprised if the rebate is bigger on the less popular version of the car. That's intentional. Automakers use incentives to move the stuff that's harder to sell. So, let's wrap this up with some closing advice. October 2025 has the potential to be one of the stronger months of the year for car shoppers. Between higher inventory, Q4 sales pressure, and weaker EV demand, automakers are rolling out deals to keep the metal moving. Expect the best bargains on sedans, mainstream crossovers, outgoing 2025 models, and certain EVs. Watch Honda, Volkswagen, Acura, Ford, and other volume brands closely. And remember, the best deals go to the best prepared buyers. >> Here's the bottom line. If you've been holding off on buying a vehicle, October might be the time to pull the trigger. But don't lock in blind. Do your homework. Ask for the out the door price and don't let the dealer steer you into what's best for them. Kevin and I will keep you updated as October unfolds. But for now, the deals are already stacking up. So sharpen your pencils, do the math, and go get yourself a great car deal. >> If all of this feels too overwhelming to navigate for you, and you're thinking, "Wow, I really suck at getting OTDs, for example." Well, don't worry. That's exactly why we created the Homework Guy hassle-free car buying service. We do all the work so you don't have to. You sit back and watch an expert make it all happen. By the way, we don't just negotiate a ton of car deals, but our coaches also specialize. For example, if you want a Toyota or Honda, you get a coach specializing in those brands. If you want a truck, we give you a truck specialist. We created this kind of focus on our coaching staff because some car brands are tougher than others. And when a specific coach nails it, we send him more of those clients. The bottom line is that you get a coach that not only specializes in negotiating, he also knows how the dealers tick with your preferred brand of cars. That's exactly how we deliver the best return on investment of any car buying service out there and why we have such consistently high review scores on our service. Visit our website, the homeworkguy.com, and click on the big red button. Whether you're ordering a car, leasing, buying new or used, or even handling a lease buyout, we've got you covered. Our team of skilled car coaches, brand specialists, do the research, chase down the OTD price, and protect you from the mistakes that we've talked about. >> If you found this video helpful, please give us a thumbs up, share it with your friends, and drop a comment below. We love hearing your car buying success stories because they inspire and protect the entire Homework Guy community. >> To all of you long-term viewers and subscribers, you guys rock. God bless you all. I'm Kevin Hunter, the Homer Guy, signing off on behalf of Alex Stevens, our auto expert, the amazing Elizabeth, our master negotiator, and the entire hassle-free Homer Guy car buying team. Stick around a moment as we scroll through some of our stellar five-star Google reviews. Thank you for watching. [Music] Down. [Music] Hey. Hey. [Music] Heat. Heat.