Three Reasons To Wait For The 2018 Toyota Camry - And One Reason Not To

Toyota has announced that an all-new Camry is coming for model-year 2018. The soonest it will arrive for sale would be late spring of 2017, the latest will be late summer 2017. So if you have been considering a new Camry, should you buy a 2017 now or wait for the new 2018 model to arrive? Here are some considerations to help you decide.

Reason 1 to Wait
It's winter. If you live where it snows and you don't have to buy a new car now, you should wait. Winter sand and salt harms your car in numerous ways, including windshield pits and paint chips. Regardless of whether you have decided on a Camry or not, waiting till spring has sprung (and even waiting till the pot-holes are filled) makes sense.

Reason 2 to Wait
The Camry is one of the highest-volume cars for sale in America. It is in the top four overall, and in many months it is the number one selling midsize model. Before the new model is released, Toyota will most likely create a 'Special Edition" value version of the outgoing Camry. Those SE models are often a great deal for buyers who want the content that Toyota will bundle into the car. We expect that to be announced any time if Toyota follows its usual traditions. There may also be a period of overlap on dealer lots. The outgoing 2017 models will be heavily discounted to make room for the 2018s if you time your purchase (we often do stories announcing that situation, so keep a watch on Torque News).

Reason 3 to Wait
This reason depends on you in particular, but if you keep your Camry a long time, like many owners do, then waiting till spring and getting a 2018 early will help you down the road. The 2018 will be a model year that starts very early in the calendar year. When you go to sell your Camry, it will be about six months older than its "2018" name indicates. This will make it a more valuable resale model for you. It is like getting six months of use depreciation-free.

1 Big Reason Not to Wait
If you don't live where the snow is terrible, buying in the next month or two can make sense. Toyota will run a big "President's Day" sale in February and will be pushing the Camry hard. Visit a dealer now and see if they want to do a January deal that will knock your socks off. If they don't offer you an amazing deal, be polite and tell them that you will see them, or a Honda Accord dealer, again in February when the sales start. Then go home. We would bet dollars to donuts your phone will ring with a great deal. If not, bookmark your calendar for mid-February.