Auto Loan Calculator
Your car payment with everything a dealer adds: sales tax, trade-in equity (or negative equity), rebates and fees. Compare 36 to 84-month terms side by side before you sit down in the finance office.
Annual percentage rate
The cost of your credit as a yearly rate.
Finance charge
The dollar amount the credit will cost you.
Amount financed
The amount of credit provided to you.
Total of payments
What you'll have paid after all scheduled payments.
Payment schedule: 60 payments of $655.69. Financed fees are treated as a finance charge here, so the APR sits above the note rate. Some fees (title, registration) legally are not, so your lender’s APR may be a little lower.
Same car, different terms
| Term | Monthly | Total interest |
|---|---|---|
| 36 months (3 yrs) | $1,018.78 | $3,876 |
| 48 months (4 yrs) | $791.54 | $5,194 |
| 60 months (5 yrs) | $655.69 | $6,541 |
| 72 months (6 yrs) | $565.53 | $7,918 |
| 84 months (7 yrs) | $501.48 | $9,324 |
Total cost of the car over this loan, including down payment and trade-in equity: $44,341.
How the balance falls
Amortization schedule
| Year | Paid | Interest | Principal | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $7,868.25 | $2,238.81 | $5,629.43 | $27,170.57 |
| Year 2 | $7,868.25 | $1,807.81 | $6,060.44 | $21,110.13 |
| Year 3 | $7,868.25 | $1,343.81 | $6,524.44 | $14,585.69 |
| Year 4 | $7,868.25 | $844.28 | $7,023.96 | $7,561.73 |
| Year 5 | $7,868.25 | $306.52 | $7,561.73 | $0.00 |
Explain my numbers in plain English
Sends only the numbers shown above (and your question) to an AI model via Vercel AI Gateway. Nothing is stored. It's a plain-language read, not financial advice.
What goes into a car payment
The dealer's "out-the-door" price is the sticker price plus sales tax plus title, registration and documentation fees. From that, subtract your down payment, any cash rebate and your trade-in equity. What's left is the amount financed, and the monthly payment is the standard amortization formula applied to it.
Two things quietly inflate car loans. The first is negative equity: if you still owe $4,000 on a car worth $3,000, the $1,000 gap rides along into the new loan. The second is term stretching: going from 60 to 84 months can cut the payment by a quarter while adding hundreds or thousands in interest. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggests getting pre-approved by a bank or credit union so you have a rate to compare against the dealer's.
Motorcycle, boat or RV instead? Those loans have different typical terms, so they have their own calculators: motorcycle, boat and RV. Already have a car loan? See whether an auto refinance would pay off.
Questions people ask
What is a good interest rate on a car loan?
It depends mostly on your credit score, the loan term and whether the car is new or used. Borrowers with top credit are offered the lowest rates, while used-car and subprime loans can cost several times more. Check a credit union, your bank and the dealer, then compare the APRs rather than the monthly payments.
Is it better to pick a 60- or 72-month car loan?
A 72-month loan lowers the payment but costs more interest and keeps you "upside down" (owing more than the car is worth) for longer, because cars lose value fastest in the first years. The term comparison table above shows the exact difference for your numbers.
How does a trade-in affect my car payment?
Trade-in equity (value minus anything still owed) is subtracted from what you finance, and in most states you only pay sales tax on the price after the trade-in. If you owe more than the trade is worth, the shortfall is added to the new loan — enter it in "Still owed" to see the effect.
Should I roll taxes and fees into the loan?
You can, but you then pay interest on them for the whole term, and it raises the loan-to-value ratio. Paying them upfront keeps the finance charge lower; toggle "Fees" above to compare.
How much car can I afford?
A common rule of thumb is to keep total car costs (payment, insurance, fuel) near 10–15% of take-home pay and to choose the shortest term whose payment you can comfortably carry. Use the price slider to find where the payment lands in your budget.