I mean basic rule is 20/4/10 for a car purchase. Meaning: put 20% down, pay over 4 years (48 month finance), and spend no more than 10% of your income on car payments. So if you make $100,000, you can pay $10,000 per year on a car. That’s after 20% down and should include insurance, gas, and maintenance.
So, assuming you want a $100,000 car. You need to put $20,000 down, leaving $80,000 to finance. Assume a decent rate of 1.9% for 48 months, that’s $1,732 per month. Assume insurance of $400 per month, gas of $100 per month, and maintenance of $1,000 per year. That equals $27,784 per year, meaning you’ll have to make $277,840 per year to comfortably afford a $100,000 car (does not include taxes and registration fees).
