Is $300 a month a good car payment?
NerdWallet recommends spending no more than 10% of your take-home pay on your monthly auto loan payment. So if your after-tax pay each month is $3,000, you could afford a $300 car payment.
When browsing your options, keep in mind that financial experts will typically tell you to spend less than 10% of your monthly take-home pay on your car payment. That means if your take-home pay is $3,000 a month, plan to spend no more than $300 on your car payment.
This means that if a person earns $3,000 per month, a car payment that is greater than $300-$450 per month may be considered high. It's important to keep in mind that a car payment is just one of several expenses associated with owning a car, including insurance, maintenance, and fuel costs.
Depending on your credit score, you're looking at a quality used vehicle between $8,000 and $12,000.
Follow the 35% rule
Whether you're paying cash, leasing, or financing a car, your upper spending limit really shouldn't be a penny more than 35% of your gross annual income. That means if you make $36,000 a year, the car price shouldn't exceed $12,600.
How much car can I afford if I make $50,000? While it depends on factors like your credit score, loan terms, down payment and any potential trade-in value, you may find that a vehicle in the $20,000 to $35,000 range will fit your budget.
How much should you spend on a car? If you're taking out a personal loan to pay for your car, it's a good idea to limit your car payments to between 10% and 15% of your take-home pay. If you take home $4,000 per month, you'd want your car payment to be no more than $400 to $600.
If you take a car loan of $40000 at an interest rate of 4.12% for a loan term of 72 months, then using an auto loan calculator, you can find that your monthly payment should be $628.
Using an average interest rate, and a car payment calculator, you can afford a $19,000-20,000 car on a $70k salary using the 20/4/20 rule of car buying.
Car payment statistics
The average monthly car payment for new cars is $716. The average monthly car payment for used cars is $526. 39.5 percent of vehicles financed in the fourth quarter of 2022 were new vehicles. 60.5 of percent of vehicles financed in the fourth quarter of 2022 were used vehicles.
What is the best car payment rule?
Basically, the rule goes that you provide a down payment of 20% of the balance, sign a loan for a four-year period, and pay no more than 10% of your monthly income on car expenses. These expenses include any money you put towards your new vehicle, including gas, insurance, and loan payments.
Your car payment won't go down if you pay extra, but you'll pay the loan off faster. Paying extra can also save you money on interest depending on how soon you pay the loan off and how high your interest rate is.
![Is a $300 car payment a lot? (2024)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uekUCRIBSa8/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLB0H7cQQX00bbTSbFI2pM-h5tjEbw)
The total interest amount on a $30,000, 72-month loan at 5% is $4,787—a savings of more than $1,000 versus the same loan at 6%.
With a $1,000 down payment and an interest rate of 20% with a five year loan, your monthly payment will be $768.32/month.
Payments would be around $377 per month. According to the results, it will take you 60 months, an interest rate of 5% of $2,645, to fully pay your $20,000 car loan. However, the monthly cost of a $20,000 car loan will depend on your repayment period and the annual percentage rate (APR).
Buying a $100K car on a 60 month loan will cost you $2500 or so per month after you factor in sales tax, interest, registration fees, insurance, maintenance, etc.
How much should I spend on a car if I make $60,000? If your take-home pay is $60,000 per year, you should pay no more than $750 per month for a car, which totals 15% of your monthly take-home pay.
There's no set minimum credit score required to get an auto loan. It's possible to get approved for an auto loan with just about any credit score, but the better your credit history, the bigger your chances of getting approved with favorable terms.
How much is a lease for a $45,000 car? Using our calculator, we input a $5,000 down payment, an assumed $25,000 residual value, an interest rate of 7% and a term of 36 months (three years). It resulted in monthly payment of $606 before taxes.
Most people that are driving a $200K car are earning 500K+ and worth 5 million +, whether that's trust fund, or salary, or business ownership/stocks, or some combination.
Is 40k a lot for a car?
Yes, $40k by all means is expensive. Considering the per capita income in USA is $51.5K and in Canada its $50k, its above 80% of average income for most of the people. What is something that is mostly just in the really expensive cars that cost $1,000's but is rarely or never used?
Is a 72-month car loan worth it? Because of the high interest rates and risk of going upside down, most experts agree that a 72-month loan isn't an ideal choice. Experts recommend that borrowers take out a shorter loan. And for an optimal interest rate, a loan term fewer than 60 months is a better way to go.
As a general rule, it's recommended that your monthly car payment not exceed 20% of your take-home pay. So, if your monthly take-home pay is $3,000, your car payment should be no more than $600.
Three major factors that determine your monthly car loan payment are your loan amount, the interest rate and the loan term. There are steps you can take — like making a down payment, improving your credit or choosing a different loan term — that can help reduce the amount you pay each month.
A target credit score of 661 or above should get you a new-car loan with an annual percentage rate of around 5.82% or better, or a used-car loan around 7.83% or lower. Superprime: 781-850.
The monthly car payments on a $45K car loan range from $754.27 to $1,243.58.
The short version is that it recommends making a 20% down payment on the car, taking four years to return the money to the lender, and keeping transportation costs just under 10% of your monthly income.
- 2019 Ford Fiesta. Starting MSRP: $14,260. ...
- 2019 Chevrolet Cruze. Starting MSRP: $17,995. ...
- 2019 Nissan Frontier. Starting MSRP: $18,990. ...
- 2019 Honda Civic. Starting MSRP: $19,450. ...
- 2019 Fiat 500. Starting MSRP: $21,910. ...
- 2019 Ford Fusion S. Starting MSRP: $22,840. ...
- 2019 Honda Insight. Starting MSRP: $22,930. ...
- 2019 Chevrolet Malibu.
The monthly car payments on a $80K car loan range from $1,333.72 to $2,198.91. Payments vary based on your credit score, and the sales tax rate of your state, and whether you are financing a new or a used car.
If you're thinking, how much of my income can I spend on the car, remember the 20% rule. Financial experts say your car-related expenses shouldn't exceed 20% of your monthly take-home pay.
How much is a $25,000 car payment?
Example 2: A $25,000.00 secured personal loan financed for 60 months at an interest rate of 8.500% would yield an APR* (Annual Percentage Rate) of 8.496% and 59 monthly payments of $512.87 and 1 final payment of $513.24. *These examples are for illustrative purposes only.
There is good news on the horizon in 2023, however. J.P. Morgan estimates that prices for both new and used vehicles are set to decrease as supply chain issues abate and inflation is poised to keep easing. Per the financial firm, new vehicle prices are slated to go down 2.5-5% while used cars may go down by 10-20%.
According to Edmunds, about 17% of the people who financed a new vehicle during the first quarter of the year pay $1,000 or more a month for that vehicle. This is a record-high. The average down payment for a new vehicle also was at a record high during the first quarter of 2023 – $6,956.
Make extra payments when possible. Getting ahead on your car loan will help lower future monthly payments — or skip them entirely. While many lenders apply extra payments only to interest, you may be able to request yours go directly to the principal. This will help reduce the total amount you owe.
The benefits of down payments
A larger down payment also helps you build equity faster and protects you and the lender against depreciation and potential loss. All cars famously depreciate the moment they're driven off the lot.
Paying extra payments toward the principal in your car loan will shorten the overall length of your loan. While you'll be paying more every month, you'll be paying the loan back for fewer months total. You'll also build equity much faster.
Although it may not seem like much, paying twice a month rather than just once will get you to the finish line faster. It will also help save on interest. This is because interest will have less time to accrue before you make a payment — and because you will consistently lower your total loan balance.
At $25,000 per month, this supercar has the most expensive car lease ever.
- Talk to the lender. This strategy can be best for when you're having temporary trouble making payments. ...
- Refinance. ...
- Sell the car yourself (and buy a cheaper one) ...
- Trade it in to a dealership. ...
- Lease a car. ...
- Lower your amount financed. ...
- Shop for a low APR. ...
- Get a longer loan term.
In terms of the best time of the year, October, November and December are safe bets. Car dealerships have sales quotas, which typically break down into yearly, quarterly and monthly sales goals. All three goals begin to come together late in the year.
How much is $35 000 car payment per month?
The monthly car payments on a $35K car loan range from $588.72 to $970.62.
Experts say your total car expenses, including monthly payments, insurance, gas and maintenance, should be about 20 percent of your take-home monthly pay. For non-math wizards, like me – Let's say your monthly paycheck is $4,000. Then a safe estimate for car expenses is $800 per month.
Loan Amount | Loan Term (Years) | Estimated Fixed Monthly Payment* |
---|---|---|
$15,000 | 5 | $307.68 |
$20,000 | 3 | $617.45 |
$20,000 | 5 | $410.23 |
$25,000 | 3 | $771.81 |
On a $300,000 mortgage with a 3% APR, you'd pay $2,071.74 per month on a 15-year loan and $1,264.81 on a 30-year loan, not including escrow. Escrow costs vary depending on your home's location, insurer, and other details.
Some lenders use specialized credit scores, such as a FICO Auto Score. In general, you'll need at least prime credit, meaning a credit score of 661 or up, to get a loan at a good interest rate. If you have poorer credit, you can still get a loan, but you will probably have to pay more for it or else find a co-signer.
On average, they get an APR of 2.89%, which obliges them to pay the following amounts monthly on a $15,000 loan: 12 months. $1269.25.
For instance, using our loan calculator, if you buy a $20,000 vehicle at 5% APR for 60 months the monthly payment would be $377.42 and you would pay $2,645.48 in interest.
Most financial experts recommend spending no more than 10% of your monthly take-home pay on a car. This percentage doesn't include all the expenses that come with car ownership, such as automotive insurance, fuel, maintenance, parking, and repairs.
In general, experts recommend spending 10%–15% of your income on transportation, including car payment, insurance, and fuel. For example, if your take-home pay is $4,000 per month, then you should spend $400 to $600 on transportation. To be sure, that range is simply for guidance.
It may be hard to believe, but it is possible to lease a car for under $100/month. You may have to fork over a ton of cash upfront, but there are options for those looking for a brag-worthy payment. Based on our analysis, offers like this tend to be advertised at the dealer level rather than by the manufacturer.
What credit score do you need for a 60k car loan?
There's no set minimum credit score required to get an auto loan. It's possible to get approved for an auto loan with just about any credit score, but the better your credit history, the bigger your chances of getting approved with favorable terms.
10% of Income
In fact, some experts even say to keep your total car cost — including your other car ownership expenses — to just 10% of your income. For our example $100,000 family, that means you shouldn't spend more than $10,000 per year total on car costs.
With a $1,000 down payment and an interest rate of 20% with a five year loan, your monthly payment will be $768.32/month.
The average monthly car payment for new cars is $716. The average monthly car payment for used cars is $526. 39.5 percent of vehicles financed in the fourth quarter of 2022 were new vehicles.
As a general rule, it's recommended that your monthly car payment not exceed 20% of your take-home pay. So, if your monthly take-home pay is $3,000, your car payment should be no more than $600.
How Long Can You Finance a Car? You can finance your car for as little as a few months to more than 84 months—or seven years. The most common length is 72 months—or six years—followed by 84 months. The longer your loan term, the lower your monthly payments, but the higher the overall interest.
The total interest amount on a $30,000, 72-month loan at 5% is $4,787—a savings of more than $1,000 versus the same loan at 6%.
The monthly car payments on a $35K car loan range from $588.72 to $970.62. Payments vary based on your credit score, and the sales tax rate of your state, and whether you are financing a new or a used car.