2026Car payment & interestFree · No sign-up

Auto loan calculator 2026 — monthly payment

Estimate your monthly car payment, total interest, and loan cost from amount financed, term, and APR. Compare terms, then check the payment against your take-home pay.

Payment · P+ITerm · 36–84 moAPR · Your rateBudget · 10–15% net

Calculate your car payment

Enter the amount you're financing, loan length in months, and APR. Results update as you type.

Auto loan calculator

Payment updates live

Loan amount

Price minus down payment and trade-in (amount financed).

Loan term (months)

APR (annual %)

Monthly payment

$500.95

Total paid

$30,057.00

Total interest

$5,057.00

Quick payment snapshot

Sample scenarios — your lender's offer may differ.

$20,000 · 60 mo · 7.5%

$400.76/mo$4,046 interest

$25,000 · 60 mo · 7.5%

$500.95/mo$5,057 interest

$30,000 · 72 mo · 8%

$526.00/mo$7,872 interest

$35,000 · 48 mo · 6.5%

$830.02/mo$4,841 interest

About APR (illustrative)

Illustrative: stronger credit, new carIn many markets, well-qualified borrowers have seen lower single-digit APRs; your offer will differ.

Illustrative: used car or moderate creditUsed vehicles and lower scores often mean higher APRs; shop banks, credit unions, and dealers.

Illustrative: subprime / thin fileRates can be much higher; compare multiple lenders and read the loan terms carefully.

Illustrative only—not a quote. Compare actual lender offers (see CFPB guidance below).

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How car loan payments work

Payment formula (amortized loan)

Most auto loans are fixed-rate, fully amortizing: each month you pay principal plus interest. Early in the loan, more of the payment goes to interest; later, more pays down principal.

A lower APR or shorter term reduces total interest. Extending the term cuts the monthly payment but usually increases total cost.

Affordability vs. the payment

The payment is only part of ownership. The CFPB recommends budgeting for insurance, fuel, maintenance, and registration—not just the loan payment. Some personal-finance sources use a rough 10–15% of take-home pay for all vehicle costs as a benchmark; that is not a regulatory rule, but it can be a starting point alongside your own budget.

Use our paycheck calculator for net pay, then this tool for the loan payment. Lenders also look at debt-to-income.

When to use an auto loan calculator

Before you shop

Run scenarios for the loan amount you're comfortable financing and the term you want. When you have dealer or bank quotes, plug in their APR to compare monthly payment and total interest side by side.

Refinancing & trade-ins

Refinancing? Use your current balance and remaining months with the new rate. If you're rolling negative equity, the financed amount may be higher than the car's price — enter the actual amount the lender is financing.

Sales tax & fees

This calculator does not add tax or dealer fees for you. Enter the amount financed: if tax and fees are in the loan, include them in the loan amount; if you pay them upfront, use only the net financed amount after down payment and trade-in.

Frequently asked questions — auto loans

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends adding up the true cost of ownership—loan payment, insurance, fuel, and maintenance—and using a monthly budget to see what you can comfortably afford. Some personal-finance sources suggest keeping total monthly vehicle costs around 10–15% of take-home pay as a rough rule of thumb, but that is not a regulatory standard and your situation may differ. Use our paycheck calculator for net pay, then this tool for the loan payment.

There is no single good APR: rates vary widely by credit, new vs. used vehicle, loan term, and lender. The Federal Reserve publishes market data on motor vehicle loan rates in Statistical Release G.19 (Consumer Credit). Always compare multiple offers; the CFPB advises comparing APR, amount financed, loan length, and monthly payment—not the payment alone.

Longer terms (e.g. 72 or 84 months) usually lower the monthly payment but increase total interest over the life of the loan—the CFPB illustrates this with side-by-side examples. Use this calculator to compare scenarios. Some experts suggest keeping auto loans to about five years or less because longer loans increase the risk of owing more than the car is worth.

No. Enter the amount you are borrowing (amount financed). If taxes and fees are rolled into the loan, include them in that amount; if you pay them up front, exclude them—consistent with how the CFPB describes items that add to or reduce what you borrow.

Sources & methodology

Payment math: Standard fixed-rate amortization with equal monthly payments and interest accrued each month on the remaining balance (APR ÷ 12). The same structure underlies the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's published comparison example ($20,000 at 4.75% APR).

Simple-interest or non-standard contracts, fees, rebates, and add-on products can change the payment your lender shows. Use your Truth in Lending / loan agreement for the official figures.