Yes, just like the price of the vehicle, the interest rate is negotiable. The first rate for the loan the dealer offers you may not be the lowest rate you qualify for. With dealer-arranged financing, the dealer collects information from you and forwards that information to one or more prospective auto lenders.
A high APR (“annual percentage rate”) car loan is one that charges higher-than-average interest rates. The legal limit for car loans is around 16% APR, but you will find lenders that get away with charging rates of 25% or more.
Back to your lender
The lender now has a choice. It has underwritten you based on previous information. It may agree to refinance the loan now that you have better credit, or he may offer to renegotiate the loan's terms. These two options are basically the same.
2) Dealerships don't want you to have your own financing.
Dealers don't just sell cars, they sell your business to lenders for a profit. They're counting on making money on your loan.
“Car dealerships want you to finance through them for two main reasons: They can make money off the interest of a car loan you get through them. They may get a bit of a kickback if they're the middleman between you and another lender (commission).
Generally, yes. Although there are some exceptions, the large captive finance companies and the large banks all authorize dealers to markup customer interest rate, and split the profits.
Bank financing
The primary benefit of going directly to your bank or credit bank is that you will likely receive lower interest rates. Dealers tend to have higher interest rates so financing through a bank or credit union can offer much more competitive rates.
Although some dealerships give better deals to those paying with cash, many of them prefer you to get a loan through their finance department. According to Jalopnik, this is because dealerships actually make money off of the interest of the loan they provide for you.
The general rule is that your payment will drop about $20 a month for every $1,000 you put down, based on a 5% APR, but this is subject to individual situations and loan terms. A larger down payment also helps you build equity faster and protects you and the lender against depreciation and potential loss.
Refinancing a car can save you money on interest or give you a lower payment and some breathing room in your budget. When you refinance a car loan, it could temporarily ding your credit score, but it's unlikely to hurt your credit in the long run.
Strictly speaking, you can refinance a car loan as soon as you find a lender that will approve the new loan. Some lenders won't refinance a car loan until it has been open six months or more. Other lenders have no set waiting period after you've purchased a car.
Negotiate with your lender
If the bank you prefer doesn't have the lowest rate, you can negotiate the mortgage rate down. Ask the lender if they can do better on the rate they provided. Or, you can let them know another bank has offered you a lower rate and ask if they can match or beat it.
A 10% APR is not good for auto loans. APRs on auto loans tend to range from around 4% to 10%, depending on whether you buy new or used.
If you're buying a new car at an interest rate of 2.9% APR, you may be getting a bad deal. However, whether or not this is the best rate possible will depend on factors like market conditions, your credit background, and what type of manufacturer car incentives there are at a given point in time on the car you want.
In finance, generally the more risk you take, the better potential payoff you expect. For banks and other card issuers, credit cards are decidedly risky because lots of people pay late or don't pay at all. So issuers charge high interest rates to compensate for that risk.
You may be able to get a car loan with a 650 credit score, but you might not like the terms and conditions of the loan if you do. Your score is considered fair, so the average interest rate you can expect to pay is 11.69% for a new car loan.