It depends on how much income you have after your bills and expenses. But as a rule of thumb, your car payment should not exceed 15% of your post-tax monthly pay. For example, if after taxes, you make the U.S. median income of $37,773, you could shop for a car that costs up to $472 per month.
$5ka month after taxes is about $75ka year before taxes. $700 a month for the payment means you are using more than 11% of your income for a car. That's too much unless you don't have to pay a mortgage or rent.
Yes, $10000 is generally enough to buy a secondhand car. The availability and condition of cars within that budget can vary based on factors such as location, market conditions, and the specific make and model you are interested in.
Some general advice is to not buy a car over one year's salary, or to keep car costs under 10-15% of your monthly income. If you use take home pay of $100k, that's about $833 to stay at 10%. The average new car payment is up to $636 for an average of 70 months.
You can comfortably afford a car that is roughly half of your salary, maybe even a little more if you have little other debt. So at 120k you can afford a car up to 60–70k. Honestly depends on your other expenses. If you live way below your means on everything else, you may even be able to afford a 100k car.
Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
The rule recommends making a 20% down payment on the car, taking four years to return the money to the lender, and keeping transportation costs at no more than 10% of your monthly income. As to how exactly it works requires some explanation.
A person making $60,000 per year can afford about a $40,000 car based on calculating 15% of their monthly take-home pay and a 20% down payment on the car of $7,900.
The average monthly car payment is $737 for new cars and $520 for used. Several factors determine your payment.
Financial experts recommend spending no more than 10% of your monthly take-home pay on your car payment and no more than 15% to 20% on total car costs such as gas, insurance and maintenance as well as the payment.
Some banks and credit unions may offer 72 months on a 3 or 4 year old car for most consumers, but may limit others based on credit criteria. Factory supported lenders (like BMW FS, Ford Motor Credit, ETC) may offer longer terms on their own brands, but limit off brands.
That means that more than 60 percent of American households currently cannot afford to buy a new car, based on Census data. For individuals, the numbers are even worse, with 82 percent of people below the $100,000 line.
Average monthly car payments for new vehicles jump slightly year over year. The average car payment for a new vehicle is $737 monthly, according to Q3 2024 Experian data — up 0.7% year over year. Used cars have an average monthly payment of $520, down 3.3% over the same period.
Cars are one of them. According to the study, if the average American buys their first car at age 17 and then purchases a different vehicle every six years, they'll own about 10 cars in their lifetime.
No-haggle car dealerships really mean no haggling when it comes to their prices. These dealerships make the decision to advertise a straightforward price that works for them and aren't interested in making a deal if you're not happy with it.
According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, Toyota and Lexus were the most reliable vehicles in 2022. After Japanese cars, BMW was ranked third, while Mercedes' reliability was rated the lowest.
It's good practice to make a down payment of at least 20% on a new car (10% for used). A larger down payment can also help you nab a better interest rate. But how much a down payment should be for a car isn't black and white. If you can't afford 10% or 20%, the best down payment is the one you can afford.
If your gross salary is $60,000, your take-home monthly pay is probably around $3750, assuming about 25 percent of your pay goes toward taxes and other expenses. Based on a calculation of spending 10–15 percent of your monthly pay on a car loan, you should spend no more than $562.50 on your monthly car payment.
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. You can learn more about car loans here.
While this figure can vary based on factors such as location, family size, and lifestyle preferences, a common range for a good monthly salary is between $6,000 and $8,333 for individuals.
Ideally, you want to have 20% of your take-home pay left over after paying all of your bills. Track spending using an app or spreadsheet to determine why there isn't more money left over after bills. Consider cutting unnecessary bills (like cable, streaming networks, gym memberships) to save money.
It is recommended that you spend 30% of your monthly income on rent at maximum, and to consider all the factors involved in your budget, including additional rental costs like renters insurance or your initial security deposit.