The longer your loan term — typically ranging from 24 to 84 months, or two to seven years — the cheaper your monthly payments will be. But remember, a lower monthly payment has drawbacks, including potentially costing you more over the long term. For most drivers, a long-term car loan is not a good idea.
Cons of a Long-term Car Loan
Not only that, you'll pay more in interest over the life of the loan, simply because you're in debt for longer. Decreased value: Because longer loan terms are more expensive, by the time you've paid off your car, you might have forked over more than the car was ever worth.
Many experts recommend a five-year loan or less if you can make it work. While a longer term might get you a lower monthly payment, your cost to own the vehicle will likely be higher based on interest paid over a longer length of time.
But the reality is, given how expensive new and used cars are today, this rule is not only ignored but also outdated. This is why Edmunds recommends a 60-month auto loan if you can manage it. A longer loan may have a more palatable monthly payment, but it comes with a number of drawbacks, as we'll discuss later.
The bottom line
Paying off a car loan early can save you money — provided the lender doesn't assess too large a prepayment penalty and you don't have other high-interest debt. Even a few extra payments can go a long way to reducing your costs.
Provided the down payment is $5,000, the interest rate is 10%, and the loan length is five years, the monthly payment will be $531.18/month. 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.
Paying off a car loan early can cause a slight dip in your credit scores, depending on your credit profile. Any dip is likely to be temporary as long as you're practicing responsible credit habits with other accounts.
An 84-month auto loan can mean lower monthly payments than you'd get with a shorter-term loan. But having as long as seven years to pay off your car isn't necessarily a good idea. You can find a number of lenders that offer auto loans over an 84-month period — and some for even longer.
The longer your loan term — typically ranging from 24 to 84 months, or two to seven years — the cheaper your monthly payments will be. But remember, a lower monthly payment has drawbacks, including potentially costing you more over the long term. For most drivers, a long-term car loan is not a good idea.
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.
You'll Pay More Interest
Long-term car loans typically carry higher interest rates than shorter-term loans. And even if you can find a long-term loan with a low interest rate, making payments for seven or eight years will likely add up to more interest over time compared with a shorter-term loan.
The average monthly car payment is $726 for new cars and $533 for used. Several factors determine your payment. Shannon Bradley is a NerdWallet authority on auto loans.
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. If that leaves you feeling you can afford only a beat-up jalopy, don't despair.
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.
If your car is paid off, you're in a good position to trade it in. You can then use the trade-in value to lower the cost of a new or used car from the same dealership. To get the most from your trade-in, do everything you can to increase your car's value first.
Once you pay off a car loan, you may actually see a small drop in your credit score. However, it's normally temporary if your credit history is in decent shape – it bounces back eventually. The reason your credit score takes a temporary hit in points is that you ended an active credit account.
The best way to pay off a car loan involves extra payments, signing up for autopay, and refinancing to a loan with a lower interest rate. But before you pay off your debt, make sure you consider the drawbacks of paying off the loan early. Check your loan agreement carefully to see what fees may apply.
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).
Loan amount (30,000) + total interest (12,000) Previous answer (42,000) / number of months of the payment plan (60) = monthly payment of $700.
Paying off your car will not only save you money in interest, but it'll also get you out of debt sooner! Using our previous example, if you doubled your car payment, you'd shave over two years off the life of your loan.
The most likely possible reasons for your credit score dropping after paying off debt are a decrease in the average age of your accounts, a change in the types of credit you have or an increase in your credit utilization.
To reach an 800 credit score, you'll want to demonstrate on-time bill payments, have a healthy mix of credit (meaning accounts other than just credit cards), use a small percentage of your available credit, and limit new credit inquiries.