There is no set minimum FICO® Score to get a car loan. However, a good score at 720 or better will get you the best rate. Consider spending some time improving your credit score before shopping for your next car. Even moving up a few points can make a big difference if you have a low score.
Personal loans with a 690 credit score
While you might qualify for a personal loan with fair credit, you could be charged a higher interest rate and more fees than you would with scores in the good or excellent range.
With a score of 690 to 699, you are in the second-best credit score range for auto loans and you will pay relatively low interest rates. If your score is between 690 and 699, you'll have to be careful about your credit if you're considering applying for a car loan.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 670 to 739, which are considered Good. The average U.S. FICO® Score, 711, falls within the Good range.
In general, lenders look for borrowers in the prime range or better, so you will need a score of 661 or higher to qualify for most conventional car loans.
The higher your credit score, the better the rate you'll get for any loan. A credit score above 660 will typically allow you to qualify for an auto loan without a hassle. A credit score of 760 and above will typically allow you to qualify for auto maker special financing that can offer low-APR loans and rebates.
The recommended credit score needed to buy a car is 660 and above. This will typically guarantee interest rates under 6%.
“A typical down payment is usually between 10% and 20% of the total price. On a $12,000 car loan, that would be between $1,200 and $2,400. When it comes to the down payment, the more you put down, the better off you will be in the long run because this reduces the amount you will pay for the car in the end.
You will likely need a credit score of at least 580 for a $3,000 personal loan. Most lenders that offer personal loans of $3,000 or more require bad credit or better for approval, along with enough income to afford the monthly payments.
As 698 is a good credit score, you should not be limited in your loan options. You'll likely easily qualify for most credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, lines of credit and more. Since you're not in the top range of credit scores, you'll still always want to review your loan terms.
With a loan amount of $30,000, an interest rate of 8%, and a loan repayment period of 60-months, your monthly payment is around $700. Before you purchase your new vehicle, remember to budget for car maintenance, gas, and car insurance.
With a three-year $10,000 loan at a 4.5% interest rate, your monthly payments would be $297 per month or more if you include the sales tax in the loan.
Using the formula above, you can estimate your monthly payment for various loan terms to be: 12 months: $1269.25. 24 months: $643.99. 36 months: $435.49.
FICO Auto Score has several versions. Most auto lenders use FICO Auto Score 8, as the most widespread, or FICO Auto Score 9. It's the most recent and used by all three bureaus. FICO Auto Score ranges from 250 to 900, meaning your FICO score will differ from your FICO Auto Score.
685 credit score car loan options
A 685 score should easily secure you a car loan. On average, your score should get you an interest rate between 3.6- 4.6 and between – and 6 percent on a used car. Scores above 720 are more likely to net you the lower percentage rates.
A 700 credit score puts you firmly in the prime range of credit scores, meaning you can get a competitive rate as long as you shop around, have good income, and have a solid debt-to-income ratio. A 700 credit score gets an average car loan interest rate of 3% to 6% for new cars and 5% to 9% for used cars.
For best results, you should aim for at least a FICO score of 660 before applying for a new car loan.
The good news is that getting a car loan with a 680 credit score should be no problem. In general, standard lenders prefer applicants to have a credit score of at least 661, so having a credit score of 680 puts you in a favorable position.
The monthly payment on a $20,000 loan ranges from $273 to $2,009, depending on the APR and how long the loan lasts. For example, if you take out a $20,000 loan for one year with an APR of 36%, your monthly payment will be $2,009.
Although a 650 credit score is desirable for any loan, first time car loans may require a score of 680 or higher to waive any co-signer requirements.
ADVANTAGES. Leasing a car is much cheaper than buying it outright, because you're only paying a percentage of the total price. You won't have to worry about fetching a good price or finding a buyer for it when you're done, as the dealership will take it back from you.
Consider a $30,000 car loan for a five-year repayment schedule at a rate of 4.5 percent. The total interest paid on this loan without a down payment would be $3557.43. However, with $6,000 put down on the car, you're only financing $24,000, which translates to $2845.95 in interest over the five years.
For $40,000 loans, monthly payments averagely range between $900 and $1,000, depending on the interest rate and loan term.