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.
Balance Your Budget
50% for needs like housing, food, and transportation. In this case, the monthly car payment and other related auto expenses fit into this category. 30% for wants like entertainment, travel, and other nonessential items. 20% for savings, paying off credit cards, and meeting long-term financial goals.
Your loan term determines how much time you have to repay your debt. The 20/4/10 rule suggests that you should aim to finance your car for no more than four years, or 48 months. If you borrow a short-term car loan, your monthly payments will be higher but you'll pay less in interest.
What is the 20/3/8 rule for financing a car? — The 20/3/8 rule suggests putting 20% down, financing for no more than 3 years, and ensuring that monthly payments do not exceed 8% of monthly gross income.
Basically, the rule goes that you provide a down payment of 20% of the balance, sign a loan for a four-year period, and pay no more than 10% of your monthly income on car expenses.
Consider putting at least $6,000 down on a $30,000 car if you're buying it new or at least $3,000 if you're buying it used. This follows the guidelines of a 20% down payment for a new car or a 10% down payment for a used car.
How much should I spend on a car if I make $60,000? If your take-home pay is $60,000 per year, you should pay no more than $750 per month for a car, which totals 15% of your monthly take-home pay.
The average monthly payment for new vehicles hit a record high of $730 during the first quarter of 2023, according to Edmunds. So if you're now on the hook for $750, it may just be that you had to buy a larger car, like a minivan or SUV, to accommodate a bigger family.
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.
The average monthly car payment is now a record $733, according to Edmunds. And even if your monthly auto loan payments are around $500 per month, that still may be uncomfortably high. And that's before adding up the cost of maintenance, fuel, and auto insurance.
Starting with the 1/10th guideline, created and pushed by Financial Samurai, this guideline states: buy a car in cash that costs less than 1/10th your gross annual pay. If you make $50,000 you should buy a car in cash worth $5000. If you make $100,000, the car you buy should be worth no more than $10,000.
Financial experts answer this question by using a simple rule of thumb: Car buyers should spend no more than 10% of their take-home pay on a car loan payment and no more than 20% for total car expenses, which also includes things like gas, insurance, repairs and maintenance.
Since car payments are among most people's highest expense, it is normal to feel that it's too high. Refinancing, selling, or surrendering the car are options to reduce your car payment, but be careful with these options. When you refinance, shop around and make sure you get the best interest rate.
In general, it's recommended to spend no more than 10% to 15% of your monthly take-home income on your car payment, and no more than 20% on your total vehicle expenses, including insurance and registration. Read on to learn how you can determine how much car you can afford based on your financial situation.
How much should you spend on a car? Whether you're taking out an auto loan or a personal loan to pay for your car, it's a good idea to limit your car payments to between 10% and 15% of your take-home pay. If you take home $4,000 per month, you'd want your car payment to be no more than $400 to $600.
In most cases, you'll still need to negotiate the value of your trade, the cost of financing and the price of any add-ons. If a car is in high demand, a dealership can charge far more than the sticker price. When demand is lower, you can expect to pay less than the sticker price.
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.
Some sources provide average auto loan interest rates updated monthly, so the rates are more recent, but they aren't broken down by credit score. In January 2024, automotive site Edmunds.com listed the average car loan interest rate for December 2023 as 7.1% APR for new car loans and 11.4% APR for used car loans.
Visit your My NerdWallet Settings page to see all the writers you're following. The average monthly car loan payment in the U.S. is $726 for new vehicles and $533 for used ones originated in the third quarter of 2023, according to credit reporting agency Experian.
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.
Should I pay my car payment twice a month? Paying half of your monthly car payment twice a month instead of a full payment each month can help you pay off your car loan early. That's because when you make payments on a biweekly basis, you make 26 payments that add up to 13 monthly payments instead of 12.
20% down — be able to pay 20% or more of the total purchase price up front. 4-year loan — be able to pay off the balance in 48 months or fewer. 10% of your income — your total monthly auto costs (including insurance, gas, maintenance, and car payments) should be 10% or less of your monthly income.
Assuming a 60-month loan with a 4% interest rate, your monthly car payment would be around $1,073.33. To afford this, you would need to have a gross income of at least $53,666.67 per year. Unless you use a different financing method like a Savings Club.
If you were single, without a mortgage or family to look after, you could probably find a way to own a 250k car when your income was $150k or more. It would be hard work. You'd have to save for a long time and then perhaps finance 50% of it. But you could do it.