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Auto Loan Calculator

Enter the vehicle price, your down payment and trade-in, the sales tax rate, fees, APR and term to get the monthly car payment and the total you will pay. Tax and fees are added to the amount financed, the way most dealer contracts work.

Quick examples
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Taxed on the price minus the trade-in, as most US states do.

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Your numbers stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Monthly payment$645.52
Amount financed
$32,600.00
Sales tax
$2,100.00
Total interest
$6,131.14
Total cost of the car
$43,731.14
Loan repayment
  • Amount financed
  • Interest
Payoff schedule
PeriodPrincipalInterestBalance

Saved setups

Save a set of inputs you reuse — your usual rate, your loan, your room sizes — and load it back in one tap.

    Your recent calculations

    Results you calculate here are kept on this device so you can come back to them.

      Formula

      Sales tax = (price − trade-in) × tax rate
      Amount financed = price + sales tax + fees − down payment − trade-in
      Payment = amount financed × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n), with r = APR ÷ 12
      Total cost = price + sales tax + fees + total interest

      How to use it

      1. Enter the negotiated price of the car before tax.
      2. Enter your cash down payment and what the dealer is giving you for a trade-in.
      3. Add your state’s sales tax rate and the title, registration and documentation fees.
      4. Enter the APR and choose a term to see the payment and the payoff schedule.

      Worked examples

      A $35,000 car with $5,000 down, 6% sales tax, $500 fees, 60 months at 7%

      Monthly payment
      $645.52
      Amount financed
      $32,600.00
      Sales tax
      $2,100.00
      Total interest
      $6,131.14
      Total cost of the car
      $43,731.14

      A $30,000 car with an $8,000 trade-in and $2,000 down, 48 months at 5%, no tax or fees

      Monthly payment
      $460.59
      Amount financed
      $20,000.00
      Sales tax
      $0.00
      Total interest
      $2,108.12
      Total cost of the car
      $32,108.12

      Sales tax and trade-ins

      Most US states charge sales tax on the price minus the trade-in value, which is what this calculator does. A few states, California among them, tax the full price regardless of a trade-in; if that applies to you, enter the trade-in as part of the down payment instead.

      Choosing a term

      Longer loans cut the payment and add interest. $30,000 at 7% is $594.04 a month for 60 months with $5,642 of interest, or $511.47 for 72 months with $6,826 of interest. Cars lose value fastest in the first years, so a long loan with little down can leave you owing more than the car is worth.

      A common guideline is 20% down, a term of four years or less, and total car costs under 10% of gross income.

      Questions people ask

      What is the payment on a $35,000 car?

      With $5,000 down, 6% sales tax and $500 in fees you finance $32,600. At 7% for 60 months that is $645.52 a month and $6,131.14 in interest.

      How much does a trade-in lower my payment?

      It lowers the amount financed dollar for dollar and usually the sales tax too. An $8,000 trade-in and $2,000 down on a $30,000 car leaves $20,000 to finance: $460.59 a month for 48 months at 5%.

      Is a 72- or 84-month car loan a bad idea?

      It costs more interest and keeps you underwater longer. If the payment only works at 84 months, the car is probably more than your budget supports.

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