Car Affordability Calculator
Turn a monthly budget into the car price you can afford.
Car price you can afford
$26,999
Loan amount
$22,999
Total interest
$4,001
Budget separately for insurance, fuel, and maintenance — together they often match the payment.
Work backward from the payment
Discounting your budgeted payment over the term gives the loan it supports; add your down payment for the price ceiling. A $450 budget at 6.5% for 60 months supports about a $23,000 loan — stretching to 72 months raises the ceiling but adds interest and underwater risk.
The 20/4/10 guideline
A classic sanity check: 20% down, no more than 4 years of financing, and total car costs (payment, insurance, fuel) under 10% of gross income. Few buyers hit all three; each miss is a knowing trade, not a failure.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the Car Affordability Calculator work?
- Turn a monthly budget into the car price you can afford.
- Is the Car Affordability Calculator free to use?
- Yes. The Car Affordability Calculator is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, and requires no account or sign-up. Your inputs never leave your device.
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