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How much car can I afford?
Set your down payment, trade-in, monthly budget, and credit tier—then see your max price, monthly payment, and how interest builds over the life of the loan.
Max sticker price
$25,220
From your monthly budget
Payment at this price
$511
60 mo · 8.4% APR
Total interest
$5,693
Over full loan term
Loan balance at end
$0
Should reach $0
Everything updates live—including the charts below.
Your estimate—we can't look up live offers yet.
Tweak to see what a specific listing would cost per month.
Loan term
At this price
$511/mo
For a $28,000 car · $29,960 out-the-door after $1,960 tax
$61/mo over your $450 budget
- Amount financed
- $24,960
- Cash upfront
- $5,000
- Total paid (loan + cash)
- $35,653
- Interest over term
- $5,693
Educational estimate—math may be wrong
We use standard loan formulas but can make mistakes or omit fees, insurance, and maintenance. Not financial advice or a loan offer—verify any number with your lender before you decide. Read the guide.
Affordable payment ≠ good car
Run the VIN through free recall lookup and audit the history PDF with TruthAudit before you sign.
How your loan evolves
Total cost breakdown
What you pay over 60 months at $28,000 sticker—before insurance and maintenance.
All-in estimate: $40,653 including tax and interest
Loan balance over time
How the amount you still owe drops each month at $511/mo.
Principal vs interest paid (cumulative)
Watch interest stack up early—most of your early payments cover interest, not the car itself.
Monthly payment split (first 24 months)
Each bar shows how much of that month's payment goes to principal vs interest.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when figuring out how much car you can afford.