Free auto-loan calculator
How much will my auto loan payment be?
Auto Loan Payment Calculator
Your auto loan payment depends on the vehicle price, cash down payment, trade equity, rebates, taxes, fees, interest rate, and loan term. Enter your own assumptions below to estimate the monthly payment, amount financed, total interest, payoff date, and potential savings from additional principal payments.
- Free to use
- No account or email required
- Calculates in your browser
- Editable assumptions
How to use: Replace the example values with the scenario you want to explore. Results update as you type. Open the detailed sections for assumptions, breakdowns, and schedules.
Privacy: Rich Direction does not connect calculator entries to an email address, contact record, advertising audience, or analytics event.
What this tool calculates
What will the calculator show?
- Combines the vehicle price, taxes, fees, down payment, rebates, and trade equity into an estimated financed balance.
- Calculates the scheduled monthly payment and total interest for a fixed-rate amortizing loan.
- Compares the standard schedule with optional additional monthly principal.
- Produces a detailed payment schedule and local CSV export.
Who this tool is for
When is this calculation useful?
This tool is for people comparing vehicle prices, financing terms, down payments, trade-ins, and extra-payment scenarios before accepting an auto-loan offer.
Not designed for: It is not a lender approval, dealer quote, Truth in Lending disclosure, or substitute for reviewing the final retail installment contract.
Input guide
What do the inputs mean?
- Vehicle purchase price
- The negotiated vehicle price before taxes, financed fees, credits, and financing costs.
- Cash down payment
- Money paid at purchase that directly reduces the amount financed.
- Trade-in value and amount owed
- The difference is trade equity. Positive equity reduces the transaction balance; negative equity increases it.
- Rebate
- A manufacturer or dealer credit applied to the transaction. Confirm whether it affects the taxable amount in your location.
- Sales-tax rate and treatment
- The estimated tax percentage and whether the trade-in credit reduces the taxable amount. Local rules vary.
- Annual percentage rate and term
- The annual borrowing rate and number of monthly payments used to amortize the loan.
- Additional monthly principal
- An optional amount above the required payment, assuming the lender applies it directly to principal.
Results guide
What do the results mean?
- Estimated monthly payment
- The scheduled principal-and-interest payment for the modeled amount financed, rate, and term.
- Amount financed
- The estimated balance placed into the loan after transaction credits and financed costs.
- Total interest
- The sum of scheduled interest over the modeled repayment period.
- Payoff timing and savings
- The estimated payoff date, months saved, and interest avoided when extra principal is included.
- Estimated acquisition cost
- Cash paid plus scheduled loan payments and positive trade equity surrendered, based on the selected assumptions.
Calculation methodology
How does the calculation work?
The calculator determines net trade equity, the selected sales-tax base, and the resulting financed balance. It then applies the standard fixed-rate amortizing-loan formula. For a zero-percent loan, principal is divided by the number of payments. Each schedule row applies interest to the beginning balance, then scheduled and optional additional principal.
Model assumptions
- Payments occur monthly and the annual rate remains fixed.
- Extra payments are applied to principal and do not trigger a prepayment charge.
- The final payment is reduced when necessary to avoid a negative balance.
- Dealer products, warranties, insurance, registration, and other costs are included only when entered as financed fees.
Worked example
How should I interpret a result?
For a $38,000 vehicle with $4,000 cash down, $4,500 of net trade equity, a $1,000 rebate, a 6% tax rate, a 6.5% annual rate, and a 60-month term, the calculator first determines the financed balance and then estimates the required payment and full interest schedule. Changing any input immediately shows the effect on payment and total cost.
Important: The example explains the method. Your result depends entirely on the assumptions you enter.
Decision guidance
What should I compare next?
- Compare at least two rates and loan terms instead of evaluating the monthly payment alone.
- Test whether a larger down payment meaningfully reduces interest while preserving an adequate emergency reserve.
- Compare the calculator result with the lender disclosure and ask about fees, add-ons, and prepayment treatment.
Important limitations
What can change the actual result?
Actual lender calculations, sales-tax rules, fees, payment timing, prepayment treatment, and contract terms may differ. Verify the final transaction and loan documents before making a purchase decision.
Use the calculator as an educational comparison tool and confirm material figures with source documents, providers, lenders, taxing authorities, or qualified professionals as appropriate.
Sources and verification
Where can I verify the broader financial concepts?
External sources provide general consumer information. They do not validate a specific calculator result or endorse Rich Direction.
Authorship and maintenance
Who prepared this page?
Prepared and reviewed by Rich Direction, LLC. Calculator methodology and explanatory content last reviewed July 27, 2026.
Report a possible error or outdated assumption to support@richdirection.com.