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Car Payment Calculator

Work out the monthly payment on a new or used car loan, including sales tax (Texas 6.25% preset or your own rate), trade-in equity, rebates and fees. Compare a cash rebate with low-APR financing and different loan terms.

Updated November 4, 2026. Free, no sign-up; everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is stored.

Car payment calculator

Vehicle price ($)Cash rebate ($)Down payment ($)Trade-in value ($)Owed on trade-in ($)

State (sets vehicle sales tax)Sales tax (%)Title, registration, doc fees ($)APR (%)Term

Sales tax is on price minus trade-in (true in Texas and most states)

Monthly car payment

–

–Amount financed

–Sales tax

–Total interest

–Total paid incl. down

Cash rebate or low APR?

Dealer's special APR without the rebate (%)

–Special APR, no rebate

–Rebate + your APR above

–Better deal

Car loan calculator: how the payment is figured

Amount financed = price − rebate + sales tax + fees − down payment − trade-in equity (trade-in value − what you still owe; negative equity is added to the loan).
Payment = amount × monthly rate ÷ (1 − (1 + monthly rate)^−months).

Example (Texas): a $35,000 car with $5,000 down and an $8,000 trade-in that still owes $3,000. Texas charges 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on the price minus the trade-in: $27,000 × 6.25% = $1,687.50. With $600 of fees, you finance $27,287.50; at 7.5% for 60 months that's $546.79 a month and about $5,520 of interest.

Texas auto loan calculator and Texas car payment calculator

Texas taxes vehicle purchases at a flat 6.25% of the sales price minus any trade-in allowance, paid to the county tax assessor-collector when you title the car. Private-party sales use the price or 80% of the standard presumptive value, whichever is higher. Most states also give trade-in credit; California, Hawaii and Virginia tax the full price, and Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no state sales tax on vehicles. Pick your state above and the calculator sets the state rate and trade-in rule (local county or city taxes can add more).

Second hand car loan calculator: used vs new

Used auto loans and used vehicle loans usually carry higher APRs and shorter maximum terms than new-car loans, and lenders may cap the loan by the car's age and mileage. The math is identical, so enter the rate you're quoted. Get pre-approved by a bank or credit union before visiting the dealer, so you can compare its financing offer.

Auto finance calculator: rebate vs 0% or low APR

Manufacturers often offer either cash back or special financing, not both. The comparison above prices the car both ways: rebate plus your own lender's APR, or no rebate at the special APR. Whichever totals less over the loan is cheaper.

Vehicle loan calculator: choosing a term

Stretching to 72 or 84 months lowers the payment but raises total interest and keeps you "upside down" (owing more than the car is worth) for longer. A common guideline is 20% down, a term of 4 years or less, and total car costs under 10% of gross income.

Calculate car payment, calculate auto loan or calculate car finance: how to use it

To calculate car payment amounts (or calculate monthly car payment figures for a lease-vs-buy check), enter the price, down payment, trade-in and rate. It works as an auto loan payment calculator, auto monthly payment calculator, car loan payment estimator, car finance payment calculator, car finance estimator, auto payment estimator, vehicle finance calculator and payment calculator for car financing. To calculate auto loan or calculate car loan costs over time, read the total interest line: it's an auto loan interest calculator and car loan interest amount calculator too. To calculate car payment with interest rates you've been quoted (auto interest rate calculator, vehicle interest rate calculator, car finance interest rate calculator, vehicle loan interest calculator, car interest calculator payment), change the APR box and watch the payment and interest move. To calculate interest rate on car loan offers, compare the dealer's special APR with your own lender in the rebate box.

Used auto loan calculator and used vehicle loan calculator users: enter your used-car APR, which is usually higher than new. Simple auto loan calculator and simple car loan calculator: leave tax, fees and trade-in at 0 for a quick principal-and-interest figure. Auto calculator, car calculator and automobile calculator searches land here too; to calculate car loan payment totals and calculate auto payment splits, use the yearly table.

Common questions

How do I calculate a car payment?

Finance = price − rebate + tax + fees − down − trade equity, then payment = amount × monthly rate ÷ (1 − (1 + monthly rate)^−months).

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

With $5,000 down, an $8,000 trade owing $3,000, Texas tax and 7.5% for 60 months, about $547 a month.

What is the sales tax on a car in Texas?

6.25% of the price minus the trade-in allowance.

Is a rebate or 0% APR better?

Compare total cost both ways; on bigger loans and longer terms, low APR often wins.

How long should a car loan be?

Many advisers suggest 48 months or less; 72 to 84 months adds a lot of interest.

Sources

General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check important numbers with the official source before acting on them.