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Auto Loan Calculator

This auto loan calculator estimates the monthly payment, the amount financed, and the total interest on a vehicle loan, using the price, down payment, trade-in, tax, rate, and term you enter.

The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants.

Advertising disclosure: Loancalculated may receive a referral fee if you apply through the link above. That fee does not change the rate you are offered, and it does not change our content. We are not a lender. Read the full disclosure.

By the Loancalculated Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-09-16

Enter your numbers and press Calculate. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Compare personal loan offers Run the numbers first

The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants.

Advertising disclosure: Loancalculated may receive a referral fee if you apply through the link above. That fee does not change the rate you are offered, and it does not change our content. We are not a lender. Read the full disclosure.

How this calculator works

A car loan is secured by the vehicle. The amount financed is the price, less any down payment and trade-in credit, plus sales tax on the taxable difference.

Amount financed = price − down payment − trade-in + sales tax, where sales tax = (price − trade-in) × tax rate.

Then Payment = P × i ÷ (1 − (1 + i)−n).

When the down payment and trade-in cover the price and the tax, nothing is financed and the payment is zero.

Sales-tax rules differ by state and locality, and auto rates follow credit and term, so enter your own numbers.

Frequently asked questions

Is sales tax always rolled into the loan?
Not necessarily. Some buyers pay it at the dealer. To finance it, leave the tax rate as entered; if you pay it separately, set the rate to 0.
What happens if the down payment and trade-in exceed the price?
The amount financed becomes 0 and so does the payment, because no loan is needed.
How does the term change the cost?
A longer term spreads the balance over more months, lowering the payment but raising total interest. It also keeps you upside down on the car for longer.
Are auto rates fixed?
Many are fixed, though some are variable. This tool assumes one fixed rate for the whole term.

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