How much is too much for a car?

Asked by: Prof. Hugh Lebsack  |  Last update: June 28, 2023
Score: 4.6/5 (66 votes)

Financial experts say to not spend more than 35% of your annual income on the car itself and the costs that come with your purchase. Below you'll find a breakdown of what to consider when buying a new or used car and how much you should spend.

What is a reasonable amount to spend on a car?

Calculate the car payment you can afford

NerdWallet recommends spending no more than 10% of your take-home pay on your monthly auto loan payment. So if your after-tax pay each month is $3,000, you could afford a $300 car payment.

How much should I spend on a car if I make $100 000?

To find out how much car you can afford with this 36% rule, simply multiply your family's income by 0.36. So if you earn $100,000, for example, you could afford to take out a car loan of up to $36,000 — assuming you don't have any other debt.

Is a $500 car payment too much?

According to experts, a car payment is too high if the car payment is more than 30% of your total income. Remember, the car payment isn't your only car expense! Make sure to consider fuel and maintenance expenses. Make sure your car payment does not exceed 15%-20% of your total income.

How do you know if you are paying too much for a car?

How to check if your car insurance payment is too much
  1. Shop around and get rate quotes at least once a year.
  2. Make sure you're taking advantage of any available insurance discount.
  3. Bundle your insurance coverage.
  4. Keep your insurer updated about any changes.
  5. Drop coverage you no longer need.

How Much Car Is Too Much?

17 related questions found

How much is too much for a used car?

Financial experts say to not spend more than 35% of your annual income on the car itself and the costs that come with your purchase. Below you'll find a breakdown of what to consider when buying a new or used car and how much you should spend.

How can I not overpay my car?

5 Ways to Avoid Overpaying on Your Car Loan
  1. Avoid long loan terms. The average car loan term has stretched to an all-time high of 69.3 months, an increase of 6.8% from five years ago, according to Edmunds.com. ...
  2. Shop your best rate. ...
  3. Don't focus only on monthly payments. ...
  4. Watch out for surprise fees. ...
  5. Review vital loan terms.

Is $700 too much for a car payment?

The pandemic and resulting supply-chain issues, inflation, rising interest rates all play a part. Depending on whom you ask, the average car buyer in the U.S. is paying $657 (Edmunds.com) or $712 (Moody's) a month for their new vehicles.

What car can I afford with 75k salary?

If you make $75,000 per year, your total loan payments shouldn't exceed $2,250 per month. The 20/4/10 rule: Put down 20% on a car, finance the car for no more than 4 years, and keep your car payment less than or equal to 10% of your salary.

What car can I afford with 60k salary?

It's typically recommended that you buy a car worth no more than 35% of your gross annual income— so if you make $60k per year, you can afford a new car that is worth $21,000 or less.

What car can I afford with 50K salary?

2020 Hyundai Sonata. The 2020 Hyundai Sonata is one of the midsize cars you can afford if you pull down a $50K salary. With good credit, the $390 monthly payments are affordable for those in that salary range.

How much should I spend on a car if I make $70000?

The 50% rule

Some experts believe that spending 50% of your salary on a vehicle should be affordable. With a salary of $75k this would give you $35,000 to spend on a car which is enough for a brand new car.

How much should I spend on a car if I make $40 000?

Whether you're paying cash, leasing, or financing a car, your upper spending limit really shouldn't be a penny more than 35% of your gross annual income. That means if you make $36,000 a year, the car price shouldn't exceed $12,600. Make $60,000, and the car price should fall below $21,000.

How much should I spend on a car if I make 80000?

The frugal rule: 10% of your income

For many people, I think that will be between 10–15% of their income. So if you earn $25,000 a year, that's going to be a high-mileage used car for $2,500–$3,000. If you earn $80,000, that's a used car for around $10,000 or $12,000.

Are cars a waste of money?

It's the single worst financial decision millennials will ever make.” That's because the moment you drive it off the lot, the vehicle starts to depreciate: Your car's value typically decreases 20 to 30 percent by the end of the first year and, in five years, it can lose 60 percent or more of its initial value.

Is $400 a month good for car payment?

The result is that the car will be a lot more expensive in the end. In the example we've given, a car payment of $400 per month for five years (60 months) equates to $24,000. But the same $400 per month spread out over six years (72 months) is $28,800, while it's $33,600 over seven years (84 months).

Is 900 a month too much for a car?

Experts say your total car expenses, including monthly payments, insurance, gas and maintenance, should be about 20 percent of your take-home monthly pay. For non-math wizards, like me – Let's say your monthly paycheck is $4,000. Then a safe estimate for car expenses is $800 per month.

How much is a 40k car payment?

For $40,000 loans, monthly payments averagely range between $900 and $1,000, depending on the interest rate and loan term.

Is 7 years too long for a car loan?

Stretching your loan term to seven or even 10 years is probably too long for an auto loan because of the interest charges that stack up with a higher interest rate. To illustrate, say you take on a $10,000 car loan for seven years with a 13% interest rate (a common rate for bad credit borrowers).

What car can I afford based on salary?

Financial experts say your car-related expenses shouldn't exceed 20% of your monthly take-home pay. So, let's say you bring home about $2,500 each month. The total amount you should spend on your car — including loan payment, gas, insurance and maintenance — is right around $500.

What is average car payment?

What that means The average cost of a new car is also at the highest on record, topping $47,000 a pop. At this rate, an essential household purchase is starting to feel like a luxury in America.

Will car prices go down in 2022?

While used cars are still cheaper than buying new, good deals are extremely hard to find, and drivers are wondering when prices will come back down so they can buy or sell their used vehicles at the most time. Thankfully, used car prices are expected to go down in late 2022 as the global chip shortage alleviates.

Is It a good time to Buy a car 2022?

While soaring used car prices are bad for those who can't afford a new car, they may mean 2022 is a good time to buy a car for those with a vehicle to trade in. A high trade-in price means added capital that can help reduce the finance share of purchasing a new car.

Should you spend all your money on a car?

In general, experts recommend spending 10%–15% of your income on transportation, including car payment, insurance, and fuel. For example, if your take-home pay is $4,000 per month, then you should spend $400 to $600 on transportation.