Car Affordability Calculator
Start with the monthly payment you're comfortable with, not the sticker price. Add your expected APR, term, down payment and trade-in, and Fetch will estimate the most you could spend on a vehicle.
Method and copy last reviewed · How our calculations work
Your payment and your deal
Start from the most you want to pay each month, and work back to a price.
What the dealer offers for your current car
Your loan payoff amount; 0 if it's paid off
Doc fee, registration, warranties
What that payment could buy
Estimated maximum vehicle price
$27,706.59
At $500.00/mo, 7.9% APR for 60 months
- Max amount financed
- $24,717.52
- Out-the-door budget
- $29,717.52
- Sales tax
- $1,410.93
- Total interest
- $5,282.48
Over the full term you'd repay $30,000.00. Insurance, fuel, maintenance and registration renewals aren't included, and a lender may approve a different amount or rate.
Ask Fetch
Ask about your numbers
Fetch explains your results in plain English. Every number comes from re-running the calculator above, so the figures are exact — never generated.
How the estimate works
First, the calculator finds the largest loan your payment can repay at your APR and term. Then it adds your cash down payment and your trade-in equity (trade-in value minus what you still owe), and subtracts fees and sales tax. What's left is the estimated vehicle price.
If you owe more on your trade-in than it's worth, that negative equity is subtracted instead of added, because it would be rolled into the new loan.
Look past the monthly payment
Consumer guidance from the FTC and CFPB makes the same basic points: focus on the total cost, not only the monthly payment. A longer term can lower the payment and raise what you pay overall. A bigger down payment reduces how much you borrow. Negative equity rolled into a new loan makes that loan bigger and more expensive.
The price shown here is a ceiling from your chosen payment, not a target. Buying below it leaves room for insurance, fuel, maintenance and surprises, none of which are included.
Where to go next
Found a car? Check the real deal in the auto loan calculator. Weighing term length? See the 60 vs 72 vs 84 month car loan calculator. Got two financing offers? Put them in the loan comparison calculator. For a loan that isn't for a car, use how much can I borrow.
Frequently asked questions
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FetchCalc is an independent calculator and educational service. We are not a lender, broker, or financial adviser, and nothing here is financial advice. Estimates are for planning only; your actual offer and payment will come from your lender.