Is it smart to do a 72 month car loan?
Is a 72-month car loan worth it? Because of the high interest rates and risk of going upside down, most experts agree that a 72-month loan isn't an ideal choice. Experts recommend that borrowers take out a shorter loan. And for an optimal interest rate, a loan term fewer than 60 months is a better way to go.
NerdWallet typically recommends keeping auto loans to no more than 60 months for new cars and 36 months for used cars — although that can be a challenge for some people in today's market with high car prices. Ultimately, choosing the best auto loan term depends on balancing cost, affordability and your specific needs.
NerdWallet recommends financing new cars for no more than 60 months and used cars for no more than 36 months. These maximums can help you avoid some of the negative outcomes of long-term loans.
Key takeaways. A longer loan term means you'll get a lower monthly payment, but you'll also pay more in interest. A shorter loan term is better, as it helps minimize borrowing costs and the risk of being upside-down on your loan.
Can you pay off a 72-month car loan early? Yes, you can pay off a 72- or 84-month auto loan early. Since these are long repayment terms, you could save considerable money by covering the interest related to a shorter period of time.
A $30,000 auto loan balance with an average interest rate of 5.0% paid over a 6 year term will have a monthly payment of $483. In total, the loan will cost $34,787 with $4,787 in interest.
Lender | Starting APR | Award |
---|---|---|
1. MyAutoloan | 5.20% for 72-month auto loans | Best Low-Rate Option |
2. Autopay | 4.67%* | Most Well-Rounded |
3. Consumers Credit Union | 6.39% for 72-month loans | Most Flexible Terms |
4. PenFed Credit Union | 6.14% for 72-month loans | Most Cohesive Process |
Just divide 72 by your interest rate, and there you have how long it would take for the loan or investment amount to double. So, 1% would take 72 years to double. 5% takes about 15 years to double. 10% takes 7.2 years to double.
Financial experts recommend spending no more than about 10% to 15% of your monthly take-home pay on an auto loan payment. These percentages do not factor in total car expenses, including gas, insurance, repairs and maintenance costs.
Car payment statistics
The average monthly car payment for new cars is $726. The average monthly car payment for used cars is $533. 39.20 percent of vehicles financed in the third quarter of 2023 were new vehicles. 60.80 percent of vehicles financed in the third quarter of 2023 were used vehicles.
Is $500 a month a high car payment?
If you're looking for a few tips on managing a high car payment, you're not alone. The average monthly car payment is now a record $733, according to Edmunds. And even if your monthly auto loan payments are around $500 per month, that still may be uncomfortably high.
- Refinance with a new lender. Refinancing can be an easy way to pay off your loan faster. ...
- Make biweekly payments. ...
- Round your payments to the nearest hundred. ...
- Opt out of unnecessary add-ons. ...
- Make a large additional payment. ...
- Pay each month.
For new-car buyers with credit scores of 781 to 850, the average new-car loan term is nearly 65 months. For those with scores of 500 or lower, the average loan length climbs to just over 72 months. People may choose longer loan terms for several reasons.
For instance, using our loan calculator, if you buy a $20,000 vehicle at 5% APR for 60 months the monthly payment would be $377.42 and you would pay $2,645.48 in interest.
If you're thinking of buying a car but the monthly payments on a 60-month loan are too high, going up to a 72-month loan can be tempting. However, if you feel that this is necessary, it could be a sign that you're overextending yourself financially.
Your car payment won't go down if you pay extra, but you'll pay the loan off faster. Paying extra can also save you money on interest depending on how soon you pay the loan off and how high your interest rate is.
on the price of a car. is not to exceed 35% of your gross income. That means if you make $40,000 a year, the cars price should not exceed $14,000. If you make $80,000, the cars price should be below $28,000. And at 150 k salary, that means your max car price should be 50 2500.
Disadvantages of a Larger Down Payment
The two biggest cons of making a down payment that's around 50 percent are: More money down doesn't lower your interest rate – Bad credit car buyers get higher than average interest rates, and it's extremely rare that a larger down payment can lower it.
How much should I spend on a car if I make $60,000? If your gross salary is $60,000, your take-home monthly pay is probably around $3,750, assuming about 25% of your pay goes toward taxes and other expenses. Based on the 10-15% calculation, you should spend no more than $562.50 on a monthly car payment.
Because of the high interest rates and risk of going upside down, most experts agree that a 72-month loan isn't an ideal choice. Experts recommend that borrowers take out a shorter loan.
How do I pay off a 6 year car loan in 3 years?
There are several ways to pay off a car loan early, and the best way to do it depends on your situation. Some of the most common ways include making larger payments each month, making a large bulk payment when you can and refinancing your loan to a shorter term or lower interest rate.
Top Auto Loan Lender | Lowest APR | Loan Amount |
---|---|---|
AutoPay | 4.67%** | $2,500 to $100,000 |
PenFed Credit Union | 5.24% | $500 to $150,000 |
Auto Approve | 5.24%** | $5,000 to $85,000 |
Consumers Credit Union | 6.54% | No minimum or maximum |
Provided the down payment is $5,000, the interest rate is 10%, and the loan length is five years, the monthly payment will be $531.18/month. With a $1,000 down payment and an interest rate of 20% with a five year loan, your monthly payment will be $768.32/month.
If you take a car loan of $40000 at an interest rate of 4.12% for a loan term of 72 months, then using an auto loan calculator, you can find that your monthly payment should be $628. When the loan term changes to 60 months, the monthly payment on a $40000 car loan will be $738.83.
The loan payments on a $50,000 car could be $724 or higher -- depending on down payment, interest rate, and loan term length. This would make buying a new car unaffordable for many.
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