Auto Loan Calculator
Calculate car loan payments including down payment, trade-in, and sales tax. This free online financial calculator runs entirely in your browser — no signup, no data sent anywhere.
Inputs
Results
Interactive Chart
Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, shift+drag to box-zoom. Combined view of balance, principal paid, interest paid, and total paid.
Amortization Schedule
| Period | Payment | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click Calculate to generate the schedule. | ||||
How It Works (Formula & Method)
This calculator takes Vehicle Price ($), Down Payment ($), Trade-in Value ($), Sales Tax (%), Interest Rate (%/yr), and Loan Term (years) as input and computes Amount Financed, Monthly Payment, Total Interest, and Total of Payments. The math runs entirely in your browser the moment you change a value — nothing is sent to a server, and your inputs are never stored.
The formula used is the standard financial calculation for this metric. For a full step-by-step derivation with the default values, see the Worked Example section below.
Worked Example
Below is a worked example using the calculator's default values. The same numbers are pre-filled in the form above so you can press Calculate and see the result without typing anything.
Inputs used:
- Vehicle Price ($): 32000
- Down Payment ($): 4000
- Trade-in Value ($): 0
- Sales Tax (%): 7
- Interest Rate (%/yr): 7.5
- Loan Term (years): 5
With these inputs, the calculator computes the metrics shown in the Results panel. Change any value and press Calculate again to see how the result responds — the live widget and the chart both update instantly.
About the Auto Loan Calculator
An auto loan calculator helps you see the true monthly cost of a vehicle, including sales tax rolled into the loan and any down payment or trade-in equity applied at signing.
Tips & Considerations
- Try to keep auto loan terms to 60 months or less — longer terms reduce the monthly payment but stretch out interest and risk negative equity.
- A down payment of 20% on a new car (or 10% on used) helps you stay above water as the vehicle depreciates.
- Get pre-approved by a credit union or bank before visiting the dealer to have a baseline rate to compare against.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I take dealer financing or bring my own loan?
Always shop pre-approved offers first; dealer financing can be competitive but is sometimes marked up. Use the dealer's rate as a starting point for negotiation.
Is rolling sales tax into the loan a bad idea?
You'll pay interest on the tax for the life of the loan. Paying it upfront if you can saves money but isn't always practical.
What does the Auto Loan Calculator compute?
The Auto Loan Calculator takes 6 input values and returns 4 results. Calculate car loan payments including down payment, trade-in, and sales tax.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. The Auto Loan Calculator runs entirely in your browser using static JavaScript. Your inputs are never transmitted to CalculatorHive or any third party, and nothing is stored after you close the page.
Reviewed against: IRS publications, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov), and current published market data. Results are estimates for educational use only — not financial, tax, or legal advice.