Home / Car Payment Calculator

Car Payment Calculator

Estimate your monthly car payment with tax and trade-in.

Details

Results

Monthly payment
Amount financed
Total interest
Total cost

Estimates only. Confirm exact terms with your lender or dealer.

How it works

We add sales tax (on price minus trade-in), subtract your down payment and trade-in to get the amount financed, then amortize it over your term to find the monthly payment and total interest.

Tip: a bigger down payment cuts both your monthly payment and total interest.

CarCalcTools has more free tools

Price your next car with our other free auto calculators.

Good to know

FAQs

How is a car payment calculated?

From the financed amount (price + tax − down − trade-in) amortized over the loan term at your APR.

Does trade-in lower sales tax?

In many states yes — tax applies to price minus trade-in. This tool assumes that.

What loan term is best?

Shorter terms cost less interest; avoid stretching past 60–72 months.

Should I put money down?

Yes — even 10–20% down lowers payments and reduces being underwater.

Are taxes exact?

Tax and dealer fees vary, so treat this as a close estimate.