Total Car CostLet us help estimate what price car is affordable on a given monthly payment. Not sure about your budget? Check out our budget estimation calculator.
We’ll even include some state fees and taxes that impact your loan. As a result you’ll be less likely to overspend. To help avoid surprises, we also have data on expenses like fuel and insurance.
This calculator gives you a more complete picture of what price car you can afford on a specific monthly budget. Remember, is not just the sticker price you have to pay for when you buy a car.
With just a few pieces of information you get estimates of state taxes and fees based on your zip code. Our calculations factor in downpayment and trade in values as well. This is important because those taxes and fees can add thousands of dollars to your purchase price, increasing your monthly loan payment.
Many states charge annual ownership or property taxes on top of purchase fees, along with registration and inspection fees. We average state-specific fee estimates to give you an idea of monthly expenses in addition to a loan payment.
This calculator is here to help you understand the not-so-obvious expenses that come along with buying a car; it's not just the car you're paying for. We include estimates of the extras to give you visibility into other car buying expenses and therefore a better idea of what your loan payments will be.
Every state has its own taxes and fee structures, different rates and how they apply them. Some states have a sales tax, others don’t. In some states a vehicle trade-in reduces the amount of sales tax. Some states increase registration rates based on vehicle weight or fuel efficiency. It’s quite complex which is why you don’t see other calculators out there including this information. In addition to variances from state to state, a single state may levy fees differently based on the type of automobile and its use.
In order to provide buying expense estimates, we needed to make some assumptions about the type, use and details of a car. As we said, fees vary by state and by vehicle within a particular state. Here are the assumptions we use when necessary to help craft our tax and fee estimates: