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Dealerships sell monthly payments; the price is in the total. A car loan's real cost is repayments plus insurance plus fuel plus the depreciation you barely notice until resale — and a two-year-old car often wins that math against a new one by thousands. This calculator puts the monthly loan, running costs and total interest on one page so the 'affordable' payment reveals its true five-year price.
total-cost comparison
New cars lose ~20% in year one — a 1-3 year old car with warranty remaining usually costs far less per year of ownership.
Often — dealers earn on the rate spread. Get pre-approved by your bank or credit union first and treat the dealer's rate as something to beat.
Keep it under 5 years, ideally 3-4 — longer terms leave you owing more than the car is worth for years (being 'upside down').
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