Two buyers can drive home the same car at the same sticker price and pay very different amounts. The difference is almost always the APR and the length of the loan.

APR: the cost of borrowing

On a $27,000 loan over 60 months, the gap between 5.9% and 8.9% APR is roughly $2,300 in total interest. Shopping your rate is worth an afternoon.

Term: lower payment, higher total

Stretching the same loan from 60 to 72 months drops the monthly payment by about $70, but adds close to $1,000 in interest. Shorter is cheaper whenever the budget allows.

Try both numbers in our payment estimator before you apply, and ask us for a pre-approval quote with no impact on your credit score.

About the author:

Finance Specialist

Sarah has spent 18 years cutting keys in Springfield, from her first van and key machine to a team of twelve. She writes about key copies, rekeying and the questions homeowners ask her every week.

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