What Is the Average Car Payment? | Credit Karma
The average car payment for Americans is more than $550 a month for new cars and nearly $400 for used cars. If you’re shopping for a vehicle, it’s a good idea to understand the breakdown of that cost so you can budget accordingly.
Written by:
Paris Ward
Editorial Note: Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors' opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when it’s posted.
Advertiser Disclosure
If you’re in the market for a car, there’s a good chance you’ll have to finance your purchase with an auto loan.
That means you’ll probably also be doing some math about the kind of monthly payment you can afford. Overall, Americans are paying more to drive their cars these days, whether the vehicle is leased or purchased.
The average monthly car payment was $554 for a new vehicle and $391 for used vehicles in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2019, according to Experian data. The average lease payment was $457 a month in the same period.
Let’s take a look at the trends of average car payments and loan length, and review tips for nailing down a car payment that fits your budget.
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What is the average car payment?
Recent data indicates that new-car prices have gone up — by 2.3% from March 2018 to March 2019, according to Kelley Blue Book. Other data from Experian shows monthly car payments overall have risen, too.
As you can see in the chart below, which is based on Experian data, car payment costs were up in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018 across both new and used vehicles. That includes cars that were financed with a loan or leased.
The data also shows that many people have been buying cars with auto loans that last more than five years (over 60 months). Leases are now averaging a little more than three years (over 36 months).
U.S. auto loans
New cars Used cars Leased cars
Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Q1 2018
Average monthly payment $554 $523 $391 $372 $457 $436
Average loan term 68.85 months 69.03 months 64.67 months 64.23 months 36.33 months 36.12 months
Chart based on Experian data from Q1 2019.
The true costs of owning a car
How is my car payment determined?
Here’s are some factors that go into your monthly car payment.
How can I lower my monthly car payment?
If you’re looking to lower your car payment, you have a few options. You could increase your down payment so you don’t need to borrow as much. Here are some other things you could consider.
Consider getting a cheaper car
Think about the most important features of your next vehicle. If you make some compromises, you might find a car that fits your needs without breaking the bank. Remember that smaller vehicles tend to have lower operating costs — and a used vehicle will likely cost less than a new one.
Negotiate your car price
Always research car prices before you buy so you know if what you’re paying is in the right ballpark. Sites like Kelley Blue Book or AutoTrader can help. Try to negotiate each part of the deal separately, including the car’s price, financing and any trade-in vehicle price.
Lease a vehicle
The monthly cost of leasing a new car can be a lot lower than it is for buying the same new car. Of course, with leasing, the car won’t be yours to keep when the lease ends — unless you have the option of a lease buyout and the means to buy the vehicle outright or finance it.
Refinance your existing auto loan
If you’ve already bought your car with an auto loan, you still may be able to get a lower monthly payment by refinancing your loan. If you’re able to refinance at an interest rate that’s lower than your current one, that can help you save money.
Refinancing with a longer loan term also may lower your monthly payment, but you’ll probably pay more interest in the long run.
Lease vs. buy: What to consider when shopping for your next car
Bottom line
While you may not be able to control the rising purchase price of cars overall, you can make choices that impact the size of your car payment. The first step is understanding how things like principal, interest, credit scores and certain loan terms factor into the car payment equation.
The average car payment for Americans is more than $550 a month for new cars and nearly $400 for used cars. If you’re shopping for a vehicle, it’s a good idea to understand the breakdown of that cost so you can budget accordingly.
Written by:
Paris WardEditorial Note: Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors' opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when it’s posted.
Advertiser Disclosure
If you’re in the market for a car, there’s a good chance you’ll have to finance your purchase with an auto loan.
That means you’ll probably also be doing some math about the kind of monthly payment you can afford. Overall, Americans are paying more to drive their cars these days, whether the vehicle is leased or purchased.
The average monthly car payment was $554 for a new vehicle and $391 for used vehicles in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2019, according to Experian data. The average lease payment was $457 a month in the same period.
Let’s take a look at the trends of average car payments and loan length, and review tips for nailing down a car payment that fits your budget.
Find a car loan that works for meCompare Loans Now
What is the average car payment?
Recent data indicates that new-car prices have gone up — by 2.3% from March 2018 to March 2019, according to Kelley Blue Book. Other data from Experian shows monthly car payments overall have risen, too.
As you can see in the chart below, which is based on Experian data, car payment costs were up in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018 across both new and used vehicles. That includes cars that were financed with a loan or leased.
The data also shows that many people have been buying cars with auto loans that last more than five years (over 60 months). Leases are now averaging a little more than three years (over 36 months).
U.S. auto loans
New cars Used cars Leased cars
Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Q1 2018
Average monthly payment $554 $523 $391 $372 $457 $436
Average loan term 68.85 months 69.03 months 64.67 months 64.23 months 36.33 months 36.12 months
Chart based on Experian data from Q1 2019.
The true costs of owning a car
How is my car payment determined?
Here’s are some factors that go into your monthly car payment.
- Principal — The amount of money you borrow to purchase the car will likely be the biggest factor in your monthly payment. This is known as your loan principal. For example, if your loan amount is $20,000, you’ll probably have a lower monthly payment than if you borrow $30,000.
- Interest — Your loan’s interest rate also figures highly in your monthly car payment. Interest is essentially the cost you pay to borrow money for the car’s purchase or lease. The higher your interest rate, the higher your monthly payment will likely be. The interest rate you get (and therefore your monthly car payment) can be affected by …
- Credit scores — Average interest rates for auto loans is typically lower for people with solid credit than for people whose credit needs more work.
- Vehicle age — Interest rates for used-car loans are generally higher than for new-car financing. But if you buy a used car, you may pay less overall because of the lower price tag, despite a higher interest rate.
- Fees and taxes — Your auto loan or lease will likely include fees that can be rolled into your monthly payments, like vehicle registration fees and taxes.
- Loan term — Again, the average length of auto loans and leases has grown. Some auto loans have terms as long as 84 months — that’s seven years of payments. Generally, the longer the loan term, the lower your monthly car payment will be — but a longer loan term can mean more interest paid over the life of the loan.
How can I lower my monthly car payment?
If you’re looking to lower your car payment, you have a few options. You could increase your down payment so you don’t need to borrow as much. Here are some other things you could consider.
Consider getting a cheaper car
Think about the most important features of your next vehicle. If you make some compromises, you might find a car that fits your needs without breaking the bank. Remember that smaller vehicles tend to have lower operating costs — and a used vehicle will likely cost less than a new one.
Negotiate your car price
Always research car prices before you buy so you know if what you’re paying is in the right ballpark. Sites like Kelley Blue Book or AutoTrader can help. Try to negotiate each part of the deal separately, including the car’s price, financing and any trade-in vehicle price.
Lease a vehicle
The monthly cost of leasing a new car can be a lot lower than it is for buying the same new car. Of course, with leasing, the car won’t be yours to keep when the lease ends — unless you have the option of a lease buyout and the means to buy the vehicle outright or finance it.
Refinance your existing auto loan
If you’ve already bought your car with an auto loan, you still may be able to get a lower monthly payment by refinancing your loan. If you’re able to refinance at an interest rate that’s lower than your current one, that can help you save money.
Refinancing with a longer loan term also may lower your monthly payment, but you’ll probably pay more interest in the long run.
Lease vs. buy: What to consider when shopping for your next car
Bottom line
While you may not be able to control the rising purchase price of cars overall, you can make choices that impact the size of your car payment. The first step is understanding how things like principal, interest, credit scores and certain loan terms factor into the car payment equation.
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