$15,000 Car Loan over 4 years: what it costs each month

What a $15,000 car loan over 4 years costs at different rates

The rate you are offered depends on your credit score (FICO or VantageScore), your income and how much you borrow. The same $15,000 over 4 years can cost very different amounts, so it is worth seeing the whole range before you apply.

Moving the rate by one percentage point, from 7% to 8%, changes the monthly payment by about $7.00 and the total interest by about $336.

The formula behind the payment

The payment on a fixed-rate loan is: amount × monthly rate ÷ (1 − (1 + monthly rate)^−months). For $15,000 over 48 months at 7% APR the monthly rate is 0.5833%, which gives $359.19. Multiplying by 48 months gives $17,241 repaid in total, so the cost of borrowing is $2,241.

Should you borrow $15,000 over 4 years or a different term?

A longer term lowers the monthly payment but you pay interest for longer. At 7% APR, repaying $15,000 over 3 years costs $463.16 a month and $1,674 in interest, while 7 years costs $226.39 a month and $4,017 in interest. That is $2,343 more for the lower payment.

Interest versus capital: where your payments go

Early payments are mostly interest. In year 1 of this $15,000 loan, $943 of your $4,310 goes on interest and $3,367 reduces what you owe. By the last year the split reverses, which is why paying off a loan early saves more in the early years than the later ones.

What happens if you overpay your $15,000 loan?

Paying a little extra each month cuts the balance faster, so less interest is charged. Check that your lender allows overpayments and whether there is a charge: many allow up to a set amount a year without one.

How to work out if the payment is affordable

A common check is to keep all debt repayments, including this car loan, below about a third of your take-home pay. A $359.19 payment fits that guide if your monthly take-home pay is at least $1,078.

Also look at what happens if your income drops. Choose a payment you could still make for several months without borrowing again.

What to check before you sign

• Compare offers from banks, credit unions and online lenders. Prequalifying with a soft credit check does not affect your credit score.
• Ask about origination fees, which are taken from the loan amount and raise the true cost.
• Check for a prepayment penalty. Most lenders do not charge one, but some do.
• Credit unions often offer lower rates than banks for members with fair credit.

Ways to pay less interest

• Pick the shortest term whose monthly payment you can comfortably afford. Going from 7 years to 3 years would save $2,343 on this loan.
• Improve your credit score before you apply: pay bills on time, keep card balances low and dispute errors on your reports.
• Make extra payments when you can, as long as there is no penalty. Each extra payment cuts the balance that interest is charged on.
• Borrow only what you need: every extra $1,000 at 7% over 4 years adds about $23.95 to the monthly payment.