1. Enter your income and estimated insurance cost. 2. Adjust the down payment %, loan term, and income % sliders if you want to deviate from the standard 20/4/10 rule. 3. Read your recommended max price below — it updates live.
This is a budgeting guideline, not financial advice. The 20/4/10 rule is a common rule of thumb, not a guarantee of what a lender will approve or what fits your specific financial situation — factor in your other debts, savings goals, and true insurance quote before deciding.
How Much Car Can I Afford?
Based on the 20/4/10 rule — a common budgeting guideline: put 20% down, finance for no more than 4 years, and keep your total monthly car costs (payment + insurance) under 10% of your gross monthly income. Adjust any of the three if you want to see a different rule of thumb applied.
Calculation: your income % limit minus your insurance estimate sets the max loan payment. That payment, at your chosen APR and term, sets the max loan amount. Adding your down payment % back on top gives the max vehicle price. This is a ceiling, not a target — many advisors suggest staying comfortably under it, especially if you have other debt or irregular income.
Opens your browser's print dialog — choose "Save as PDF" as the destination.