What it actually costs
Rate and cost data for subprime auto lending, sourced to Experian, the Federal Reserve, and the CFPB. Every table states the period its data covers, and these pages are re-checked against their sources at least twice a year.
- Buying a Car With a 500 Credit Score: What It CostsA 500 credit score puts you in the deep-subprime tier, where used-car APR averaged 21.58% in Q4 2025. Here is what the payment, down payment, and total cost actually look like.
- Buying a Car With a 550 Credit Score: What It CostsA 550 credit score sits in the middle of the subprime tier, where used-car APR averaged 18.86% in Q4 2025. Here is the payment, the down payment, and why waiting for points does not help at this score.
- Buying a Car With a 600 Credit Score: What It CostsA 600 credit score sits at the top of the subprime tier, where used-car APR averaged 18.86% in Q4 2025. One point higher moves you to near prime and saves $38 a month on a $15,000 loan.
- Buying a Car With a 650 Credit Score: What It CostsA 650 credit score is near prime, not bad credit. Near-prime borrowers averaged 14.11% APR on used cars in Q4 2025, and being priced as subprime instead costs $51 a month on a $20,000 loan.
- What an 84-Month Car Loan Actually CostsAn 84-month loan on $20,000 at the 18.86% subprime average costs $430 a month against $517 at 60 months — and $16,162 in interest against $11,036. The full arithmetic at four terms and two rates.
- What Is the Average Car Payment?Average auto loan APR ran 6.39% new and 11.43% used in Q1 2026, against a $49,758 average new-vehicle price. Here is what those averages produce as a payment — and why no individual borrower is offered them.
- Car Insurance With Bad Credit: What It CostsMost states let insurers use a credit-based insurance score, so poor credit raises premiums. On a $15,000 loan at 18.86% the payment is $388 a month — and the premium sits on top of it.
- Car Loan Interest Rates by Credit ScoreAverage auto loan APR by credit tier, from super prime to deep subprime. Deep-subprime borrowers averaged 21.6% on used cars against 6.3% for super prime — a 15-point spread on the same vehicle.
- What a 72-Month Car Loan Actually CostsOn $18,000 at the 18.86% subprime average, 72 months costs $419 a month and $12,192 in interest against $466 and $9,933 at 60 months. The sixth year buys $46 a month and costs $2,260.
- How Much Down Payment for a Car: What Each $1,000 BuysAt the 18.86% subprime average over 60 months, every $1,000 down cuts the payment $26 and saves $552 in interest. At 21.58% over 72 months it saves $791 — the full tables, computed.