Buying a Car With a 600 Credit Score: What It Costs
A 600 credit score sits at the very top of the subprime tier, where used-vehicle APR averaged 18.86% in Q4 2025. On a $15,000 loan over 60 months that is $388 a month and about $8,280 in interest. A single point higher moves you to near prime at 14.11%, which saves $38 a month on the same loan.
Figures reviewed 2026-08-05 (yesterday). Rate data is sourced per table and each table states its own reporting period.
Key takeaways
- A 600 score is the last score in the subprime tier, which Experian defines as 501 to 600, and 601 begins the near-prime tier.
- Subprime borrowers averaged 18.86% APR on used vehicles in Q4 2025, against 14.11% for near prime — a gap of 4.75 percentage points.
- Crossing from 600 to 601 saves $38 a month on a $15,000 loan over 60 months, or about $2,280 across the term.
- No other position on the credit scale rewards a single point as much, which makes a 600 score the strongest case on the site for waiting before you buy.
- If you cannot wait, the same arithmetic makes refinancing after twelve months of on-time payments unusually valuable at this score.
What rate does a 600 credit score get?
A 600 sits at the top edge of the subprime tier, which Experian defines as 501 to 600. That tier averaged 18.86% APR on used vehicles in Q4 2025.
| Tier | Score range | Average used APR |
|---|---|---|
| Super prime | 781–850 | 6.82% |
| Prime | 661–780 | 9.06% |
| Near prime | 601–660 | 14.11% |
| Subprime | 501–600 | 18.86% |
| Deep subprime | 300–500 | 21.58% |
*Experian, Q4 2025.*
Look at where 600 falls. It is the last score in its tier. The very next point — 601 — is near prime, priced at 14.11%.
The most expensive single point on the credit scale
This is the argument this page exists to make, and it is worth being blunt about.
On a $15,000 loan over 60 months:
| Score | Tier | APR | Payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 | Subprime | 18.86% | $388 | $8,277 |
| 601 | Near prime | 14.11% | $350 | $5,993 |
One point. $38 a month, and $2,284 over the term.
Nothing else about you changed. The lender's model does not see a meaningfully different borrower at 601 than at 600 — it sees a different bucket, and it prices buckets.
If you are sitting at 596, 598, or 600, the highest-return financial move available to you is probably not shopping harder for a car. It is finding a few points before you apply.
How to find a few points
No promises attached to any of this, and none of it is credit repair — nobody can remove accurate information from your report. But a handful of points is often available:
- Pay down revolving balances. Utilization is heavily weighted and updates monthly. Someone carrying a card near its limit can frequently move several points in one reporting cycle by paying it down.
- Do not close old accounts while you are trying to move a score; account age helps you.
- Check your reports for errors. Disputing genuine errors is free, and auto lenders pull a FICO Auto Score that may differ from what you see in a free app.
- Wait for a reporting cycle. Balances update when the issuer reports, not when you pay. Paying on the 3rd and applying on the 5th may not show anything yet.
If you can wait one to two months and gain a point, do. This is the rare case where waiting has a clearly calculable payoff rather than a vague one.
What the payment looks like at 18.86%
| Amount financed | 48 months | 60 months | 72 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $298 | $259 | $233 |
| $15,000 | $447 | $388 | $349 |
| $20,000 | $597 | $517 | $466 |
Principal and interest only. Insurance is separate and, for a borrower in this range, is often a larger line item than expected.
If you cannot wait
Sometimes the car is needed now and the point is not available. That is a legitimate position, and the arithmetic above then becomes an argument for something else: refinance early.
A borrower who signs at 18.86% and pays on time for twelve months frequently crosses into near prime, because the auto loan itself is generating fresh positive history. At that point refinancing captures the same $38 a month the extra point would have bought at signing — on whatever balance remains.
Put a calendar reminder at eleven months. At this score, that reminder is worth more than any negotiation you will do at the dealership.
What you will be asked for
Standard subprime documentation: proof of income, proof of residence, insurance, references, and employment verification. These are the stips, and having them assembled before you shop is what keeps an approval from stalling.
For the full tier picture see car loan interest rates by credit score, and for the tier below this one see buying a car with a 500 credit score.
Common questions
Is 600 a good credit score for a car loan?
It is workable but sits at the worst possible spot. At 600 you are the last score in the subprime tier at 18.86% average APR. At 601 you are near prime at 14.11%, for a difference of one point on your report.
What interest rate will I get with a 600 credit score?
Around the subprime average of 18.86% on a used vehicle, based on Q4 2025 data. Your actual offer depends on down payment, term, the vehicle, and which lender receives your application.
Should I wait to buy with a 600 credit score?
This is the one score where waiting is most often worth it. Gaining a single point moves you a full tier and saves $38 a month on a $15,000 loan. If you can pay down a credit card balance and wait one reporting cycle, do it.
How much does one point matter at 600?
More than anywhere else on the scale. Tier boundaries fall at 600 and 601, so that single point is worth 4.75 percentage points of APR — about $2,280 over a five-year loan.
Can I get approved with a 600 credit score?
Yes, readily. Approval is not the issue at 600; pricing is. Most subprime and many near-prime lenders will consider your application, and the down payment and income documentation matter more than the score.
Sources
- Average Car Loan Interest Rates by Credit Score — Experian
- State of the Automotive Finance Market — Experian