$30,000 car loan for 36 months
$932.77/month principal and interest, before sales tax
$3,580 total interest over 36 months
Principal $30,000 Interest $3,580. 11¢ of every dollar paid goes to interest.
36 months at 7.47%, the Federal Reserve's average finance rate on 48-month new-car loans at commercial banks (May 2026 survey).
Source: Federal Reserve G.19, May 2026 survey. An average, not an offer.
By credit score
| Credit tier | Score | New-car APR | Payment | Used-car APR | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super prime | 781–850 | 4.41% | $891.20 | 6.29% | $916.61 |
| Prime | 661–780 | 6.23% | $915.79 | not reported | — |
| Near prime | 601–660 | 9.67% | $963.37 | not reported | — |
| Subprime | 501–600 | 13.44% | $1,017.19 | not reported | — |
| Deep subprime | 300–500 | 16.11% | $1,056.34 | 21.62% | $1,139.82 |
Averages across lenders for loans originated in the quarter, not offers. All tiers combined: 6.35% new, 11.19% used.
By loan term
With sales tax
| State tax rate sales tax (statewide base incl. 1.25% uniform local) | 7.25% |
|---|---|
| Trade-in credit | no |
| Taxable amount | $30,000 |
| Sales tax | $2,175 |
| Financed (price − trade-in + tax) | $32,175 |
| Monthly payment with tax | $1,000.40 |
Trade-in is treated as payment and does not reduce the taxable selling price (CDTFA Pub 34). District taxes add on top of 7.25% depending on the registration address. Only states whose rules we have verified are listed.
Payment and income
The $932.77 payment is 10% of gross income at $111,933 a year and 15% at $74,622. Insurance, fuel and maintenance come on top.
Amortization schedule
First 12 months
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $746.02 | $186.75 | $29,253.98 |
| 2 | $750.67 | $182.11 | $28,503.31 |
| 3 | $755.34 | $177.43 | $27,747.97 |
| 4 | $760.04 | $172.73 | $26,987.93 |
| 5 | $764.77 | $168.00 | $26,223.15 |
| 6 | $769.53 | $163.24 | $25,453.62 |
| 7 | $774.32 | $158.45 | $24,679.30 |
| 8 | $779.14 | $153.63 | $23,900.15 |
| 9 | $783.99 | $148.78 | $23,116.16 |
| 10 | $788.88 | $143.90 | $22,327.28 |
| 11 | $793.79 | $138.99 | $21,533.49 |
| 12 | $798.73 | $134.05 | $20,734.77 |
Year by year
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9,265 | $1,928 | $20,735 |
| 2 | $9,982 | $1,212 | $10,753 |
| 3 | $10,753 | $440 | $0 |
| Total | $30,000 | $3,580 | $0 |
Full schedule, all 36 payments
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 746.02 | 186.75 | 29,253.98 |
| 2 | 750.67 | 182.11 | 28,503.31 |
| 3 | 755.34 | 177.43 | 27,747.97 |
| 4 | 760.04 | 172.73 | 26,987.93 |
| 5 | 764.77 | 168.00 | 26,223.15 |
| 6 | 769.53 | 163.24 | 25,453.62 |
| 7 | 774.32 | 158.45 | 24,679.30 |
| 8 | 779.14 | 153.63 | 23,900.15 |
| 9 | 783.99 | 148.78 | 23,116.16 |
| 10 | 788.88 | 143.90 | 22,327.28 |
| 11 | 793.79 | 138.99 | 21,533.49 |
| 12 | 798.73 | 134.05 | 20,734.77 |
| 13 | 803.70 | 129.07 | 19,931.07 |
| 14 | 808.70 | 124.07 | 19,122.37 |
| 15 | 813.74 | 119.04 | 18,308.63 |
| 16 | 818.80 | 113.97 | 17,489.83 |
| 17 | 823.90 | 108.87 | 16,665.93 |
| 18 | 829.03 | 103.75 | 15,836.90 |
| 19 | 834.19 | 98.58 | 15,002.71 |
| 20 | 839.38 | 93.39 | 14,163.33 |
| 21 | 844.61 | 88.17 | 13,318.72 |
| 22 | 849.86 | 82.91 | 12,468.86 |
| 23 | 855.15 | 77.62 | 11,613.70 |
| 24 | 860.48 | 72.30 | 10,753.23 |
| 25 | 865.83 | 66.94 | 9,887.39 |
| 26 | 871.22 | 61.55 | 9,016.17 |
| 27 | 876.65 | 56.13 | 8,139.52 |
| 28 | 882.10 | 50.67 | 7,257.42 |
| 29 | 887.60 | 45.18 | 6,369.82 |
| 30 | 893.12 | 39.65 | 5,476.70 |
| 31 | 898.68 | 34.09 | 4,578.02 |
| 32 | 904.28 | 28.50 | 3,673.74 |
| 33 | 909.90 | 22.87 | 2,763.84 |
| 34 | 915.57 | 17.20 | 1,848.27 |
| 35 | 921.27 | 11.51 | 927.00 |
| 36 | 927.00 | 5.77 | 0.00 |
Questions
What is the monthly payment on a $30,000 car loan for 36 months?
$932.77 at 7.47%, the average commercial-bank rate in the Fed's latest survey. Total interest is $3,580.
How much is a $30,000 car loan with bad credit?
At Experian's Q2 2026 average for subprime borrowers (scores 501–600, 13.44% on new cars), $1,017.19 a month over 36 months, versus $915.79 for prime borrowers.
Is 60 or 72 months better for a $30,000 car loan?
At the same 7.14% rate, 72 months lowers the payment from $596.02 to $513.49 but adds $1,210 in interest, and longer loans usually carry higher rates.
What income do I need for a $30,000 car loan?
The $932.77 payment is 10% of gross income at $111,933 a year and 15% at $74,622. Many budgets keep car payments near 10–15% of income.
How much does sales tax add to a $30,000 car in California?
$2,175 at the 7.25% state rate (no trade-in credit in this state). Financed with the car, it raises the payment to $1,000.40. Local taxes can add more.
Sources
- New-car loan, 48 months average: 7.47%. Federal Reserve G.19 Consumer Credit, terms of credit at commercial banks, series TERMCBAUTO48NS, as of May 1, 2026; retrieved September 26, 2026.
- Average auto loan APR by credit tier. Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market, Q2 2026; retrieved September 26, 2026.
- State vehicle sales tax and trade-in rules. State revenue departments and DMVs; state rate only, local taxes excluded.
Numbers on this page last changed September 26, 2026. How they are calculated: methodology.