$30,000 car loan for 48 months
$724.95/month principal and interest, before sales tax
$4,797 total interest over 48 months
Principal $30,000 Interest $4,797. 14¢ of every dollar paid goes to interest.
48 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% | $682.89 | 6.29% | $708.55 |
| Prime | 661–780 | 6.23% | $707.72 | not reported | — |
| Near prime | 601–660 | 9.67% | $756.13 | not reported | — |
| Subprime | 501–600 | 13.44% | $811.39 | not reported | — |
| Deep subprime | 300–500 | 16.11% | $851.90 | 21.62% | $939.00 |
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 | $777.51 |
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 $724.95 payment is 10% of gross income at $86,994 a year and 15% at $57,996. Insurance, fuel and maintenance come on top.
Amortization schedule
First 12 months
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $538.20 | $186.75 | $29,461.80 |
| 2 | $541.55 | $183.40 | $28,920.26 |
| 3 | $544.92 | $180.03 | $28,375.34 |
| 4 | $548.31 | $176.64 | $27,827.03 |
| 5 | $551.72 | $173.22 | $27,275.30 |
| 6 | $555.16 | $169.79 | $26,720.14 |
| 7 | $558.61 | $166.33 | $26,161.53 |
| 8 | $562.09 | $162.86 | $25,599.44 |
| 9 | $565.59 | $159.36 | $25,033.85 |
| 10 | $569.11 | $155.84 | $24,464.74 |
| 11 | $572.65 | $152.29 | $23,892.08 |
| 12 | $576.22 | $148.73 | $23,315.86 |
Year by year
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6,684 | $2,015 | $23,316 |
| 2 | $7,201 | $1,498 | $16,115 |
| 3 | $7,758 | $942 | $8,357 |
| 4 | $8,357 | $342 | $0 |
| Total | $30,000 | $4,797 | $0 |
Full schedule, all 48 payments
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 538.20 | 186.75 | 29,461.80 |
| 2 | 541.55 | 183.40 | 28,920.26 |
| 3 | 544.92 | 180.03 | 28,375.34 |
| 4 | 548.31 | 176.64 | 27,827.03 |
| 5 | 551.72 | 173.22 | 27,275.30 |
| 6 | 555.16 | 169.79 | 26,720.14 |
| 7 | 558.61 | 166.33 | 26,161.53 |
| 8 | 562.09 | 162.86 | 25,599.44 |
| 9 | 565.59 | 159.36 | 25,033.85 |
| 10 | 569.11 | 155.84 | 24,464.74 |
| 11 | 572.65 | 152.29 | 23,892.08 |
| 12 | 576.22 | 148.73 | 23,315.86 |
| 13 | 579.81 | 145.14 | 22,736.06 |
| 14 | 583.42 | 141.53 | 22,152.64 |
| 15 | 587.05 | 137.90 | 21,565.60 |
| 16 | 590.70 | 134.25 | 20,974.89 |
| 17 | 594.38 | 130.57 | 20,380.52 |
| 18 | 598.08 | 126.87 | 19,782.44 |
| 19 | 601.80 | 123.15 | 19,180.64 |
| 20 | 605.55 | 119.40 | 18,575.09 |
| 21 | 609.32 | 115.63 | 17,965.77 |
| 22 | 613.11 | 111.84 | 17,352.66 |
| 23 | 616.93 | 108.02 | 16,735.73 |
| 24 | 620.77 | 104.18 | 16,114.97 |
| 25 | 624.63 | 100.32 | 15,490.34 |
| 26 | 628.52 | 96.43 | 14,861.82 |
| 27 | 632.43 | 92.51 | 14,229.38 |
| 28 | 636.37 | 88.58 | 13,593.01 |
| 29 | 640.33 | 84.62 | 12,952.68 |
| 30 | 644.32 | 80.63 | 12,308.37 |
| 31 | 648.33 | 76.62 | 11,660.04 |
| 32 | 652.36 | 72.58 | 11,007.68 |
| 33 | 656.42 | 68.52 | 10,351.25 |
| 34 | 660.51 | 64.44 | 9,690.74 |
| 35 | 664.62 | 60.32 | 9,026.12 |
| 36 | 668.76 | 56.19 | 8,357.36 |
| 37 | 672.92 | 52.02 | 7,684.44 |
| 38 | 677.11 | 47.84 | 7,007.32 |
| 39 | 681.33 | 43.62 | 6,326.00 |
| 40 | 685.57 | 39.38 | 5,640.43 |
| 41 | 689.84 | 35.11 | 4,950.60 |
| 42 | 694.13 | 30.82 | 4,256.47 |
| 43 | 698.45 | 26.50 | 3,558.01 |
| 44 | 702.80 | 22.15 | 2,855.22 |
| 45 | 707.17 | 17.77 | 2,148.04 |
| 46 | 711.58 | 13.37 | 1,436.47 |
| 47 | 716.01 | 8.94 | 720.46 |
| 48 | 720.46 | 4.48 | 0.00 |
Questions
What is the monthly payment on a $30,000 car loan for 48 months?
$724.95 at 7.47%, the average commercial-bank rate in the Fed's latest survey. Total interest is $4,797.
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), $811.39 a month over 48 months, versus $707.72 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 $724.95 payment is 10% of gross income at $86,994 a year and 15% at $57,996. 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 $777.51. 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.