$48,000 car loan for 48 months
$1,159.92/month principal and interest, before sales tax
$7,676 total interest over 48 months
Principal $48,000 Interest $7,676. 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% | $1,092.62 | 6.29% | $1,133.67 |
| Prime | 661–780 | 6.23% | $1,132.35 | not reported | — |
| Near prime | 601–660 | 9.67% | $1,209.81 | not reported | — |
| Subprime | 501–600 | 13.44% | $1,298.23 | not reported | — |
| Deep subprime | 300–500 | 16.11% | $1,363.04 | 21.62% | $1,502.41 |
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 | $48,000 |
| Sales tax | $3,480 |
| Financed (price − trade-in + tax) | $51,480 |
| Monthly payment with tax | $1,244.01 |
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 $1,159.92 payment is 10% of gross income at $139,190 a year and 15% at $92,793. Insurance, fuel and maintenance come on top.
Amortization schedule
First 12 months
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $861.12 | $298.80 | $47,138.88 |
| 2 | $866.48 | $293.44 | $46,272.41 |
| 3 | $871.87 | $288.05 | $45,400.54 |
| 4 | $877.30 | $282.62 | $44,523.24 |
| 5 | $882.76 | $277.16 | $43,640.48 |
| 6 | $888.25 | $271.66 | $42,752.23 |
| 7 | $893.78 | $266.13 | $41,858.45 |
| 8 | $899.35 | $260.57 | $40,959.10 |
| 9 | $904.94 | $254.97 | $40,054.16 |
| 10 | $910.58 | $249.34 | $39,143.58 |
| 11 | $916.25 | $243.67 | $38,227.33 |
| 12 | $921.95 | $237.97 | $37,305.38 |
Year by year
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,695 | $3,224 | $37,305 |
| 2 | $11,521 | $2,398 | $25,784 |
| 3 | $12,412 | $1,507 | $13,372 |
| 4 | $13,372 | $547 | $0 |
| Total | $48,000 | $7,676 | $0 |
Full schedule, all 48 payments
| Month | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 861.12 | 298.80 | 47,138.88 |
| 2 | 866.48 | 293.44 | 46,272.41 |
| 3 | 871.87 | 288.05 | 45,400.54 |
| 4 | 877.30 | 282.62 | 44,523.24 |
| 5 | 882.76 | 277.16 | 43,640.48 |
| 6 | 888.25 | 271.66 | 42,752.23 |
| 7 | 893.78 | 266.13 | 41,858.45 |
| 8 | 899.35 | 260.57 | 40,959.10 |
| 9 | 904.94 | 254.97 | 40,054.16 |
| 10 | 910.58 | 249.34 | 39,143.58 |
| 11 | 916.25 | 243.67 | 38,227.33 |
| 12 | 921.95 | 237.97 | 37,305.38 |
| 13 | 927.69 | 232.23 | 36,377.69 |
| 14 | 933.46 | 226.45 | 35,444.23 |
| 15 | 939.28 | 220.64 | 34,504.95 |
| 16 | 945.12 | 214.79 | 33,559.83 |
| 17 | 951.01 | 208.91 | 32,608.82 |
| 18 | 956.93 | 202.99 | 31,651.90 |
| 19 | 962.88 | 197.03 | 30,689.02 |
| 20 | 968.88 | 191.04 | 29,720.14 |
| 21 | 974.91 | 185.01 | 28,745.23 |
| 22 | 980.98 | 178.94 | 27,764.26 |
| 23 | 987.08 | 172.83 | 26,777.17 |
| 24 | 993.23 | 166.69 | 25,783.95 |
| 25 | 999.41 | 160.51 | 24,784.54 |
| 26 | 1,005.63 | 154.28 | 23,778.90 |
| 27 | 1,011.89 | 148.02 | 22,767.01 |
| 28 | 1,018.19 | 141.72 | 21,748.82 |
| 29 | 1,024.53 | 135.39 | 20,724.29 |
| 30 | 1,030.91 | 129.01 | 19,693.39 |
| 31 | 1,037.32 | 122.59 | 18,656.06 |
| 32 | 1,043.78 | 116.13 | 17,612.28 |
| 33 | 1,050.28 | 109.64 | 16,562.00 |
| 34 | 1,056.82 | 103.10 | 15,505.19 |
| 35 | 1,063.40 | 96.52 | 14,441.79 |
| 36 | 1,070.02 | 89.90 | 13,371.77 |
| 37 | 1,076.68 | 83.24 | 12,295.10 |
| 38 | 1,083.38 | 76.54 | 11,211.72 |
| 39 | 1,090.12 | 69.79 | 10,121.60 |
| 40 | 1,096.91 | 63.01 | 9,024.69 |
| 41 | 1,103.74 | 56.18 | 7,920.95 |
| 42 | 1,110.61 | 49.31 | 6,810.34 |
| 43 | 1,117.52 | 42.39 | 5,692.82 |
| 44 | 1,124.48 | 35.44 | 4,568.35 |
| 45 | 1,131.48 | 28.44 | 3,436.87 |
| 46 | 1,138.52 | 21.39 | 2,298.35 |
| 47 | 1,145.61 | 14.31 | 1,152.74 |
| 48 | 1,152.74 | 7.18 | 0.00 |
Questions
What is the monthly payment on a $48,000 car loan for 48 months?
$1,159.92 at 7.47%, the average commercial-bank rate in the Fed's latest survey. Total interest is $7,676.
How much is a $48,000 car loan with bad credit?
At Experian's Q2 2026 average for subprime borrowers (scores 501–600, 13.44% on new cars), $1,298.23 a month over 48 months, versus $1,132.35 for prime borrowers.
Is 60 or 72 months better for a $48,000 car loan?
At the same 7.14% rate, 72 months lowers the payment from $953.63 to $821.58 but adds $1,936 in interest, and longer loans usually carry higher rates.
What income do I need for a $48,000 car loan?
The $1,159.92 payment is 10% of gross income at $139,190 a year and 15% at $92,793. Many budgets keep car payments near 10–15% of income.
How much does sales tax add to a $48,000 car in California?
$3,480 at the 7.25% state rate (no trade-in credit in this state). Financed with the car, it raises the payment to $1,244.01. 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.