Find out your estimated monthly car loan EMI in seconds using our free online Car Loan EMI Calculator.
Buying a car is exciting until you look at the financing. Unlike a house that usually grows in value, a car loses a massive chunk of its value the second you drive it off the lot. Because the asset is depreciating so fast, the math behind a car loan becomes incredibly important.
Our Car Loan EMI calculator uses the standard reducing-balance formula to show you exactly how much of your monthly payment is applied toward the principal, and how much goes solely to the bank as interest.
Three variables control your monthly car payment:
Banks don't only finance the sticker price of the car. They will also finance the "on the road" cost, which includes insurance, registration, and taxes, less your initial deposit.
The interest rate on car loans is usually higher than the interest rate on house loans because cars are considered depreciating assets. Just a slight interest rate difference of 0.5 percent between two banks can result in significant savings over five years.
Car loans are much shorter than home loans and usually max out at 5 to 7 years. If you stretch the loan to the maximum limit to get a lower EMI, you will end up paying a substantial amount in total interest for an asset that is constantly losing its market value.
Putting down a large chunk of cash up front is the smartest move you can make when buying a car. Most lenders finance 80% to 85% of the on-road price, so you have to pay the remaining 15% to 20% out of pocket anyway. If you can push that down payment even higher, you drastically shrink your loan amount, which drops your monthly EMI and saves you thousands in total interest.