Car Loan Calculator

California Auto Loan Calculator

Your monthly payment and total cost for a car bought in California, with the 7.25% state tax and California's trade-in rules already filled in.

What do you know?
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The negotiated price of the vehicle before rebates, taxes and fees.

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Get pre-approved by a bank or credit union to know your real rate before visiting the dealer.

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Manufacturer or dealer cash back. Some states tax the price before the rebate; pick your state to apply its rule.

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What the dealer will give you for your current car.

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Your current loan balance. If it is more than the trade-in value, the difference gets added to the new loan.

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Picking a state fills in the state rate. Add your county or city rate on top for a closer estimate.

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Doc fee, title, registration, plates and destination charge. Ask the dealer for an out-the-door price to see them all.

Monthly payment

$665.98

for 60 months at 6.5% APR

Vehicle price
$35,000
Amount financed
$34,038
Sales tax
$2,538
Due at signing
$5,000
Total of payments
$39,959
Total interest
$5,921
Total cost of the car
$44,959
Car (after rebates): $35,000Interest: $5,921Tax & fees: $4,038
  • Car (after rebates)$35,00078%
  • Interest$5,92113%
  • Tax & fees$4,0389%

Compare loan terms

Same car, same rate. Longer loans lower the payment but raise the total you pay.

TermMonthlyInterestTotal cost
36 mo (3 yr) $1,043.22 $3,518 $42,556
48 mo (4 yr) $807.20 $4,708 $43,745
60 mo (5 yr) $665.98 $5,921 $44,959
72 mo (6 yr) $572.17 $7,159 $46,196
84 mo (7 yr) $505.44 $8,419 $47,457

Payment schedule

YearPaymentPrincipalInterestBalance
1$7,991.79$5,954.68$2,037.11$28,082.82
2$7,991.79$6,353.48$1,638.32$21,729.35
3$7,991.79$6,778.98$1,212.81$14,950.37
4$7,991.79$7,232.98$758.81$7,717.39
5$7,991.79$7,717.39$274.41$0.00
Show all 60 monthly payments
MonthPaymentPrincipalInterestBalance
1$665.98$481.61$184.37$33,555.89
2$665.98$484.22$181.76$33,071.67
3$665.98$486.84$179.14$32,584.82
4$665.98$489.48$176.50$32,095.34
5$665.98$492.13$173.85$31,603.21
6$665.98$494.80$171.18$31,108.41
7$665.98$497.48$168.50$30,610.93
8$665.98$500.17$165.81$30,110.75
9$665.98$502.88$163.10$29,607.87
10$665.98$505.61$160.38$29,102.27
11$665.98$508.35$157.64$28,593.92
12$665.98$511.10$154.88$28,082.82
13$665.98$513.87$152.12$27,568.95
14$665.98$516.65$149.33$27,052.30
15$665.98$519.45$146.53$26,532.85
16$665.98$522.26$143.72$26,010.59
17$665.98$525.09$140.89$25,485.50
18$665.98$527.94$138.05$24,957.56
19$665.98$530.80$135.19$24,426.77
20$665.98$533.67$132.31$23,893.09
21$665.98$536.56$129.42$23,356.53
22$665.98$539.47$126.51$22,817.06
23$665.98$542.39$123.59$22,274.67
24$665.98$545.33$120.65$21,729.35
25$665.98$548.28$117.70$21,181.06
26$665.98$551.25$114.73$20,629.81
27$665.98$554.24$111.74$20,075.57
28$665.98$557.24$108.74$19,518.33
29$665.98$560.26$105.72$18,958.07
30$665.98$563.29$102.69$18,394.78
31$665.98$566.34$99.64$17,828.44
32$665.98$569.41$96.57$17,259.03
33$665.98$572.50$93.49$16,686.53
34$665.98$575.60$90.39$16,110.93
35$665.98$578.72$87.27$15,532.22
36$665.98$581.85$84.13$14,950.37
37$665.98$585.00$80.98$14,365.36
38$665.98$588.17$77.81$13,777.19
39$665.98$591.36$74.63$13,185.84
40$665.98$594.56$71.42$12,591.28
41$665.98$597.78$68.20$11,993.50
42$665.98$601.02$64.96$11,392.48
43$665.98$604.27$61.71$10,788.21
44$665.98$607.55$58.44$10,180.66
45$665.98$610.84$55.15$9,569.82
46$665.98$614.15$51.84$8,955.68
47$665.98$617.47$48.51$8,338.20
48$665.98$620.82$45.17$7,717.39
49$665.98$624.18$41.80$7,093.21
50$665.98$627.56$38.42$6,465.64
51$665.98$630.96$35.02$5,834.68
52$665.98$634.38$31.60$5,200.31
53$665.98$637.81$28.17$4,562.49
54$665.98$641.27$24.71$3,921.22
55$665.98$644.74$21.24$3,276.48
56$665.98$648.24$17.75$2,628.24
57$665.98$651.75$14.24$1,976.50
58$665.98$655.28$10.71$1,321.22
59$665.98$658.83$7.16$662.39
60$665.98$662.39$3.59$0.00

How California taxes car purchases

State vehicle tax rate
7.25%
Trade-in lowers the tax
No
Tax cap
None
Source
Official source, checked 2026-10-05

These are the rules for a new car bought from a dealer. Used-car and private-sale rules can differ. How we check this data.

California charges 7.25% at the state level. District taxes add more depending on where you live. That is the highest state-level rate in the country. County and city taxes may add to it, so check your local rate and enter the total in the calculator.

What to know in California

California is one of the states where a trade-in doesn't lower the tax. The state's tax agency says plainly that you cannot deduct the trade-in allowance, so the tax is figured on the full price of the new car. At the 7.25% base rate, a $15,000 trade-in that would save $1,087.50 in tax in most states saves nothing here.

District taxes push the rate above 7.25% in much of the state. Because a dealer's trade-in offer comes with no tax break, it's worth getting a quote from a used-car buyer, or selling privately, before you accept it.

Does California tax your trade-in?

Yes. California taxes the full price of the new car even when you trade one in. On a $35,000 car you'd pay $2,537.50 in state tax with or without a $10,000 trade-in. Because trading in gives you no tax break here, selling your old car privately is often worth more.

Example: a car loan in California

A $35,000 car with $5,000 down, $1,500 in fees, and a 60-month loan at 6.5% APR ($2,537.50 state tax, rolled into the loan):

Change any number in the calculator above to see your own figures.

Rebates and fees

The calculator charges tax on the price before any manufacturer rebate. Ask the dealer how California treats your specific rebate. Title, registration and dealer documentation fees vary, so ask for an itemized out-the-door price and put the fee total in the calculator.

Other states

States with similar vehicle tax rates:

Compare car sales tax in all 50 states and DC