Auto Loan Rates by Credit Score Chart: New & Used 2026

Average auto loan rates by credit tier, Q2 2026

The overall average new-car rate is 6.35% and the overall average used-car rate is 11.19%. The average new loan is $43,610 with an average payment of $765 a month; the average used loan is $27,852 with an average payment of $542 a month. The reported average payments reflect average terms near 68–70 months, not 60: at the average new rate, a 68-month term on $43,610 gives $765.29 a month; at the average used rate, a 70-month term on $27,852 gives $543.56 a month. Do not read $765 or $542 as the 60-month payment on those loans — 60 months gives $850.22 new and $608.21 used.

Table 1 — Average auto loan APR by credit tier, Q2 2026 ($35,000 new car, 60 months)

The same $35,000 car costs $12,126.60 more in interest for a deep-subprime borrower than for a super-prime one ($16,190.80 − $4,064.20).

Table 2 — Used-car loans: $27,852, 60 months at the used APR

Used-car rates run higher than new-car rates at every tier, and the gap grows as the score falls — 1.88 points at super prime, 5.51 points at deep subprime.

How your tier sets your payment

On the defaults — a 720 score, a new car, a $35,000.00 loan over 60 months — your tier is Prime (661–780), the average new-car APR is 6.15%, the monthly payment is $679.09, the total interest is $5,745.40, and the total paid is $40,745.40. The whole calculation is three moves: look up the tier’s average APR, run the amortisation formula for the payment, and multiply the payment by the term and subtract the principal for the interest.

Five things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the tiers use VantageScore 4.0 ranges, and a 720 score is Prime (661–780). Second, the payment formula is principal × i ÷ (1 − (1+i)^−term) with i = APR ÷ 12 — $35,000.00 at 6.15% over 60 months is $679.09. Third, the total interest is $679.09 × 60 − $35,000.00 = $5,745.40. Fourth, these are MARKET AVERAGES, not offers — your quote depends on the lender, the vehicle, the term, your income, and your down payment. And fifth, rates move every quarter (this table is Experian Q2 2026, published September 2026) and the payment figures assume no fees, taxes, or down payment; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: 720 score, new car, $35,000.00 loan, 60 months.

Line 1 — the tier. A 720 score is Prime (661–780) — the average new-car APR is 6.15%.

Line 2 — the payment. The monthly payment is $35,000.00 × i ÷ (1 − (1+i)^−60), i = 6.15% ÷ 12 = $679.09.

Line 3 — the interest. The total interest is $679.09 × 60 − $35,000.00 = $5,745.40, and the total paid is $40,745.40.

Line 4 — the comparison. The same $35,000 car costs $12,126.60 more in interest for a deep-subprime borrower ($16,190.80) than for a super-prime one ($4,064.20).

Every branch, checked

Score 800, new, $35,000, 60 months: Score 800, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Super prime (781–850), average new APR 4.41%, monthly payment $651.07, total interest $4,064.20, total paid $39,064.20 — A super-prime score earns the lowest average rate — $651.07 a month and $4,064.20 of interest.

Score 550, new, $35,000, 60 months: Score 550, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Subprime (501–600), average new APR 13.52%, monthly payment $805.71, total interest $13,342.60, total paid $48,342.60 — A subprime score costs $805.71 a month — $154.62 more than super prime on the same loan.

Score 720, used, $27,852, 60 months: Score 720, used, loan $27,852.00, 60 months: Prime (661–780), average used APR 8.81%, monthly payment $575.60, total interest $6,684.00, total paid $34,536.00 — The same 720 score on a used car pays 8.81% instead of 6.15% — $575.60 a month on the average used loan.

Score 720, new, $35,000, 72 months: Score 720, new, loan $35,000.00, 72 months: Prime (661–780), average new APR 6.15%, monthly payment $582.53, total interest $6,942.16, total paid $41,942.16 — A longer term cuts the payment by $96.56 a month but adds $1,196.76 of interest vs 60 months.

Average new loan $43,610 at 6.35%, 60 months: Score 700, new, loan $43,610.00, 60 months: Prime (661–780), average new APR 6.35%, monthly payment $850.22, total interest $7,403.20, total paid $51,013.20 — At the OVERALL average rate of 6.35% — not the Prime tier rate — the average new loan costs $850.22 a month.

Score 620, new, $35,000, 60 months: Score 620, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Near prime (601–660), average new APR 9.71%, monthly payment $738.66, total interest $9,319.60, total paid $44,319.60 — A near-prime 620 pays $738.66 a month — $59.57 more than a 661, one point up the tier.

Score 400, used, $27,852, 60 months: Score 400, used, loan $27,852.00, 60 months: Deep subprime (300–500), average used APR 21.62%, monthly payment $763.24, total interest $17,942.40, total paid $45,794.40 — A deep-subprime 400 on a used car pays $763.24 a month and $17,942.40 of interest.

The reverses, worked backwards

Score at the tier boundary: 781 is Super prime at 4.41%; 780 is Prime at 6.15% — one point changes the tier, and the payment on a $35,000 new-car loan over 60 months jumps from $651.07 to $679.09. The star is SCORE.

Loan amount $30,000 at 4.41% (super prime), 60 months: $558.06 a month, total interest $3,483.60. $29,999 gives $558.05 a month; $30,001 gives $558.08 a month. The star is DOLLARS.

APR for a $700.00/month payment on a $35,000 new-car loan, 60 months: 7.42% — the exact APR is 7.4201%. At the displayed 7.42% the payment is $700.00 (the exact unrounded payment at 7.42% is $699.9984). 7.41% gives $699.83; 7.43% gives $700.16. The star is RATE.

Shortest term for the payment to fall to $600.00 or less at 6.15% on $35,000: 70 months — the payment is $596.31. 69 months gives $603.49, still over $600. 70 months is the smallest term that gets under $600. The star is MONTHS.

Loan amount for a $500.00/month payment at 6.15%, 60 months: $25,769.71 — the exact amount is 25769.7071. At the displayed $25,769.71 the payment is $500.00. $25,769.70 and $25,769.72 both round to a $500.00 payment as well. The star is DOLLARS.

Score for a used-car APR of 13.93%: Near prime (601–660) — any score in 601–660 gives 13.93%; score 601 is the bottom of the tier. At 601 the used-car payment on $27,852 over 60 months is $647.06. At 600 the tier is Subprime at 19.10% and the payment is $724.03. The star is SCORE.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a 720 score, a new car, a $35,000.00 loan over 60 months — Prime (661–780), average new-car APR 6.15%, payment $679.09. With a score of 800, Score 800, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Super prime (781–850), average new APR 4.41%, monthly payment $651.07, total interest $4,064.20, total paid $39,064.20 — the payment is $651.07. With a score of 550, Score 550, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Subprime (501–600), average new APR 13.52%, monthly payment $805.71, total interest $13,342.60, total paid $48,342.60 — the payment is $805.71. With a used car at 720, Score 720, used, loan $27,852.00, 60 months: Prime (661–780), average used APR 8.81%, monthly payment $575.60, total interest $6,684.00, total paid $34,536.00 — the payment is $575.60. With a 72-month term, Score 720, new, loan $35,000.00, 72 months: Prime (661–780), average new APR 6.15%, monthly payment $582.53, total interest $6,942.16, total paid $41,942.16 — the payment is $582.53. With the average new loan of $43,610 at the overall average rate of 6.35%, Score 700, new, loan $43,610.00, 60 months: Prime (661–780), average new APR 6.35%, monthly payment $850.22, total interest $7,403.20, total paid $51,013.20 — the payment is $850.22 (not the Prime tier rate). With a score of 620, Score 620, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Near prime (601–660), average new APR 9.71%, monthly payment $738.66, total interest $9,319.60, total paid $44,319.60 — the payment is $738.66. With a score of 400 on a used car, Score 400, used, loan $27,852.00, 60 months: Deep subprime (300–500), average used APR 21.62%, monthly payment $763.24, total interest $17,942.40, total paid $45,794.40 — the payment is $763.24. With a score of 300, Score 300, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Deep subprime (300–500), average new APR 16.11%, monthly payment $853.18, total interest $16,190.80, total paid $51,190.80 — the payment is $853.18. With a score of 850, Score 850, new, loan $35,000.00, 60 months: Super prime (781–850), average new APR 4.41%, monthly payment $651.07, total interest $4,064.20, total paid $39,064.20 — the payment is $651.07. With a $0.00 loan, Score 720, new, loan $0.00, 60 months: Prime (661–780), average new APR 6.15%, monthly payment $0.00, total interest $0.00, total paid $0.00 — the payment is $0.00. With a 12-month term, Score 720, new, loan $35,000.00, 12 months: Prime (661–780), average new APR 6.15%, monthly payment $3,014.74, total interest $1,176.88, total paid $36,176.88 — the payment is $3,014.74. With a score of 299, the calculator shows an error — enter a score from 300 to 850 — not a tier or a payment. With 660 vs 661, Score 660: Near prime 9.71% — payment $738.66; score 661: Prime 6.15% — payment $679.09; one point saves $59.57 a month.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The buyer with a 720 score: they learn their tier is Prime at 6.15% and the payment on $35,000.00 over 60 months is $679.09 — and they check the 781 reverse to see the score that would earn the super-prime rate.
• The buyer with a 550 score: they learn the subprime rate is 13.52% and the payment is $805.71 a month — and they check the $700.00 reverse to see the APR that would cut the payment to $700.00.
• The used-car shopper: they learn a 720 score on a used car pays 8.81% and $575.60 a month on $27,852 — and they check the 601 reverse to see the score that earns the 13.93% used rate.
• The buyer stretching the term: they learn 72 months cuts the payment to $582.53 but adds $1,196.76 of interest — and they check the 70-month reverse to see the shortest term that gets under $600.00 a month.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is first-principles: the payment is the standard amortisation formula, rounded to cents half-up, and the total interest is the payment times the term minus the principal. What the model cannot do is quote YOUR rate: these are MARKET AVERAGES, not offers — your quote depends on the lender, the vehicle, the term, your income, and your down payment; rates move every quarter (this table is Experian Q2 2026, published September 2026); the payment figures assume no fees, taxes, or down payment; and the tiers use VantageScore 4.0 ranges, while some lenders use FICO, which can put you in a different tier. The rates are cited source data (Experian, State of the Automotive Finance Market, Q2 2026, published September 2026; scores are VantageScore 4.0); the payment and interest figures are Bright Side Kit’s own arithmetic on the stated loan at each tier’s average rate. Use it to see what your tier costs — then get a real quote before you sign.

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