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Car loan calculator

Car loan calculator Canada

Enter a price, a rate and a term to see your payment and what the loan costs in total, with sales tax and any trade-in included. Estimates only: nothing here is an offer of credit.

Your numbers

Vehicle price
Down payment
Interest rateAn example rate, not a quote. Your rate is set by the lender after they read your file.
Term (months)
Payment frequency
5% sales tax. GST only.
Trade-inNone
Trade-in value
Still owing on the tradeMore than the trade is worth? The difference rolls into the loan.
Fees and sales tax5% tax
Fees rolled inAdmin, registration, anything not paid up front.
Sales tax rateSet from your province. Change it if you know your figure; the dealer's bill of sale governs.

Your estimate

$224.02bi-weekly

About $485 a month

Amount financed
$26,250.00
Total cost of borrowing
$8,697.30
Total of payments
$34,947.30
Number of payments
156
Sales tax included
$1,250.00
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Estimate only, not an offer of credit. APRs in the Canadian market currently range from 4.99% to 31.99%. Example: $25,000 over 72 months at 8.99% APR is 156 bi-weekly payments of $207.61, a total of $32,387.90 and a cost of borrowing of $7,387.90. Read the full disclosure

The arithmetic

How this is worked out

Stated rather than hidden, because it is the first thing anyone who knows the subject checks.

Canadian auto loans are simple interest compounded per payment period — not the semi-annual compounding a Canadian mortgage uses. The periodic rate is the nominal annual rate divided by the number of payments in a year, and each payment is P · i ÷ (1 − (1 + i)⁻ⁿ), where P is the amount financed, i the periodic rate and n the number of payments.

The amount financed is the price, plus sales tax on the price less the trade-in, plus any fees rolled in, less the down payment and the trade-in, plus anything still owing on the trade. Interest is charged on the balance remaining, which is why a shorter term costs less overall even though each payment is larger — the schedule shows that happening row by row.

Sales tax is the one part that cannot be exact. The rate used is the common combined rate a buyer pays at a dealer in each province; British Columbia charges PST in tiers above $55,000, Saskatchewan applies PST to private sales, and Quebec has its own order of operations. Change the rate under Fees and sales tax if you know your figure, and treat the result as an estimate either way.

Ready to see what you qualify for? What happens when you apply online.

Common questions

How is a Canadian car loan payment calculated?

Canadian auto loans are simple interest compounded per payment period — not the semi-annual compounding a Canadian mortgage uses. The periodic rate is the annual rate divided by the number of payments in a year, and the payment is P · i ÷ (1 − (1 + i)^−n).

Does a shorter term really cost less?

Almost always, and by more than people expect. The payment goes up and the total cost of borrowing goes down, because interest is charged on the balance remaining and a shorter term leaves less balance for less time. Change the term and watch the total cost of borrowing, not the payment.

What happens if I owe more than my trade-in is worth?

The difference rolls into the new loan. The calculator has a field for it under Trade-in, because pretending it does not happen is how a payment estimate ends up thousands of dollars out.

Is the sales tax figure exact?

No, and the page says so. It is the common combined rate a buyer pays at a dealer in each province. British Columbia charges PST in tiers above $55,000, Saskatchewan applies PST to private sales, and Quebec has its own order of operations. You can change the rate under Fees and sales tax, and the dealer’s paperwork governs.

Is this an approval or a quote?

Neither. It is arithmetic on numbers you chose. Nothing on this page is an offer of credit, and your rate is set by a lender after a person has read your application.

What rate should I put in?

Rates available in the Canadian market currently run from about 4.99% to 31.99%, and where you land depends on credit, income, the vehicle and the term. If you are unsure, try both ends and see what the difference actually costs.

Ready to get started?

The calculator is arithmetic. The application is where a specialist reads your file and tells you what is actually available.

Programs may vary by province. Approval is subject to lender review and application details.

Start your application