How Much Car Can I Afford Out the Door?
Start with the most you want to spend, all in, and this calculator works backward through your state's sales tax, title, registration and the dealer's doc fee to the highest vehicle price that fits.
Cash you'll hand over, or the loan amount you're approved for.
At $28,124, you'd pay $29,999.50 in Texas. Ask the dealer for an out-the-door price at or under that number.
Why the price you can pay is lower than your budget
A $30,000 budget doesn't buy a $30,000 car. Sales tax alone takes 4% to 10% in most states, and title, registration and the doc fee come on top. The calculator finds the price where everything adds up to your number, using the same engine as the state calculators.
The trade-in matters more than it looks. In most states its value comes off the price before tax, so a $10,000 trade-in can stretch a budget by more than $10,000. In California and Virginia there's no such credit, so it stretches it by exactly the trade's value.
FAQ
How do I work backward from an out-the-door budget?
Subtract your state's taxes and fees from the budget. Because the tax depends on the price, the calculator searches for the price where price plus taxes and fees equals your budget exactly.
Should I negotiate the out-the-door price or the car price?
Negotiating the out-the-door price keeps doc fees, add-ons and taxes from creeping in after you agree on the car's price.
Does a trade-in raise how much car I can afford?
Yes. Its value counts toward the price, and in states that credit trade-ins it also lowers the tax, so you can spend a little more than the trade-in's value.
Every figure comes from the same engine as our state calculators. See how we calculate.