Auto Finance

$0 Down vs. 20% Down: What the Same $45,000 Car Really Costs

With $0 down at the 7% average rate, a $45,000 car costs $767 a month and more than $10,000 in interest, and you owe more than it’s worth after one year. Here are the numbers side by side, including the one $0-down deal that comes out cheapest.

Read more $0 Down vs. 20% Down: What the Same $45,000 Car Really Costs

Used Car With No Money Down: How to Prequalify Without Hurting Your Credit

Capital One, CarMax and Carvana let you see real loan terms with a soft credit check that doesn’t affect your score. Here is what each asks for, and the order to do it in.

Read more Used Car With No Money Down: How to Prequalify Without Hurting Your Credit

$0 Down With Fair or Bad Credit: What the Same Car Costs at Each Score

The same $40,000 loan costs about $5,600 in interest with top credit and more than $18,000 with subprime credit. Here is what each score gets in 2026, when a co-signer helps, and why buy-here-pay-here should be the last stop.

Read more $0 Down With Fair or Bad Credit: What the Same Car Costs at Each Score

Using Your Trade-In as the Down Payment, and What to Do If You’re Underwater

About 29% of trade-ins in the third quarter of 2026 were worth less than the loan on them, by $7,107 on average. Here is how to check your equity in five minutes, and the one product you need if you finance with $0 down.

Read more Using Your Trade-In as the Down Payment, and What to Do If You’re Underwater

The New Car-Loan Interest Deduction: Who Can Write Off Up to $10,000

From 2025 through 2028, you can deduct up to $10,000 a year of interest on a loan for a new car assembled in the US, even if you don’t itemize. Here is who qualifies, how to check the car, and the zero-down move that shrinks your deduction.

Read more The New Car-Loan Interest Deduction: Who Can Write Off Up to $10,000

Credit Unions That Finance 100% of a Car (and Why to Get Pre-Approved First)

Navy Federal advertises 100% financing with new-car rates from 4.19%, and PenFed says it finances up to 125%. A pre-approval from a credit union is also the simplest way to stop a dealer from marking up your rate.

Read more Credit Unions That Finance 100% of a Car (and Why to Get Pre-Approved First)

“$0 Due at Signing” Leases: What That Zero Actually Costs

Hyundai switched its Tucson lease from $249 a month with $3,999 down to $359 a month with $0 down. Over 36 months, the two cost almost the same. Here is how “$0 due” works, the fees it doesn’t cover, and when leasing beats a loan.

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This Month’s $0-Down and 0% APR Car Deals, and Who Actually Gets Them

Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, Ford and others are advertising 0% APR with no down payment required this month. Only 1.2% of new-car buyers actually got 0% last spring. Here is what the fine print asks for, and how to know if you qualify before you walk in.

Read more This Month’s $0-Down and 0% APR Car Deals, and Who Actually Gets Them