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Auto loan interest rates are rising. For most of us, when buying a new or used car, agreeing on a price is only half the work (or if you have a car to sell/trade-in, a third of the work). Are you ready to go to battle for round two? That would be negotiating a fair auto loan interest rate.
Auto loan APRs are higher than they’ve been at any point in the past decade, and they’re headed even higher. How much do rising interest rates matter for today’s new and used car buyers? We crunched the numbers to find out.
The Average Car Loan Interest Rate Is the Highest Since 2009
What do you get when you combine interest rate hikes with the likelihood of an economic recession? It becomes a whole lot more expensive to borrow money. Whether you’re in the market for a new car or a new house, lenders seem to be increasing loan rates every other day in 2022.
According to new data from Edmunds, the average car loan interest rate (APR) on a new vehicle loan rose to 5.9% in September. That’s up 44% since December 2021. The last time auto loan rates were this high was right before the crash of 2009-2010.
What’s different this time around? Cars are 71% more expensive in 2022. Back in 2009, the average new car transaction price was $28,201. Today, it’s a bit over $48,000. Buyers are paying A LOT more interest in 2022, and monthly car payments are more akin to second mortgages.
In September 2022, the average amount that new car buyers financed was $41,347. Thinking about stretching that loan term as far out as possible? That adds up to a total of $7,849 in interest paid over 72 months. Ouch!
Used Car Loan Rates Rising Most
The average used car loan interest rate has shot up to 9.2%, adding thousands to the total cost of borrowing money to buy a car.
In September 2022, the average amount that used car buyers financed was $31,366. That adds up to a total of $9,566 in interest paid over a 72-month loan term.
What if you shop around and get pre-approved for a 7.0% APR instead of the average of 9.2%? Over 72 months, you’d SAVE a grand total of $2,429 in interest, all by simply shopping around and getting some more loan rate offers.
When ‘The Fed’ meets again in early November, they’re almost certain to announce another rate hike. Whether it amounts to 75 basis points or less is of little concern. What’s certain is that auto loan rates will continue to rise in November.
Based on our own analysis at CarEdge, we expect the average car loan interest rate to climb higher to between 6.5% (for new cars) and 10.5% (for used cars) in November.
Remember that these are expected averages, so there will be better (and worse) auto loan offers out there. Don’t settle for your first auto loan rate offer. Shop around!
How to Save Money on Auto Loan Interest, Even As Rates Rise
There are still ways to save big-time on auto loan interest. These are the biggest ways to keep more money in your pocket:
Shop around for the lowest interest rate. Pre-approval does impact your credit score, so it’s best to apply for all of your pre-approvals at the same time (or same week at least) right before you plan to buy the car.
Go for a shorter loan term! At today’s average new car loan interest rate of 5.9%, the difference between financing $35,000 with a 48-month loan and a 72-month loan is $2,267 in interest paid. That’s not pocket change!
Spend less, and/or put more down. It’s easier said than done, but consider borrowing less if you want to pay as little interest as possible. You could buy a less expensive car, put more money down for your down payment, or both.
Refinance your loan. Yes, even as interest rates are rising, if you get stuck with a bad loan, or improve your credit over time, you should consider refinancing your auto loan. Go to a local credit union so that you don’t get hit with fees from online websites.
Save Time and Money with Real Advice From Auto Experts
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Electric trucks are not cheap, and some of them are just downright expensive. Are the fuel savings and power worth the extra cost? This resource features every electric truck’s pricing and range in 2024. Which electric pickups are you interested in? There will be more to choose from in just a few years’ time.
Electric Truck Prices and Range (2024 – 2025 Models)
Make
Model
Release Date
Starting Price
Fully-Optioned
Range
Chevrolet
Silverado EV
early 2024
$52,000
$106,895
up to 450 miles
Ford
F-150 Lightning
available now
$49,995
$91,995
240 - 320 miles
GMC
Hummer EV
available now
$86,645
$112,595
329 miles
GMC
Sierra EV
early 2024 (Denali)
$52,000+
$107,000
up to 400 miles
Rivian
R1T
available now
$73,000
$105,000
314 - 400 miles
RAM
1500 REV
2025
N/A
N/A
350-500 miles
Tesla
Cybertruck
2024
$60,990
$99,990
250-340 miles
Electric Truck Charge Times
First, here are a few things you should know about charging an electric pickup (or any EV for that matter):
The times below are for public DC (direct current) fast chargers, like those at Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America and EVgo. In reality, about 90% of EV drivers do most of their charging at home overnight. Plug in when you get home and forget about it. Wake up to a full charge! Public charging is usually for traveling.
It’s a waste of time to charge all the way to 100%. Beyond 80% – 90% state of charge, charging speeds slow considerably for the health of the battery.
Charging speeds listed below are under optimal conditions, which means not too cold. Under 50 degrees, expect to add 5-15 minutes to these times.
When towing, electric truck range drops by up to 50%. It’s not about weight, it’s about aerodynamics. You’ll have to charge more often and plan your charging stops.
Make
Model
Fast-Charging Times
Notes
Chevrolet
Silverado EV
Add 100 miles in 10 minutes
Expect to add 300 miles of range in 30 minutes
Ford
F-150 Lightning
Add 200 miles in 40 minutes
The Lightning charges to 80% quickly, but slows considerably after.
GMC
Hummer EV
Add 100 miles in 10 minutes
Expect to add 300 miles of range in 30 minutes
GMC
Sierra EV
Add 100 miles in 10 minutes
Expect to add 300 miles of range in 30 minutes
Rivian
R1T
Add 200 miles in 35 minutes
The R1T accepts up to 220 KW of power, which is above average
Tesla
Cybertruck
"Recover up to 136 miles in 15 minutes"
Announced in 2019, the Cybertruck has been delayed to 2024
RAM
1500 REV
Add 110 miles in 10 minutes
350-500 miles of range; coming late 2024
EV Incentives for Electric Pickups
In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, and with it came a complete revamp of federal EV incentives. Here’s a brief summary of the biggest changes to tax credits for electric trucks in 2024:
Only EVs made in North America qualify
Batteries must be sourced from the U.S. or Free Trade Agreement countries
Price caps are now in place ($80,000 for electric trucks)
Just months after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took legal action against Koons Kia and Napleton dealerships, the FTC has reached a high-dollar settlement with the DC-area’s Passport Automotive Group. The FTC found evidence that Passport Auto Group dealerships were routinely deceiving consumers by forcing thousands of dollars in illegal junk fees onto car prices and for discriminating against Black and Latino consumers with higher financing costs and fees.
Passport, its president, Everett Hellmuth, and its vice president, Jay Klein, will pay more than $3.3 million to settle the FTC’s lawsuit. The settlement money will be used to refund impacted consumers.
Passport Automotive Group operates nine dealerships in 2022:
Passport Toyota
MINI of Alexandria
Passport Nissan of Alexandria
Passport INFINITI of Alexandria
MINI of Montgomery County
Passport BMW
Passport INFINITI of Suitland
Passport Mazda
Passport Nissan
“With this action against Passport and its top executives, the Commission is continuing its crackdown on junk fees and discriminatory practices that harm Black and Latino consumers,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “As families struggle with rising prices, companies that think they can hit consumers with hidden fees should think again.”
The FTC’s investigation found that at Passport dealerships, Black and Latino consumers paid on average $235 to $291 more in interest than non-Latino white consumers did. It also alleges that Black and Latino consumers were charged an extra fee 42 percent more often.
The FTC announced that it is taking the following enforcement actions:
Fining Passport Automotive Group $3.3 million
Prohibiting Passport from charging different groups different markups
Prohibiting them from deceiving consumers about prices and fees
The Commission vote to file the complaint was 4-1. Interestingly, one Commission member, Noah Joshua Phillips, voted no on the motion.
Passport Auto Group In Trouble Again
In 2018, the FTC alleged that Passport Auto Group issued fake “urgent recall” notices to consumers to lure them to visit dealerships. According to the FTC, the vast majority of the vehicles covered by the notices did not have open recalls.
Will Passport Auto Group’s second run-in with the FTC be enough to put an end to deceptive, anti-consumer practices? $3.3 million is quite the hefty fine.
Interest rates are rising, and inflation is at record highs, but deals can still be had when buying a new car. Every month, the team at CarEdge pores over the latest offers from every automaker. The result is a one-stop resource to share the very best new car deals with you.
Not finding what you’re looking for? We’ve included links to each automaker’s website. Check back frequently, as this living page will be updated regularly.
Check out these other CarEdge car buying resources:
Hyundai lease offers this month are good, but the amount due at signing has increased this month.
Hyundai Venue: $151 per month with $3,281 due Hyundai Elantra: $219 per month with $3,299 due Hyundai Kona: $209 per month with $3,999 due Hyundai Tucson: $279 per month with $3,999 due Hyundai Santa Fe: $269 per month with $3,999 due
Nissan Altima: $199 per month for 18 months with $2,309 due Nissan Leaf: $269 per month for 36 months with $5,259 due Nissan Rogue (AWD): $299 per month for 36 months with $3,459 due Nissan Murano (FWD): $299/month for 24 months with $2,099 due
With interest rates rising and inflation putting pressure on automakers and their dealer networks, the only thing that could bring better new car deals would be plummeting demand. We’ve seen signs of weakening demand and higher new car inventory, but nothing considered drastic. Expect auto loan interest rates to climb in 2023. The best car deals in February won’t last.
Buying a Car Soon? Check Out These Other Resources
After reaching record highs in June, gas prices fell by 25% by September. Now, gas prices are on the rise again. Why are gas prices going up? Blame supply and demand. However, there’s a bit more to the story this time around.
Production Cuts Push Crude Oil Prices Higher
In June, crude oil prices had climbed to $120 per barrel as the war in Ukraine complicated operations and oil exports for Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer. In 2021, imports from Russia accounted for 8% of all U.S. petroleum imports. As Russia’s military invaded Ukraine, the United States decided to ban all Russian oil and gas imports.
Oil prices climbed, and the national average topped out at $5.01 for a gallon of gas. To relieve supply shortages, the U.S. decided to release 180 million barrels of crude oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves in July. Oil prices fell, and gas prices dropped at the quickest pace ever.
But gas prices are now more than twenty cents higher than September lows. As of the time of this writing, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.92. See today’s gas prices at AAA. With crude oil prices increasing almost daily, $4 gas prices are likely to return.
Crude oil prices from May to October 2022.
Why are gas prices going up? On October 5, the world’s largest oil cartel decided to cut oil production for no reason other than to prop up prices.
In early October, OPEC+ announced that it would cut daily oil output by 2 million barrels. Globally, roughly 80 million barrels of oil are produced each day, but the markets decided this is a lot more than a drop in the bucket.
Who Is OPEC+?
OPEC+ refers to the 13 nations in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and 11 non-OPEC partner countries. The OPEC+ group was created in 2016 with the stated goal of working together to adjust crude oil production to bring stability to the oil market. In other words, OPEC+ exists to keep global crude oil prices where they want them.
OPEC+ countries hold 90% of the world’s proven crude oil reserves. With such power of the market, they have the capability to disrupt or enhance the supply of crude oil. Global oil markets pay close attention to the actions of OPEC+.
The OPEC+ oil cartel consists of the following oil-producing nations.
OPEC core members:
Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.
OPEC+ members:
Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, South Sudan, Sudan and Oman
When Will Gas Prices Go Down?
Holiday travel drives up oil demand.
In order for gas prices to go down, either oil supply will have to increase, or demand will have to decrease. With just one month before the Thanksgiving travel holiday, demand is likely to increase in the weeks ahead, driving prices towards $4 per gallon.
If oil demand follows pre-pandemic historical trends, we could see softening demand from January to April. Peak oil demand is historically during summer and holiday travel months, with weaker demand in the winter and spring. Unless the government and domestic producers can find a way to bring down prices before then, that might be the next time gas prices drop back below current levels.
The United States meets 65% of its oil demand through domestic production. Ten years ago, 40% of America’s oil consumption was supplied domestically. The U.S. is producing more oil than ever before, but it continues to export millions of barrels to other countries. Regulators are surely looking into how they could send more domestic oil to American refineries.
Here’s How to Save Money On Gas
We created a special resource to help drivers save money on fuel expenses. These are the top ways you can save on gas:
Right now is a tough time to be in the market for a new or used vehicle, but remember to consider fuel economy next time you’re shopping for a new ride. For the average commuter, the difference between 25 MPG and 45 MPG can be over $1,000 per year in fuel savings.
CarEdge Insights
