Car
How Much Car Can I Afford? The Complete Guide to Setting Your Budget
Use the 20/4/10 rule and real cost-of-ownership data to figure out the car budget that fits your life. Includes financing traps to avoid and dealer tactics to watch for.
Buying a Car
See the true cost before you sign
Free Calculators
New vs Used Total Cost Calculator
5-year TCO comparison: purchase price + financing + insurance + maintenance + depreciation. Shows true cost per mile.
Lease vs Buy Analyzer
Side-by-side comparison with mileage penalty modeling, equity building, and end-of-term options. Shows breakeven scenario.
EV vs Gas Calculator
5-year TCO with fuel savings, tax credits, charging costs, battery degradation, insurance differences. Enter your commute + electricity rate.
Payment vs Price Translator
The dealer says $450/month. Here's what that ACTUALLY costs you. Shows total with interest at different term lengths.
Latest Guides
View all guides Car
Should I Lease or Buy a Car? A Complete Financial Comparison
Lease vs buy: we break down the total 5-year cost, equity, mileage limits, insurance, and tax differences so you can pick the right move for your situation.
Car
The True Cost of Owning a Car: Beyond the Sticker Price
Owning a car costs over $12,000 per year on average. Here's the full breakdown of every cost -- depreciation, insurance, gas, maintenance, and more -- with 5-year TCO comparisons.
Tools & Quizzes
Free Resource
The Car Buying Cheat Sheet
Negotiation scripts, dealer markup decoder, total cost spreadsheet, trade-in value research guide
- Dealer negotiation scripts
- Markup decoder guide
- Total cost of ownership spreadsheet
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