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You often find loan companies advertising low
interest car loans, even 0%,
Zero percent interest? Who wouldn't jump at that? And we’re
saying that you should jump at it, as long you can handle the
term. It is often the case (but not always), that in order to
get 0% financing; you will have to agree to a shorter-term loan,
sometimes as short as 24 or 36 months. This means that your payments
are going to be quite high. Of course, it also means you'll have
the loan paid off relatively quickly (compared to the more common
48- to 60-month term). We have put a list together of few other
things that may come between you and a 0% rate:
In addition to the usual shorter term of the
loan, you have to qualify for that low interest car loan. In most
cases, if your credit score is lower than 680, you won't be able
to get the lowest rate.
You may be limited to buying from what's in
the car show room, rather than being able to order a car with
the exact features you want.
Know that by going for the low interest car
loan rate you usually lose the cash rebate. It's one deal or the
other -- not both.
In many cases you're better off taking the rebate
and getting your car loan elsewhere at a higher rate:
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2.9% Dealer Financing |
Take the Rebate & Finance Elsewhere |
| Car Price |
£20,000 |
£20,000 |
| Trade-in Value |
£2,000 |
£2,000 |
| Rebate |
£0 |
£3,000 |
| Amount Of Loan |
$18,000 |
£15,000 |
| Term (months) |
60 |
60 |
| Interest Rate (APR) |
2.9% |
5.9% |
| Monthly Payment |
£322.64 |
£289.29 |
| Total Cost of Loan |
£19,358.65 |
£17,358.49 |
To figure out which is the better
deal between taking the cash rebate or the low APR, use a car
loan calculator. Don't forget to try the same calculation taking
the rebate and financing with your bank or loan company.
The smart thing to do is to visit the manufacturer's
Web site before you go to the dealership so you know what special
deals are being offered directly from the manufacturer. Check
out some of our recommended low interest car loan sites.
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