How much car can I afford?

A common guideline is to keep your total car costs, including payment, insurance, fuel and maintenance, to around 10 to 15 percent of your take-home pay, though it depends on your other debts and goals. Start from a monthly number you are comfortable with, not the most a lender will approve. On OffLot, the "What can I afford?" tool on each vehicle page works back from a monthly budget to an estimated price.