Auto Finance Numbers Set Records

New-vehicle financing trends hit record highs in the third quarter, according to Edmunds data.

“What we’re seeing in the data is a remarkable display of consumer resilience against a very stretched financing landscape,” said Edmunds Head of Insights Jessica Caldwell.

The average amount financed for a new vehicle rose $1,920 year-over-year to $44,664, and monthly payments rose with it.

Despite about 26% of loan terms being stretched to 84 months or longer, the average monthly payment rose $31 year-over-year to $787. Among new-vehicle loans, a record 21% of borrowers had monthly payments of $1,000 or more.

And for used-vehicle loans, borrowers hit a new high of $1,000-plus monthly payments at nearly 7%.

Despite interest rates holding flat in the quarter, the average total interest paid over the life of a financed new-vehicle purchase reached $9,938, a nearly $500 increase over last year.

But consumers are adapting, according to Caldwell.

“They’re allocating more of their household budgets to their vehicles, stretching out their loan terms, and becoming more proactive about shopping around for financing to find ways to make the numbers work,” she said.