You’ve just found the perfect new Ford and can’t wait to drive it home. You’ve chosen to go the financing route, but now you’re faced with the question: How much should I put down on my new Ford? We’re here to help you answer that question — and make the financing process seamless and stress-free! How Much Should I Put Down? When you finance a vehicle, the down payment is an amount of money you pay upfront that partially covers the vehicle’s cost. Making a down payment on a car lowers the amount of the loan, so the bigger the down payment, the smaller the loan. Kelley Blue Book recommends putting 20% down or more, if you can. As an example, if you choose a vehicle that costs $35,000, the recommended down payment would be $7,000. NerdWallet also recommends making at least a 20% down payment on a new car, and at least a 10% down payment on a used car. Why Make a Larger Down Payment? There are several benefits of making a down payment, and a large down payment can help you even more. Besides having a smaller auto loan to pay off, here are some of the additional benefits that a down payment can offer you: Boosts Your Chance of Financing Approval A bigger down payment gives shoppers with zero or poor credit a better shot at financing the vehicle they want. A significant down payment indicates that you’re less of a risk to the lender. While approval is not guaranteed, you have a greater chance with a larger down payment. Lowers Your Monthly Car Payment A bigger down payment results in a smaller monthly car payment. In fact, according to NerdWallet, every $1,000 in the down payment can lower the monthly car payment by $15-$18. Reduces Your Loan-to-Value Ratio A down payment can also reduce your loan-to-value ratio (LTV). LTV compares the amount you're borrowing with the value of the vehicle, and the amount you can borrow is limited. LTV limits vary per lender, so you may have to make a higher down payment in order to be approved. Keeps You From Becoming Upside Down Being upside down on a car loan means that you owe more than the vehicle is worth. According to NerdWallet, a new vehicle can lose about 20% of its value in the first year. Making a down payment that’s less than 20% could result in being upside down — a situation you don’t want to find yourself in. What Can You Use for a Down Payment on a New Car? You can choose to make a down payment simply with cash, but be careful that you don’t jeopardize your savings. While making a large down payment can be helpful, Kelley Blue Book warns against using emergency savings to make the down payment bigger. It’s important to have money on hand for the unexpected, so you don’t want to wipe your savings out. The good news is that paying cash isn’t the only way to make a down payment — you can also use the value of your trade-in, if you have one. Curious how much your vehicle is worth? Value your trade on our website today! No matter what you drive, you can count on Santee Ford for a fair trade-in offer that you can apply to your next car, truck, or SUV purchase! Buy or Lease Your New Car With Santee Ford Ready to upgrade to a new Ford near Sumter? Whether you want to finance or lease your next vehicle, let’s start the process today! Check out our payment calculator to estimate your monthly payment, and don’t forget to ask us about the latest new Ford specials to see if you can save even more on your Ford of choice. Our Ford finance team will go over your options with you and help you find a payment plan that makes sense for you. Whether you still can’t decide how much to put down or have questions about your car’s trade-in value, feel free to contact us — we’re happy to help. Whenever you’re ready, stop by our Ford dealership in Manning for a test drive or to trade in your car!
