$5 AUTO LOANS

How much would you pay back over 4 years for every $5 borrowed?

$5 is used as a fixed reference to isolate the impact of auto loan rates on borrowing costs. Using historical US 48-month new-auto loan rates, this page shows how much you would have paid back over four years on a constant $5 loan. The amount borrowed never changes. Only the rate does.

$5 Borrowed

$5.00

Total paid over 4 years

$5.79

48-month auto loan rate

7.42%

1972Total repaid on a $5, 48-month auto loan2026

Y-axis — Total paid over 4 years ($)

Year

2026

Auto loan rate

7.42%

Total paid

$5.79

Source: Federal Reserve / G.19 Consumer Credit — Finance Rate on Consumer Installment Loans at Commercial Banks, New Autos, 48-Month Loan, monthly, via FRED (series TERMCBAUTO48NS). Annual figures are the arithmetic mean of all available monthly observations within each calendar year; 2026 reflects partial-year data and is revised as new readings arrive.

Each point shows the total amount repaid on a $5, 48-month auto loan using that year's historical US 48-month new-auto finance rate. The $5 principal stays constant, so changes in the result come entirely from changes in auto loan rates.

Monthly payments are calculated using the standard fixed-rate amortization formula and multiplied by 48 payments to determine the total amount paid over the full 4-year term.