What kind of vehicle do you have in mind? A sleek sedan for getting around town? A versatile SUV for weekend travels? Perhaps something sporty.
Whatever it is, it’s a lot easier to choose the perfect ride when you know what you can afford. That’s where the Drive® Budget Customizer comes into play. Our handy tool enables you to learn about and tailor your financing options to help you buy your car on your terms.
Start with your pre-qualification
If you’ve completed our pre-qualification step and got the green light (high five!), the first thing to do is check out your financing amount. If you haven’t yet completed a pre-qualification, no worries! It’s quick and easy. All we ask for are some basic details and there’s no impact on your credit score.
Choose your ideal terms
A pre-qualification is a great start but what makes it even better is the chance to customize the different parts of the loan to best fit your budget. The Drive Customizer gives you several levers you can adjust, including your monthly payment budget, down payment and the loan duration, so you can see how they impact your vehicle options in real time.
Go ahead and move them up and down to see how they affect each other and work for your budget. For example, if you increase the length of the loan from 60 to 75 months, while the other parts of the loan stay the same, your monthly payment will likely be lower. Shorten the loan duration, and the monthly payment could go up.
You can also click on our tool tip icons to better understand how each part of the loan impacts your financing.
Shop cars
Once you’re happy with the numbers, it’s time to see what they might buy you! Click “Shop Cars” to view all of the vehicles that hit your budget and find the perfect fit for you.
When you find a vehicle of interest, we provide you with the information you need to decide if it’s the one. By clicking on a vehicle, you can browse photos and features to learn more about the car, and utilize the Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor to see how the car is priced compared to the market.
Keep in mind that you can still customize your financing, whether for a particular vehicle or all the vehicles in your selection. You can also favorite the vehicles you like most.
See your financing summary
At this stage, you’re probably picturing yourself in some of the great vehicles available and want to know more about the financing. When viewing a vehicle, go to the “Summary” section for an overview of how your loan is taking shape.
Besides your monthly payment, down payment and loan duration, you can get your annual percentage rate (APR), an estimate for a trade-in vehicle, if you have one, see your taxes and fees and the updated loan amount.
Get your rate and go!
Decided on that special vehicle and terms to match? Select “Get this rate” to save the details. We’ll send them right across to the dealership so they’re ready for you when you arrive.
Now, you’re all set to visit the dealer, take a test drive and move forward with a purchase made easy! If all of your details check out, you’ll receive the same rate you saw on your customized pre-qualified offer.
