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US auto loans in Q3 2025: Experian’s data on who pays what

© A. Krivonosov
Experian’s Q3 2025 data show US auto loan payments averaging $748, with costs driven by credit tiers and rates. Compare new vs used, what affects your bill.
Michael Powers, Editor

Auto loans in the United States keep getting more expensive alongside car prices: according to a new Experian report analyzed by SPEEDME.RU, in Q3 2025 the average monthly payment for a new vehicle reached $748. On paper that’s just $1 lower than the previous quarter, but $12 higher than a year earlier. The average new-car loan amount climbed to $42,332—evidence that the pandemic-era price surge still hasn’t unwound.

Notably, the highest average payment didn’t fall to the riskiest borrowers but to the near-prime middle group with credit scores of 601–660: $793 a month on an average loan of $44,526 and a term of roughly 75 months. Super prime borrowers (781–850) had the lowest payment at $727, helped by a gentler 4.88% rate. Deep subprime (300–500) paid the same $748 on average, but faced the steepest 15.85% rate and a smaller average balance of $35,286.

The used market isn’t much easier: the average payment for a pre-owned vehicle came in at $532 with an average loan of $27,128. Deep subprime borrowers on the secondhand side paid about $556, with rates around 21.60% and an average loan of $21,149.

The takeaway is straightforward: the final monthly note depends most on credit standing and lender terms. Given how widely rates diverge by tier, comparing financing up front can do more for the budget than anything else—then it’s easier to choose the car.