U.S. car payments now average about $760 a month, as the average new-car price has passed $50,000, up 33% since 2020.

To cope, more buyers are taking longer loans: one-third now finance cars for 72 months or more, with some stretching to 85–100 months.

A $50,000 loan at 5% drops from about $950 a month over five years to around $600 over 100 months, but total interest rises above $11,000.