TripleDES

Attached is a simple loan calculator that you can use to estimate total cost of purchase, total interest and most importantly, monthly payments. It's in Excel format and if you have a PDA (Microsoft PocketPC or Windows Mobile) it's a great tool to have when you're at the dealer.

I modified it from a calculator I found on http://www.carbuyingtips.com/ which happens to be an excellent resource for potential buyers.

Here are the variables you need to change:

State Sales Tax Rate (%) - You need to include taxes and fees here as well. I find that adding about 1% to your sales tax is pretty accurate. For example, I'm in Los Angeles county, CA so my sales tax is 8.25% of the vehicle so I use 9.25% in this field.

Selling Price of car - Cost before any miscellaneous taxes and fees

Rebate - Enter any manufacturer rebates

Down Payment - Up front $$ out of pocket. You can use this field for your trade-in value instead if needed.

Adjustment (+/-) - Use this field for added costs such as an extended warrantee or additional options at the time of purchase. This field is slightly confusing. If you pay $2200 for an extended warrantee, enter the number as a negative value (-2200).

Loan Years - Enter number of years

Interest Rate (APR) - Enter interest rate

Hope this helps all the prospectives out there!!