Compare a cash-back rebate with a low-interest APR offer over the same payoff term. See which path has the lower estimated total cost.
$32,000 over 60 months
Ask for the out-the-door price and financing terms in writing. Dealer incentives can depend on credit approval, model rules, fees, tax treatment, add-ons, offer dates, and whether the rebate can be combined with other financing.
Compare a dealer cash-back rebate with a low APR offer.
See whether a larger rebate beats a lower rate over your payoff term.
Compare total cost before judging the deal by monthly payment.
Check the math before reading the official incentive terms.
Low-interest offer saves about $1,646.59
Cash-back offer saves about $1,517.89
Cash-back offer saves about $1,982.19
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Plain-language answers about when to use the estimate, what your numbers mean, what is left out, and how privacy works.
Use it when you want to test the exact inputs on this page: Compare a dealer cash-back rebate with a low APR offer. See whether a larger rebate beats a lower rate over your payoff term. The result is a check against your assumptions, not proof that a lender, tax app, broker, platform, or provider will use the same number.
Purchase amount means the agreed price being compared before this simple calculator applies the rebate math. Taxes, fees, down payment, trade-in, and add-ons are not included unless you fold them into the amount yourself. Payoff term means the number of months both offers use, such as 36, 48, 60, or 72 months. Cash back percent means the rebate percent for the cash-back path, entered as 4 for 4%, not 0.04. APR with cash back means the annual percentage rate used when you take the rebate instead of the special low-rate offer. Low-interest APR means the promotional APR used when you skip the rebate and take the lower-rate financing offer.
Choose the option with the lower total cost after you use the same price and same payoff term. A low APR can win on a long loan, but a large rebate can win on a short loan or when the rate gap is small.
No. This calculator compares the incentive math only. Use the Auto Loan Calculator for a fuller car-payment estimate that includes tax, fees, down payment, and trade-in value.
Yes. If the rebate is large enough, the loan is short enough, or your outside financing is close to the promo APR, cash back may cost less overall. The calculator is built to test that exact tradeoff.
In plain language: The calculator estimates total paid with the cash-back APR, subtracts the rebate value, then compares that net cost with the total paid under the low-interest APR. For the $32,000 example, the 4% rebate is $1,280. The calculator compares the cash-back loan total after subtracting that rebate with the 3.9% low-interest total paid.
Read the winner first, then check estimated savings, cash-back value, cash-back net cost, and low-interest total cost. The monthly payment can be useful, but total cost decides the winner here.
This is a simplified offer comparison. It does not include taxes, dealer fees, add-ons, trade-in rules, model restrictions, offer expiration dates, credit approval, or rebate eligibility rules. Get the out-the-door price and financing terms in writing before relying on the estimate. FTC and CFPB guidance both warn that incentives, APR, add-ons, and monthly payment framing can change the real deal.
Check that both offers use the same price and payoff term. Then read the dealer rules for credit approval, model limits, rebate eligibility, taxes, add-ons, offer dates, and whether the rebate can be combined with outside financing.
No. The calculator runs in your browser tab. Recent answers stay only on the page while you use it, and they are not sent to a server.