2nd car purchase - 23 college student, $2k down, $626 fico, $4k monthly take-home

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Hi all. I need a vehicle as I commute to school (in-person class 5 days/week) and do a combo of nannying and delivery service for extra income. My primary income is content creation and academic internships/research positions - I average $4k/month. For the past year, I've been spending stupid amounts on Ubers/rental cars/metro (easily 100+/week in and out of DC suburbs) to get around, and that money would've been better spent on a car of my own. I grew up poor and most of my family is bad with money, so I don't really have personal guidance on making a well informed loan purchase. This would be my 2nd time buying a car - I bought a 2013 Equinox for $10k in 2020 and sold it in 2021 for $8k as my family was getting evicted and needed the cash.

Here are my purchase goals:

  • all inclusive pricing under $16,500, $350 monthly payment, 12% APR @ 60 months
  • local buy (drive it home)
  • AWD SUV under 70,000 miles
  • 2017 and newer Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and some Kia's
  • one owner, no accidents, clean title

Here's the car I've had my eye on:

  • 2021 Mazda CX-30 Select AWD
  • $16,300, 67,000 miles
  • Capital One pre-qualification: $345 monthly, 11.27%APR, 60 months
  • Dealership website estimate: $419 monthly, 19.79%APR, 60 months

Are these realistic purchase goals and is this a good buy? Which loan quote is most accurate, is CapOne's just advertisement and vibes? I plan to refinance with my credit union in 3 months anyways, but I don't feel like I have much leverage walking into the dealership to negotiate with. I'm still a bit confused about dealership added fees - I expect to pay for titling, registration, and sales tax, but there seems to be processing fees and other things I'm not familiar with. What would you recommend?

Posted Mar 14, 2026, 6:33 AM UTC

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