84-Month Loans and $806 Payments Define the 2026 Car Market
New data from JD Power and the New York Auto Forum show the 2026 auto market is increasingly defined by long-term financing: average new-car payments have risen to about $806, with 72-month loans making up 40% of sales and 84-month loans about 13%. The typical shopper is chasing monthly payments, not sticker price, as average transaction prices hover around $45,800 while incentives rise and fuel costs bounce. The result is higher interest costs and often little equity on trade-ins, even as a wave of lease returns could ease used-car prices later this year.
