Car Purchase Planner — Know the out-the-door price before you sign.
The cars you’re weighing side by side, the real total with taxes, title, registration and insurance, and every step from the shortlist and test drives to the inspection, the paperwork and the keys.
- Free to start
- No sign-up to try
- Plan together
Everything in one plan
The listings, the history report, the inspection and the paperwork usually live in four places. Here they’re one.
Includes a purchase checklist.
Idea board
Weigh the cars side by side.
A CR-V from a private seller, an Outback instead, a Prius for the commute, a warranty, an independent inspection — and the MX-5 you’re not buying. Keep each with a photo, a price and a note.
“The history report is clean, so the offer is $15,400 after the inspection.”A car on the board of the “Used car, cash” example
- Cars, inspections and warranties on one board
- Track each one: considering, researching, shortlisted
- Pass on the ones that won’t work, without losing them
Idea board 1/2
Out-the-door budget
The real price, not the sticker.
The price you negotiate, then taxes, title and registration, the inspection and history report, the insurance binder and the first tank — so the total you plan for is the total you pay.
$17,230 · Vehicle cash $15,400 · Taxes and fees $1,350 · Cars and test drives $220The “Used car, cash” example’s budget
- Cash, finance, lease and trade-in
- Negotiating, test driven and purchased
Out-the-door budget 1/2
Timeline
From the shortlist to the keys.
Shortlist, history report, VIN recall check, test drives, the pre-purchase inspection, the title and lien check — then the bill of sale, collecting the car, the first tank and the recall alerts after.
Shortlist: CR-V, Outback or Prius · Test drive the CR-V and the Outback · Bill of sale and signed-over titleThe “Used car, cash” example’s timeline
- Every check dated back from the day you buy
- Title, plates and registration followed up
Shortlist to test drive 1/2
Recommendations
What to check before you hand over the money.
What a used car really costs after inspection and the finance desk, what a pre-purchase inspection checks, which model years and mileages last, what to inspect before signing, and how to negotiate. Open one and it answers for your plan, with its own numbers and dates.
Which model years and mileages last as long as this car needs toA guide in the “Used car, cash” example’s recommendations
- Inspection, history and negotiation
- Add your town for local picks
A guide, answered 2/2
About the Car Purchase Planner
The sticker price is only part of what a car costs to buy. This planner lays out the all-in number: purchase price, sales tax, registration and title, the first insurance payment, financing costs, and first-month setup — so the real total is on the table before you sign.
Track it as a budget with a buying checklist and deadlines, edit each line in place, and compare against your financing. Save and share the plan.
What you can do
- All-in cost: price, taxes, registration, insurance, financing, setup
- Buying checklist and key deadlines
- Edit every line in place against your real quotes
- Save, share, CSV, and PDF export
- Reuse the plan for the next vehicle
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a buy-vs-lease calculator?
No. Buy-vs-lease compares two financing paths. This plans the all-in budget of an actual purchase — price, taxes, registration, insurance, and setup — once you have decided to buy.
Related calculators
Other planning tools that pair well with the Car Purchase Planner.
Photos by Jorge Saavedra and Viral Vanani on Unsplash.