{"salary":45000,"assumptions":{"mode":"buy","state":null,"down_payment_pct":20,"loan_term_months":48,"apr_pct":6.5,"annual_miles":13500},"budgets":{"conservative":{"pct_of_gross_income":10,"max_vehicle_price":3500,"max_total_monthly_cost":375,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":120,"insurance":100,"maintenance":60,"registration":20,"total":300},"est_monthly_payment":75},"comfortable":{"pct_of_gross_income":15,"max_vehicle_price":13500,"max_total_monthly_cost":563,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":120,"insurance":100,"maintenance":60,"registration":20,"total":300},"est_monthly_payment":263},"aggressive":{"pct_of_gross_income":20,"max_vehicle_price":21000,"max_total_monthly_cost":750,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":134,"insurance":114,"maintenance":70,"registration":22,"total":340},"est_monthly_payment":410}},"recommended_max_price":13500,"example_vehicles":[],"summary":"On a $45,000 salary you can comfortably afford a vehicle up to about $13,500 (purchase price), keeping total car costs at 15% of gross income. Conservative (10%): $3,500. Stretch (20%): $21,000.","methodology":"Total monthly car cost (payment + fuel + insurance + maintenance + registration) is capped at 10/15/20% of gross monthly income; operating costs are subtracted and the remainder is converted to a vehicle price using standard amortization (or a lease residual/money-factor model). Estimates only, not financial advice.","calculator_url":"https://cashpedal.io/affordability?salary=45000","source":"Cash Pedal"}