{"salary":55000,"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":8000,"max_total_monthly_cost":458,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":120,"insurance":100,"maintenance":60,"registration":20,"total":300},"est_monthly_payment":158},"comfortable":{"pct_of_gross_income":15,"max_vehicle_price":18500,"max_total_monthly_cost":688,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":128,"insurance":108,"maintenance":66,"registration":21,"total":323},"est_monthly_payment":365},"aggressive":{"pct_of_gross_income":20,"max_vehicle_price":27500,"max_total_monthly_cost":917,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":150,"insurance":130,"maintenance":80,"registration":25,"total":385},"est_monthly_payment":532}},"recommended_max_price":18500,"example_vehicles":[],"summary":"On a $55,000 salary you can comfortably afford a vehicle up to about $18,500 (purchase price), keeping total car costs at 15% of gross income. Conservative (10%): $8,000. Stretch (20%): $27,500.","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=55000","source":"Cash Pedal"}