{"salary":70000,"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":14500,"max_total_monthly_cost":583,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":120,"insurance":100,"maintenance":60,"registration":20,"total":300},"est_monthly_payment":283},"comfortable":{"pct_of_gross_income":15,"max_vehicle_price":26000,"max_total_monthly_cost":875,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":146,"insurance":126,"maintenance":78,"registration":24,"total":374},"est_monthly_payment":501},"aggressive":{"pct_of_gross_income":20,"max_vehicle_price":37500,"max_total_monthly_cost":1167,"est_monthly_operating_costs":{"fuel":165,"insurance":155,"maintenance":100,"registration":30,"total":450},"est_monthly_payment":717}},"recommended_max_price":26000,"example_vehicles":[{"year":2027,"make":"Hyundai","model":"Kona","type":"suv","base_msrp":25500,"est_monthly_payment":484,"budget_tier":"comfortable"},{"year":2027,"make":"Kia","model":"Seltos","type":"suv","base_msrp":24990,"est_monthly_payment":474,"budget_tier":"comfortable"},{"year":2027,"make":"Toyota","model":"Corolla","type":"sedan","base_msrp":23325,"est_monthly_payment":443,"budget_tier":"comfortable"},{"year":2027,"make":"Nissan","model":"Sentra","type":"sedan","base_msrp":22890,"est_monthly_payment":434,"budget_tier":"comfortable"}],"summary":"On a $70,000 salary you can comfortably afford a vehicle up to about $26,000 (purchase price), keeping total car costs at 15% of gross income. Conservative (10%): $14,500. Stretch (20%): $37,500.","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=70000","source":"Cash Pedal"}