You have to meet minimum loan-to-value (LTV) amounts to qualify for certain loans. Generally if you have a 20% LTV (20% of principle paid up front) you should quality for the best rate. Beyond that it's a function of what you want to pay now and what you want to pay later. I think the main point is that if you don't put money down towards the car, be sure to do something useful with it. Otherwise it would've been better spent on paying down the car. Small variations in interest rates amount a couple grand over the life of the loan, which may or may not be much depending on your situation.
|