Make fat car-loan down payment to get best rate?

WAIT!!! Do not put that money down on a new car, got to a online source for auto listings, and find a 12-14k BY OWNER car and get a good deal, pay the cash and have NO car payment and little loss as you drive your almost new find without all the rip off fees and taxes and dealer prep and lastly the finance charges. Thats how you buy a car these days. I did the new car thing years ago, no more, I own all my vehicles, I bought a SUV worth 10k for 6k. It was a 48k ride when it was new.

This is really bad advice your interest payment is not determined by how much money you put down it's determined by your credit score. Putting money down only reduces your monthly payment. Wait until a dealer offers a 0% interest rate then invest your down payment elsewhere.

reads like an ad. so, is it better to put down a big down payment or not?

I have a history of refusing to put any money down on a car and still get a good rate! Why because they want to sell you the car and if your credit is decent you will get a good rate anyway. Don't go into the car dealership with a "sucker" sign posted on your forehead..go in and drive a hard bargain, make them work for it, make them miserable...I've been doing this for 30 years and I get the car and a good rate...sometimes it's just so that I will get out of their dealership...I've been known to make car salesman cry!!!..

Use the 8000 and buy a good used car. Almost all cars depreciate 1/3 in the first year anyway.

I retired after 30 years in the car business. When you buy a new car on the average it depreciates between 20-25% when you drive it off the lot. In 3 years it has deprecated 50% from the window sticker. Most people finance a new vehicle for 60 months. With no money down and driving average miles per year (15,000) it takes about 43 payments to be even in your vehicle at trade in value. Most people like to trade in at about 3 years. That is why you always owe more than the trade in value is worth. If you put 25% down plus your taxes and plate fees and drive average miles you should be able to trade in after 3 years and at least be even in your trade.

Just buy lease returns from a respectable dealer ,saves you lots of money in the end, but if you want the fresh new car smell well... know what you getting into in 3 years.

If you have good credit just go for the 0% interest offers. At 0% just figure out how much you can afford every month. My last purchase was 0 down, 0% and $2500 cash back.

Bad credit, cash is always better.

Another worthless article on Yahoo?