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auto loan

auto loan

5 3.0
Money you borrow to buy a car that you pay back with interest over a set time
  • noun
  • /ˈɔːtoʊ loʊn/
  • US
translation icon : préstamo de automóvil
  • He financed his new car with an auto loan that he plans to pay off within five years.
  • subprime auto loans

This is particularly the case for subprime auto loans where buyers are paying high prices for low quality cars.

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Examples

  • Your stretch goal should be to pay off your auto loan in two years or less.

  • So how do you get rid of an expensive auto loan when you can no longer afford your car?

    Blog text (18)
  • There are many options that you can explore, and getting private party auto loans is one of those options.

    Blog text (22)
  • First, monthly payments can vary significantly from person to person depending on the auto loan rate granted.

    Blog text (18)
  • Instead, they should first pay off expensive debt (such as credit cards and auto loans) as quickly as possible.

    Blog text (23)
  • This is particularly the case for subprime auto loans where buyers are paying high prices for low quality cars.

  • Auto loans to subprime borrowers have increased dramatically since 2008.

    Academic text (2016)
  • Auto lenders issued over $145 billion in subprime auto loans in the first quarter of 2014 compared with only about $120 billion in all of 2013.

    Academic text (2016)
  • Many people choose an auto loan to help finance their new vehicle purchase.

  • To get the best deal, you should compare interest rates before taking out an auto loan.

Synonyms

car loan
vsauto loan
10 2.1

Money you borrow to buy a car

focuses on repayment over a fixed period with interest
automobile loan
vsauto loan
1 2.9

A loan to buy a car that you pay back with interest over time

is the shorter, more informal version of the same term
installment loan
vsauto loan
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A loan you repay with regular equal payments over time

is used for vehicle purchases whereas this is a general repayment method

How Large

home equity loan
  • Specialized
6 3.7
auto loan
  • US
5 3.0
personal loan
  • Specialized
7 2.6
credit card
711 1.0

Surface Forms

auto loan singular
auto loans plural

Morphology

auto + loan

The meaning 'a loan to purchase a car' is directly compositional from 'auto' (car) + 'loan' (borrowed money). This noun–noun compound follows a common and transparent pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Auto loan comes from auto, short for 'car', and loan, meaning 'money you borrow'. Imagine a dealer lets you drive the car now while you pay the borrowed money back over time, and that's why auto loan means 'a loan to buy a car'.