In a long way: the average term of car loans reached a record six years
The average term of a car loan increased by almost six months and reached a record six years, according to data from the Design Bureau, which was studied by Izvestia. First of all, this is due to the rise in car prices. The average loan amount approached 1.6 million rubles, the highest in the entire history of observations, and the monthly payment increased to 36 thousand. Due to the Central Bank's restrictions, it is especially difficult to obtain such a loan for Russians who already have other debt obligations, such as mortgages. How to increase the chances of loan approval and how much more cars can rise in price before the end of the year — in the Izvestia article.
Why is the term of car loans increasing
Car loans are becoming more and more long-term obligations for Russians. The average term of such loans has reached six years and is fixed at this level, according to data from the United Credit Bureau (OKB). At the same time, the loan size is also increasing — it has approached 1.6 million rubles.
The trend is confirmed by market participants. Over the past year, the average term of a car loan issued at Sberbank has increased by 10 months and has already exceeded six years, the bank's press service reported. The maximum loan term was increased to 10 years.
The main reason for the extension of loans is the rising cost of cars, explained Natalia Bogomolova, senior director of NRA ratings of financial institutions. According to Frank RG, over the past six years, the weighted average price of a new car in Russia has increased by about 2.4 times, from 1.5 million rubles in 2020 to 3.5 million in 2026. In the secondary market, the figure increased from 0.5 million to 1.2 million rubles. To keep the monthly payment at an acceptable level, banks extend the loan term.
At the same time, buyers' incomes do not keep up with rising prices, and loans themselves remain expensive, said Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Global. In such conditions, an increase in the term allows you to simultaneously compensate for the rise in car prices and the high interest rate.
As the cost of the car increases, the buyer has three main options: increase the initial payment, choose a more affordable model, or apply for a loan for a longer period, explained Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets. In practice, borrowers often choose the latter option. However, this only reduces the financial burden: the total overpayment and the duration of debt obligations increase.
The real car loan rate, including the cost of insurance and additional contributions, is now about 17%. At this rate, a loan of 1.6 million rubles for a period of six years assumes a monthly payment of about 36 thousand rubles. A year earlier, the average amount of a car loan was 1.4 million rubles, and the term was five and a half years. According to OKB, the rates have not changed significantly since then, but with last year's parameters, the monthly payment would have been about 33 thousand rubles, about 8% less.
Why are car prices rising?
One of the reasons for the rise in car prices was the increase in recycling. Its rates began to increase gradually from October 2024. For imported cars, the commercial fee, depending on the engine capacity, can already range from several hundred thousand to more than 2 million rubles. Importers include these costs in the final cost. In the future, the rates will continue to be indexed annually.
Additional pressure on prices is exerted by the increase in VAT, said Igor Korchagin, head of the credit products department at the financial marketplace Compare. This can have the greatest impact on powerful and premium cars, especially those supplied through parallel imports.
Cars are likely to continue to rise in price by the end of the year, Vladimir Chernov believes. Among the main factors, the expert named a further increase in recycling, the dynamics of the ruble exchange rate and a reduction in discounts at dealers. According to Autostat, the average cost of a new car by the end of the year may reach 3.55–3.65 million rubles, which is 8-11% more than in 2025. At the same time, imported cars may rise in price more, while the price increase for Russian-built cars will be noticeably lower.
Why it has become more difficult to get a car loan
The Central Bank is now limiting the proportion of borrowers who spend more than half of their income on debt servicing. Special limits limit loans to customers with high debt loads. In practice, this means that Russians whose proven income is at least twice the monthly payments on all loans are more likely to be approved for the application.
As a rule, to approve a loan, a person should not spend more than 40-50% of the confirmed income on debt repayment, Natalia Bogomolova explained. Therefore, with the desired payment of about 36 thousand rubles, the borrower should receive more than 72 thousand rubles per month.
For a significant part of the population, this is already a high threshold. The average salary in the Russian Federation in 2025 was 98.2 thousand rubles, but only 17% of the population received income above 100 thousand. About one in five citizens also earned 60-100 thousand rubles, while 62% of Russians received less than 60 thousand rubles — car loans are already becoming unavailable for them, Izvestia wrote. Against this background, 67% of potential borrowers faced refusals in August, according to data from the National Bureau of Credit Histories (NBKI).
Due to the regulation of the Central Bank, banks are forced to select customers more strictly and adjust the loan parameters so that the payment falls within the acceptable level of debt burden, explained Andrei Krylov, senior analyst at Sovcombank. One of the ways is to extend the term of the loan.
Approval is also influenced by stricter income verification requirements, Natalia Bogomolova noted. Banks are required to check it through official sources and cannot rely solely on the questionnaire data.
How to increase the chances of getting a car loan approved
"It is becoming more difficult for borrowers with an increased debt burden to obtain a loan, which is holding back the growth of lending in the market," said Dmitry Gritskevich, Head of Banking and Financial Market Analysis at PSB.
To increase the chances of an application for a car loan being approved, the NRA recommends the following::
confirm the official income — the higher it is and the more reliably it is verified through official sources, the higher the chances of approval.;
increase the initial payment — this will reduce the loan amount and the monthly payment.;
reduce the debt burden — before applying, it is worthwhile, if possible, to repay or reduce other loans so that payments on all debts take up a smaller share of income.;
provide additional collateral — this can reduce the bank's risks when issuing a loan.
At the same time, it is better not to focus on the maximum debt burden of 50%, Freedom Global advises. With an expected payment of about 36 thousand rubles, it is worth having a confirmed income of at least 80-100 thousand per month per borrower. If the client already has a mortgage, credit cards, or consumer loans, the required income will be noticeably higher — even the unused credit card limit will be taken into account.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
