Stretching a car loan from 5 to 7 years can drop the EMI by 20–25%, but you'll pay far more total interest and often owe more than the car is worth for years (negative equity). Keep auto loan tenure as short as you comfortably can.

Many dealers bundle sales tax, registration and accessories into the loan. That's convenient but you pay interest on every rupee. If possible, pay these out of pocket and finance only the vehicle's base price.

Cars depreciate fast — 15–25% in year one. A larger down payment protects you from going underwater on the loan and reduces total interest. Aim for 20% down where you can.

Watch for 'pre-EMI', 'low-rate-but-high-fee' and 'zero-down' offers. Run them through the APR field here: the real cost often beats the headline rate by 2–4%.