Knowing how much vehicle you can afford will make shopping much easier. DriveChicago.com's payment calculator is one of the most powerful in the business. Follow the simple steps, and you're searching for vehicles in your price range in no time.

To use the payment calculator, enter your projected loan rate, the amount of money you have available for down payment, and your trade-in value (if you don't know the value of your trade, you can determine it by clicking the "Get Trade-In Value" link). Second, you have the option of entering the vehicle price to get a monthly payment or entering a desired monthly payment to determine your purchasing power. Finally, click the Used or New inventory links begin narrowing your vehicle search.