With a turbulent economy and vehicle prices spiraling ever upwards, some of the more premium trim levels and specs of once blue-collar staples like the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado 1500, and RAM 1500 are floating dangerously close to $100,000. Even if you look towards the budget end of the range, the average price paid for a new car has already cracked the $50,000 barrier, and it’s not slowing down. With cars getting ever pricier, this begs the question: what is a good credit score to buy a car in 2026?

 

A stalled economy and stagnant wages demand careful, responsible spending, especially with how expensive it is to buy a car these days. Your credit score is a handy indicator of how much you should responsibly spend on buying a new or used car. It’ll guide you on how much money you could borrow when applying for an auto loan, and a good credit score also means higher loan application approval rates, lower interest rate payments, and lower down payments. But first, what is a credit score anyway?