Motorate is a free, browser-based calculator for Australian car loans and novated leases. It models repayments, on-road costs by state and vehicle class, and the tax mechanics of salary-packaged vehicles — so you can compare options on total cost, not just headline rates.
Who we are
Built by M2 Design Co.
Motorate is owned and maintained by M2 Design Co., an Australian web and software studio. We built Motorate because most publicly available car finance calculators are either lender-controlled (pushing products) or jurisdiction-agnostic (ignoring Australian stamp duty, registration, LCT and FBT rules). Motorate is independent, unaffiliated with any lender, and has no referral arrangements.
What the calculator covers
Scope and features
Car loans — principal and interest repayments at weekly, fortnightly or monthly frequency; balloon/residual payments; total interest; approximate comparison rate.
Novated leases — FBT calculated using the ATO statutory method, gross-up types 1 and 2, employee contributions (ECM), running costs, and ATO-published residual percentages.
On-road costs — stamp duty by state and vehicle class (all 8 states and territories), CTP and registration estimates, Luxury Car Tax at current ATO thresholds, and applicable EV concessions.
Guides — plain-English explainers on how car loans work, how to read a loan contract, novated lease mechanics, buying strategies, and more.
Methodology
Data sources and calculation approach
All calculations run client-side in your browser — no data is sent to our servers. Our data sources:
Stamp duty — state revenue office schedules for each jurisdiction, updated annually. Brackets and rates are hardcoded from official sources and reviewed when state budgets are handed down. State revenue authorities: NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, ACT, TAS, NT.
LCT thresholds — ATO-published thresholds by financial year, with separate limits for fuel-efficient vehicles.
ATO residual matrix — statutory minimum residual percentages from ATO Tax Ruling TR 2011/D3 and subsequent guidance, indexed by term.
CTP and registration — representative estimates by state and vehicle class. These vary by insurer, vehicle age and driver profile; always confirm with your state authority.
Interest calculations — standard reducing-balance amortisation. The comparison rate is calculated on a $30,000 / 5-year basis per ASIC RG 234 convention and is approximate only.
Figures are updated when legislation or ATO guidance changes. If you spot an error or outdated rate, please contact us.
Independence
No conflicts of interest
Motorate is not affiliated with, or funded by, any lender, dealer, finance broker, or employer. Revenue comes from display advertising (Google AdSense). We do not earn referral fees, lead-generation fees, or commissions on finance products.
Disclaimer
Not financial advice
Calculator outputs are general estimates only. They do not account for your personal financial situation, creditworthiness, or individual lender/employer policies. Always verify costs with the relevant state authority, your lender, and an independent adviser before committing.
Contact
Get in touch
Questions, feedback, or a data error to report? Email us at hello@motorate.net
