A monthly payment is a comfort blanket that can hide total cost. Richie is the student who will negotiate a sticker and still miss insurance, maintenance, and interest totals if we let the lesson stop too early.
Use simplified loan math with transparent assumptions. The learning target is directionally correct comparison, not dealer-level precision.
Add a short scams beat: private-party pressure, “ship the car,” and title issues at a conceptual level. Pair with Risk so students slow down.
Stress non-endorsement: you are teaching analysis, not telling families where to buy.
Total cost of ownership on a whiteboard
Rows: payment, insurance band, fuel, maintenance reserve, registration fictionalized, interest total if financed.
Compare two fictional cars: newer lower miles with financing versus older cash purchase with higher maintenance risk.
Vocabulary that prevents shame
APR, principal, term, upside-down, preapproval as a concept. Students should leave able to ask better questions, not pretending to be loan officers.