A car salesman explained why he asks potential customers what monthly payment they can afford. And he swears it’s not to get them to pay more.
TikTok creator Mike P (@mikepirozzz) posted a video of him talking over a photo of a 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe RST, which cost around $77,000.
“When you come to the dealer, know what you want to pay a month,” Mike says. “Because I’ll ask you, ‘What’s your comfortability of payment?’ It’s not to get you to pay more. It’s to make sure you’re on something that you can afford.”
What Monthly Payment Can You Afford?
And there is a reason that Mike is addressing this now. “I’ve had this happen, and it’s happened recently,” he says. “Vehicle just like this. ‘How much are you looking to put down?’ … ‘What’s your comfortability of payment?’”
The hypothetical buyer in this situation proposes a $2,500 down payment and a $ 700-per-month loan payment.
“Never,” Mike says forcefully. “Nope. Gotta do the math. I don’t care what calculator you use—it doesn’t calculate.”
Not All Car Salesmen Are The Same
In the comments section of the video, viewers weighed in on Mike’s salesman philosophy and offered how much they’re willing to pay on a car note right now.
“The best I can do is $300 a month,” one person wrote. “Take it or leave it.”
A second person said, “I wish more salesmen were like you.”
“Even for 84 months,” a third person said. “Vehicles sales price maxed out is $45,000.”
Some noted that every salesman is as honest. “I believe you when you say that’s why you are asking about comfortability,” one person said, “but not all salesmen are like you.”
Should You Tell A Car Salesman How Much You Can Afford Monthly?
In general, experts recommend that car shoppers avoid giving the salesman a firm maximum monthly payment. That’s because some car salesmen will use that information to manipulate a deal that works on paper—but isn’t necessarily the most cost-effective or affordable overall.
A car shopper complained about this question in a Reddit thread posted to r/ask a year ago. In response, one person wrote, “It’s a sales tactic to change your brain from a looker to a buyer.” Others insisted that it is because salesmen intend to charge anyone paying with cash more.
One commenter insisted that isn’t usually the case. “Sales people work on commission,” they wrote. “They are paid on units sold. My friend owns a dealership and most sales guys quit because they spend too much time trying to sell the wrong car to the person. If you can’t afford it, don’t show it.”
Motor1 contacted Mike P via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.
