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Buying a car as a new immigrant in the US: why it is not in my name, and what it really costs

October 20, 2026 · 5 min read

In most of the US, you need a car. Where I live in Arkansas, there is no bus, no metro, and the nearest big store is a drive away. So one of the first big steps after I arrived was a car.

We bought one on August 17, 2026, about six weeks after I landed. But it is not in my name. This post explains why, and what a newcomer should know.

My timeline

• July 3, 2026: I arrived in the US. Only one car in the family
• August 17: We bought a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, with about 30,000 miles, for $52,000
• Late August: My Social Security card arrived
• September 9: I passed the written driver's test and got my permit
• Since the purchase: Full coverage insurance for both of us, $275 a month

Why the car is not in my name

When you arrive in the US, on paper you almost do not exist:

• No credit history. Your credit score from your home country does not come with you. I wrote about this in Building a credit score from zero as an immigrant.
• No Social Security number for the first weeks.
• No state driver's license.

A car loan needs a credit check. With no credit file, a bank either says no or offers a very high rate. So the practical solution: the car, the title and the loan are in my wife's name. She has a US credit history. I am on the insurance as a driver.

This is not a romantic story, but it is the honest one. Most newcomers I know did the same: the car goes in the name of a spouse, a family member, or they pay cash.

If you have no one to help, the options are harder: paying cash for a cheaper used car, a large down payment, or a loan with a high interest rate that you refinance later when your credit score grows.

The price and the monthly payment

• Price: $52,000
• Loan payment: $988 a month
• Insurance: $275 a month

So the truck costs us about $1,263 a month before gas. That is a lot, and I want to be honest about it. A big truck is a choice, not a need. If you are new and your budget is tight, a reliable used sedan will cost a fraction of this.

One more thing: with no credit history of your own, the interest rate depends on the person whose name is on the loan. A higher credit score means a lower rate and a lower monthly payment. That is one more reason to start building your own credit from the first month.

Insurance: $275 a month

This was the number that surprised me most. Our insurance is $275 a month, full coverage, both of us as drivers.

Why so high:

• The loan requires full coverage. When a bank owns part of the car, you cannot choose cheap liability only insurance.
• I have no US driving history. My years of driving in Turkey do not count for the insurance company.
• The truck itself. An AT4 is an expensive trim, and repairs cost more.

The average full coverage price for this kind of truck is lower, so we plan to compare quotes from other companies once my license is on the policy. If you are new, get several quotes. Prices for the same driver and the same car can be very different.

The truck

I had two new cars in Turkey: a Toyota C-HR with about 140 horsepower, and an Opel Combo for work. This truck is a different world.

• Engine: 6.2 liter V8, 420 horsepower
• Transmission: 10 speed automatic
• Four wheel drive, lifted from the factory, with skid plates and a rear locking differential
• Towing: close to 9,000 pounds

I work as an auto body painter, so the first thing I checked was the paint. It was original and clean. That told me a lot about how the car was treated.

The previous owner had tinted the windows so dark that it is hard to see at night. That is something to check before you buy. Tint laws are different in each state.

The gas mileage surprise

In Turkey, fuel use is in liters per 100 kilometers. Lower is better.

In the US, it is miles per gallon (mpg). Higher is better. It took me a while to stop reading the numbers backwards.

Our truck shows about 15 mpg on average, which is roughly 15.7 liters per 100 km. The best we have seen on a calm drive is about 21 mpg. In Turkey, that would be a shocking number. Here, gas is cheaper, and for a big V8 truck it is normal.

Other things that are different:

• Miles, not kilometers. 30,000 miles is about 48,000 km.
• Speed limits in mph. 75 mph on the highway is about 120 km/h.
• The police enforce speed. Police cars have radar, and most people follow the limits. Honestly, that is one of the things I like most here.

What I would tell a new immigrant buying a car

1. Decide whose name it goes in. If you have no credit, a spouse or family member with US credit is often the only good option for a loan.
2. Get insurance quotes before you buy. The monthly insurance can change what car you can afford.
3. A loan means full coverage. Plan for it.
4. Check the paint, the tires and the tint. Look for repaint and changes from the previous owner.
5. Learn mpg the right way round. Higher is better.
6. Start building your own credit now, so your next car can be in your name.

Summary

• We bought a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 for $52,000, six weeks after I arrived. The loan payment is $988 a month.
• It is in my wife's name, because I had no credit history, no SSN and no license yet.
• Insurance is $275 a month, full coverage, because of the loan and my missing US driving history.
• In the US, mpg is used, and higher is better.

I made a video about the truck on my YouTube channel, in Turkish: watch it here.

Going through the same thing? If you are stuck on this step and need help, send me a message. I read every one.
Write to me or use another email app

I am not a lawyer or an accountant. This is my own experience, written down as it happened. Rules change and every case is different, so check with the official source or a professional.

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