Car finance, the easy way

Almost every UK car finance decision comes down to three questions: how many miles do you drive, how long do you keep a car, and do you want to own it at the end? Answer those honestly and the right product usually picks itself.

If you cover more than about 15,000 miles a year, HP is usually the safer choice because there is no mileage penalty waiting at the end. If you like a newer car every few years and your mileage is predictable, PCP normally gives you a lower payment for the same vehicle. Leasing suits people who want fixed, hassle-free costs and are comfortable never owning the car.

1. 1

   Check eligibility

   Answer a short set of questions. We run a soft search, which does not affect your credit score, and show your likely options.

2. 2

   Review your options

   See the products and terms you are likely to qualify for, with the monthly cost of each shown clearly and labelled as illustrative until a lender confirms.

3. 3

   Choose your car

   Pick a vehicle that fits the approval. We check the car meets the lender's age, mileage and seller conditions before anything is signed.

4. 4

   Complete

   Sign the agreement, the lender pays the dealer, and you collect the car. You have a 14-day right to withdraw from the credit agreement.

• Affordability — your net income against your regular committed outgoings, not just your credit score.
• Credit conduct — recent missed payments matter far more than something from six years ago.
• Address and employment stability — three full years of address history that matches your credit file.
• The car itself — age, mileage and value at the end of the term all affect what a lender will fund.
• Deposit — not always required, but it lowers the amount borrowed and widens the lenders willing to help.

The headline monthly payment is only part of the picture. Compare the total amount payable across the full term, not just the monthly figure — a longer term almost always looks cheaper each month while costing more overall.

Budget for insurance, road tax, servicing, tyres and fuel or charging alongside the finance payment. Our total cost of ownership tool puts all of those into one monthly number so you can see the real cost of a car rather than the advertised one.