{"id":75397,"date":"2017-12-19T12:37:42","date_gmt":"2017-12-19T12:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?page_id=75397"},"modified":"2026-01-20T09:11:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:11:43","slug":"car-loans","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans","title":{"rendered":"Compare car loans and finance options"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"luna-card luna-card--alt\"><div class=\"luna-card__block text-center\"><p><strong>Warning:<\/strong> late repayments can cause you serious money problems. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/debt\" class=\"fin-text-navy\">debt help<\/a> guides.<\/p><\/div><\/article><h3>What is car finance?<\/h3><p>Car finance, often referred to as vehicle financing, can be a convenient and flexible way for individuals to acquire a new or used car. It can allow borrowers to spread the cost of their vehicle over a set period, with various options such as personal contract purchase (PCP), hire purchase (HP), or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-leasing\">car leasing<\/a>, making it easier for people to access the car of their dreams while managing their budget effectively.<\/p><h3 id=\"learn\">What types of finance are available?<\/h3><p>The cheapest way to buy a car is to buy it outright without borrowing money. If you can save a regular amount and only make the purchase when you&#8217;ve built up enough money, then you won&#8217;t pay a penny in interest. Sometimes that&#8217;s not an option, however, in which case you can consider car finance. Car finance is the process of funding a vehicle purchase over a set period of time.<\/p><p>If however you do need to borrow in order to purchase your next car, then remember that in general terms, the more you borrow, and the longer the period over which you borrow it, the more you&#8217;ll end up paying in interest. If you can afford to, make part of the payment using your own money in order to reduce the amount you need to borrow.<\/p><p>If you aren&#8217;t buying a car outright with cash, then there are a few different ways to fund your purchase. Here are some popular options:<\/p><ul class=\"has-margin-bottom\"><li><a href=\"#buy_with_personal_loan\" class=\"scroll\">Personal loan<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#buy_with_credit_card\" class=\"scroll\">Credit card<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#buy_with_hp\" class=\"scroll\">Hire purchase<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#buy_with_pcp\" class=\"scroll\">Personal contract purchase<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>A broker, such as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/car-loans\/zuto-uk-secure.html?nb=1&src_country=uk&redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Zuto%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFCL%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%227291%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFCL%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%22b9017590-5a09-4d72-9db0-9a89d4b76914%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Zuto%2Bcar%2Bfinance%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%22ddcc5947-f461-4476-92e2-a36750d0d9c1%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Zuto%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%2275397%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22car-loans%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D\">Zuto<\/a>, can quickly provide personalised quotes for different forms of vehicle finance based on your answers to a few simple questions.<\/p><h3 id=\"buy_with_personal_loan\">Buying with a personal loan<\/h3><p>Personal loans are available from a range of lenders &#8211; including banks, building societies and supermarkets. Personal loans are generally available over terms between one and seven years. Each lender will have its own interest rates, fee structures and amounts available. If you apply for a personal loan, the lender will look at factors like your income, expenditure and credit score when deciding whether or not to approve the loan. Once approved the funds are transferred to your account and you&#8217;re free to make your purchase.<\/p><h4>Pros and cons<\/h4><div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>No compulsory deposit (although you can pay a deposit if you wish).<\/li><li>You own the car outright from day one.<\/li><li>Because you own the car, there are no restrictions on mileage.<\/li><li>You know exactly when the loan will be paid off (and if it&#8217;s a fixed rate product, you also know exactly how much it&#8217;s going to cost in interest).<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>Because there&#8217;s no compulsory deposit, you may be tempted to borrow more than with other types of car finance.<\/li><li>Being approved for a loan and receiving the funds can take time.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>Compare personal loans<h3 id=\"buy_with_credit_card\">Buying with a credit card<\/h3><p>If you&#8217;re approved for a credit limit that covers the purchase of the car you&#8217;re after, and you&#8217;ve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-cards\">compared credit cards<\/a> to find a lengthy 0% on purchases deal, then using a credit card can be a smart way to buy a car. As an added bonus, credit card providers are obliged to give section 75 protection on eligible credit card purchases that cost more than \u00a3100 and up to \u00a330,000.<\/p><p>The downside is that if you don&#8217;t pay off the debt within the 0% period, the rate is likely to revert to something far less competitive than a standard loan. Because you&#8217;re only obliged to make the minimum monthly payment, you&#8217;ll want to work out how much you need to pay each month in order to clear the debt before any offer period on the card expires. Additionally, if you&#8217;re worried you&#8217;d be tempted to make further purchases on the card, then this might not be the smartest option for you.<\/p><h4>Pros and cons<\/h4><div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>Credit card payment protection with section 75.<\/li><li>Flexibility over monthly payment amounts (you&#8217;re only obliged to pay the specified minimum).<\/li><li>Competitive rate (provided you shop around for the right card, then set yourself a repayment schedule and stick to it).<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>Because you only have to make a minimum monthly payment, it could take longer to pay the debt off, and you could end up paying more in interest.<\/li><li>Because the credit is open-ended, you may be tempted to make other additional purchases after the vehicle.<\/li><li>Some dealerships will not accept credit card payment, or will only accept it up to a certain amount.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"did-you-know u-bg--sky-subtle u-rounded--lg\" data-component=\"did-you-know\">\n        <div class=\"did-you-know__block\">\n        <h4 class=\"did-you-know__title\">\n            <span class=\"did-you-know__title-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <circle cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"12\" fill=\"#00B2FF\"\/>\n                    <path d=\"M17.5 22.5C17.5 22.7967 17.412 23.0867 17.2472 23.3334C17.0824 23.58 16.8481 23.7723 16.574 23.8858C16.2999 23.9993 15.9983 24.0291 15.7074 23.9712C15.4164 23.9133 15.1491 23.7704 14.9393 23.5607C14.7296 23.3509 14.5867 23.0836 14.5288 22.7926C14.471 22.5017 14.5007 22.2001 14.6142 21.926C14.7277 21.6519 14.92 21.4176 15.1667 21.2528C15.4133 21.088 15.7033 21 16 21C16.3978 21 16.7794 21.158 17.0607 21.4393C17.342 21.7206 17.5 22.1022 17.5 22.5ZM16 9C13.2425 9 11 11.0188 11 13.5V14C11 14.2652 11.1054 14.5196 11.2929 14.7071C11.4804 14.8946 11.7348 15 12 15C12.2652 15 12.5196 14.8946 12.7071 14.7071C12.8946 14.5196 13 14.2652 13 14V13.5C13 12.125 14.3463 11 16 11C17.6538 11 19 12.125 19 13.5C19 14.875 17.6538 16 16 16C15.7348 16 15.4804 16.1054 15.2929 16.2929C15.1054 16.4804 15 16.7348 15 17V18C15 18.2652 15.1054 18.5196 15.2929 18.7071C15.4804 18.8946 15.7348 19 16 19C16.2652 19 16.5196 18.8946 16.7071 18.7071C16.8946 18.5196 17 18.2652 17 18V17.91C19.28 17.4913 21 15.6725 21 13.5C21 11.0188 18.7575 9 16 9ZM29 16C29 18.5712 28.2376 21.0846 26.8091 23.2224C25.3807 25.3603 23.3503 27.0265 20.9749 28.0104C18.5995 28.9944 15.9856 29.2518 13.4638 28.7502C10.9421 28.2486 8.6257 27.0105 6.80762 25.1924C4.98953 23.3743 3.75141 21.0579 3.2498 18.5362C2.74819 16.0144 3.00563 13.4006 3.98957 11.0251C4.97351 8.64968 6.63975 6.61935 8.77759 5.1909C10.9154 3.76244 13.4288 3 16 3C19.4467 3.00364 22.7512 4.37445 25.1884 6.81163C27.6256 9.24882 28.9964 12.5533 29 16ZM27 16C27 13.8244 26.3549 11.6977 25.1462 9.88873C23.9375 8.07979 22.2195 6.66989 20.2095 5.83733C18.1995 5.00476 15.9878 4.78692 13.854 5.21136C11.7202 5.6358 9.76021 6.68345 8.22183 8.22183C6.68345 9.7602 5.63581 11.7202 5.21137 13.854C4.78693 15.9878 5.00477 18.1995 5.83733 20.2095C6.66989 22.2195 8.07979 23.9375 9.88873 25.1462C11.6977 26.3549 13.8244 27 16 27C18.9164 26.9967 21.7123 25.8367 23.7745 23.7745C25.8367 21.7123 26.9967 18.9164 27 16Z\" fill=\"#232320\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"did-you-know__title-text\">What is section 75?<\/span>\n        <\/h4>\n        <div class=\"did-you-know__content\">\n            <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-cards\/what-happens-when-you-get-a-credit-card-refund\">Section 75<\/a> of the Consumer Credit Act, 1974 is a clause that says that if you buy something with a credit card and it&#8217;s not what you expected, it&#8217;s broken, or the store goes out of business and you don&#8217;t receive it, the credit card company is jointly responsible with the retailer and you should get your money back.<\/p><p>The purchase must cost more than \u00a3100 and up to \u00a330,000 to qualify. However, if you paid a \u00a330 deposit on a credit card but the item was for sale at \u00a33k, you&#8217;re entitled to a refund of the full amount.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"more-link-arrow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-cards\/0-purchase-credit-cards\"><strong>Compare 0% purchase credit cards<\/strong><\/a><\/p><h3 id=\"buy_with_hp\">Buying on hire purchase (HP)<\/h3><p>If you opt for hire purchase, you&#8217;ll generally be expected to pay a minimum of 10% of the vehicle&#8217;s value upfront, and you&#8217;ll then pay the remainder off over one to five years. The credit is secured against the car, so if you fail to keep up repayments you stand to lose the car.<\/p><p>Hire purchase agreements are normally arranged by the dealership. This means they&#8217;re quick and easy to sort out. However it also means that they tend to be more competitive when you&#8217;re buying one of their new cars, as opposed to a used car.<\/p><h4>Pros and cons<\/h4><div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>Low deposit (as little as 10%).<\/li><li>No restrictions on mileage.<\/li><li>Quick and easy to arrange.<\/li><li>Competitive rates on new cars.<\/li><li>Choose the duration of the agreement (normally from one to five years).<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>Usually requires a deposit (normally at least 10%).<\/li><li>You don&#8217;t own the car until the final payment has been made.<\/li><li>Tends to be less competitive for used cars.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/car-loans\/quickcarfinance-uk-secure.html?nb=1&src_country=uk&redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Compare%2BHP%2Bdeals%2Bwith%2BQuick%2BCar%2BFinance%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22more-link-arrow%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFCL%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%2218996%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFCL%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%221c719ef3-a0f9-41f1-8c4d-04c8d8d4febf%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Quick%2BCar%2BFinance%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%229a2078ba-8758-4608-a8b4-364a646e44b6%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Quick%2BCar%2BFinance%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%2275397%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22car-loans%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D\" class=\"more-link-arrow\">Compare HP deals with Quick Car Finance<\/a><h3 id=\"buy_with_pcp\">Buying using personal contract purchase (PCP)<\/h3><p>With personal contract purchase (PCP) you essentially take out a loan for the difference between the current value of the car, and the projected value of the car at the end of an agreed period (generally one to four years). You&#8217;ll make monthly payments, and then at the end of the agreed period you can make a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans#balloon\">balloon payment<\/a> to purchase the car outright.<\/p><p>PCPs are arranged so that at the end of the agreed period, the car should be worth a little more than the balloon payment you would have to make to buy it outright. You can&#8217;t claim this back as cash and walk away, however \u2013 at the end of the agreed period you have three options:<\/p><ul class=\"has-margin-bottom\"><li><strong>Make a one-off balloon payment to purchase the car outright.<\/strong><br \/>If you like the car and don&#8217;t want to switch, this could be a smart choice.<\/li><li><strong>Hand the car back and walk away.<\/strong><br \/>If you can&#8217;t afford the balloon payment, and you&#8217;re not keen to enter into a new PCP this is probably what you&#8217;d do. If the value of the car has decreased more than expected, and it&#8217;s actually worth less than the projected amount, then provided this isn&#8217;t due to damage or excess mileage, you&#8217;d generally hand the car back and walk away.<\/li><li><strong>Trade the car in and enter into a new personal contract purchase.<\/strong><br \/>This is a popular option if the car is worth more than the balloon payment you&#8217;d need to make to buy it outright. You can put this &#8216;equity&#8217; towards a deposit on another PCP.<\/li><\/ul><p>When you enter into a PCP, you&#8217;ll be asked what mileage you expect to clock up in the vehicle. It&#8217;s important to answer this honestly, otherwise, you&#8217;ll find yourself in a weaker position at the end of the PCP. Bear in mind that if you damage the car or exceed the agreed mileage limit there will be charges to pay at the end of the agreed period.<\/p><p>The credit is secured against the car, so if you fail to keep up repayments you stand to lose the car.<\/p><h4>Pros and cons<\/h4><div class=\"u-grid\"><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-4\"><li>Low deposit (as little as 10%).<\/li><li>Lower monthly payments than hire purchase.<\/li><li>Choose the duration of the agreement (normally from one to four years).<\/li><li>At the end of the PCP, you have a choice as to whether to buy, trade in or walk away.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"u-grid__col u-1\/2@s\"><ul class=\"list-13\"><li>Usually requires a deposit (normally at least 10%).<\/li><li>Restrictions on mileage.<\/li><li>Excessive wear and tear or damage to the car will result in fees.<\/li><li>You only own the car if you make a balloon payment at the end of the agreement.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/redirect\/uk\/car-loans\/zuto-uk-secure.html?nb=1&src_country=uk&redirect_tracking_params=%7B%22placement_type%22%3A%22product_link%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Compare%2BPCP%2Bdeals%2Bwith%2BZuto%22%2C%22class%22%3A%22more-link-arrow%22%2C%22site%22%3A%22UKFCL%22%2C%22offer_id%22%3A%227291%22%2C%22niche_code%22%3A%22UKFCL%22%2C%22product_id%22%3A%22b9017590-5a09-4d72-9db0-9a89d4b76914%22%2C%22product_name%22%3A%22Zuto%2Bcar%2Bfinance%22%2C%22provider_id%22%3A%22ddcc5947-f461-4476-92e2-a36750d0d9c1%22%2C%22provider_name%22%3A%22Zuto%22%2C%22post_id%22%3A%2275397%22%2C%22post_path%22%3A%22car-loans%22%2C%22post_country%22%3A%22uk%22%7D\" class=\"more-link-arrow\">Compare PCP deals with Zuto<\/a><div class=\"did-you-know u-bg--sky-subtle u-rounded--lg\" data-component=\"did-you-know\">\n        <div class=\"did-you-know__block\">\n        <h4 class=\"did-you-know__title\">\n            <span class=\"did-you-know__title-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <circle cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"12\" fill=\"#00B2FF\"\/>\n                    <path d=\"M17.5 22.5C17.5 22.7967 17.412 23.0867 17.2472 23.3334C17.0824 23.58 16.8481 23.7723 16.574 23.8858C16.2999 23.9993 15.9983 24.0291 15.7074 23.9712C15.4164 23.9133 15.1491 23.7704 14.9393 23.5607C14.7296 23.3509 14.5867 23.0836 14.5288 22.7926C14.471 22.5017 14.5007 22.2001 14.6142 21.926C14.7277 21.6519 14.92 21.4176 15.1667 21.2528C15.4133 21.088 15.7033 21 16 21C16.3978 21 16.7794 21.158 17.0607 21.4393C17.342 21.7206 17.5 22.1022 17.5 22.5ZM16 9C13.2425 9 11 11.0188 11 13.5V14C11 14.2652 11.1054 14.5196 11.2929 14.7071C11.4804 14.8946 11.7348 15 12 15C12.2652 15 12.5196 14.8946 12.7071 14.7071C12.8946 14.5196 13 14.2652 13 14V13.5C13 12.125 14.3463 11 16 11C17.6538 11 19 12.125 19 13.5C19 14.875 17.6538 16 16 16C15.7348 16 15.4804 16.1054 15.2929 16.2929C15.1054 16.4804 15 16.7348 15 17V18C15 18.2652 15.1054 18.5196 15.2929 18.7071C15.4804 18.8946 15.7348 19 16 19C16.2652 19 16.5196 18.8946 16.7071 18.7071C16.8946 18.5196 17 18.2652 17 18V17.91C19.28 17.4913 21 15.6725 21 13.5C21 11.0188 18.7575 9 16 9ZM29 16C29 18.5712 28.2376 21.0846 26.8091 23.2224C25.3807 25.3603 23.3503 27.0265 20.9749 28.0104C18.5995 28.9944 15.9856 29.2518 13.4638 28.7502C10.9421 28.2486 8.6257 27.0105 6.80762 25.1924C4.98953 23.3743 3.75141 21.0579 3.2498 18.5362C2.74819 16.0144 3.00563 13.4006 3.98957 11.0251C4.97351 8.64968 6.63975 6.61935 8.77759 5.1909C10.9154 3.76244 13.4288 3 16 3C19.4467 3.00364 22.7512 4.37445 25.1884 6.81163C27.6256 9.24882 28.9964 12.5533 29 16ZM27 16C27 13.8244 26.3549 11.6977 25.1462 9.88873C23.9375 8.07979 22.2195 6.66989 20.2095 5.83733C18.1995 5.00476 15.9878 4.78692 13.854 5.21136C11.7202 5.6358 9.76021 6.68345 8.22183 8.22183C6.68345 9.7602 5.63581 11.7202 5.21137 13.854C4.78693 15.9878 5.00477 18.1995 5.83733 20.2095C6.66989 22.2195 8.07979 23.9375 9.88873 25.1462C11.6977 26.3549 13.8244 27 16 27C18.9164 26.9967 21.7123 25.8367 23.7745 23.7745C25.8367 21.7123 26.9967 18.9164 27 16Z\" fill=\"#232320\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"did-you-know__title-text\">Buying a car at a dealership? Watch out for extra costs<\/span>\n        <\/h4>\n        <div class=\"did-you-know__content\">\n            <ul class=\"list-7\"><li><strong>Vehicle preparation fee.<\/strong> Dealerships charge this fee to cover the cost of getting your car ready for you. You might not have to pay it unless they&#8217;re going beyond a standard car wash.<\/li><li><strong>Documentation fee.<\/strong> Most dealers charge this fee to cover the cost of processing the paperwork that comes with your new car. Adding fees like these on as separate costs allow vendors to advertise cars at a lower price, but remember: you can always negotiate.<\/li><li><strong>Unnecessary accessories and extended warranties.<\/strong> Didn&#8217;t ask for that sound system or paint sealant? See an extra-long warranty in your contract? Unless you actually want it, tell your dealer that won&#8217;t pay for it.<\/li><\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"balloon\">What is a balloon payment?<\/h3><p>A balloon payment is one large payment that&#8217;s due at the end of your loan following smaller monthly payments. In general, you may have the option of making a balloon payment in two cases:<\/p><ul><li><strong>You&#8217;re purchasing your vehicle through a personal contract purchase (PCP).<\/strong> With a PCP, you borrow the difference between the current value of the car and the value it&#8217;ll have at the end of the agreement (which is usually 1-4 years later), minus the deposit. The &#8220;final&#8221; value of the car is generally referred to as the guaranteed minimum future value (GMFV). You pay off the loan in monthly instalments and at the end you can choose between purchasing the car through a balloon payment (whose value has been established at the beginning), giving it back and walking away or entering another PCP for a new car.<\/li><li><strong>You&#8217;re purchasing your vehicle through a lease purchase (LP).<\/strong> LPs are similar to PCPs, but the final balloon payment is mandatory and you have to purchase the vehicle at the end of the contract. LPs are generally used to purchase vehicles you plan to use a lot, such as business vans, because with PCPs there are normally penalties for damages and excess mileage. The drawback is obviously that you can&#8217;t opt out if the value of your vehicle suddenly decreases, or if you can&#8217;t afford the balloon payment.<\/li><\/ul><h4>What are the benefits of a balloon payment?<\/h4><p>Although you may owe a large amount once your loan is up, balloon payments have their benefits which include:<\/p><ul class=\"list-4\"><li><strong>Reduce your monthly payments.<\/strong> This is the main advantage of a balloon payment schedule. You&#8217;re only paying off your interest so your monthly payments will stay small and more affordable.<\/li><li><strong>Build up your savings.<\/strong> You&#8217;ll know from the start how much your balloon payment will be. This means you can start saving for it as soon as your loan begins, earning interest on money that would otherwise be going into your lender&#8217;s pockets.<\/li><li><strong>Balloon payments are usually a bit lower than the car value.<\/strong> So they can make good value for money. Conversely though, the value of a car can also fall unexpectedly, and the amount of the payment can&#8217;t usually be renegotiated. If you&#8217;re in an LP and can&#8217;t opt out, you&#8217;ll end up paying more than the car is worth.<\/li><\/ul><h4>Are there drawbacks to a balloon payment?<\/h4><p>While there are some benefits to having a balloon payment at the end of your car loan, consider some negative features before committing to a loan.<\/p><ul class=\"list-13\"><li><strong>It can lead to more debt.<\/strong> If you find yourself unable to save up for the final balloon payment, and are in an LP, you could be stuck refinancing your loan and taking on even more debt and paying more in interest.<\/li><li><strong>You won&#8217;t own the car until you make the balloon payment.<\/strong> If you take out a personal loan to purchase the car instead, it&#8217;ll be yours from the beginning.<\/li><li><strong>You can face damage and over-mileage charges<\/strong> if you go for a PCP.<\/li><\/ul><h3>How do I find the best car loan?<\/h3><p>The best car loan for you will depend on your specific situation, but here are some of the important questions to ask before settling on a particular loan product.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Am I eligible?<\/strong> There&#8217;s no point in applying for a loan if you don\u2019t meet the lender\u2019s minimum requirements. Find these requirements on the lender\u2019s website or in online reviews.<\/li><li><strong>How much can I borrow?<\/strong> Does the lender offer loans that cover the total cost of a car you\u2019re interested in \u2014 and can afford?<\/li><li><strong>Are the interest rates competitive?<\/strong> A high minimum advertised interest rate isn\u2019t the best sign, and a refusal to disclose interest rates can be even worse. It could mean that rates are so high, that the lenders would rather not advertise them.<\/li><li><strong>What are the fees?<\/strong> On top of dealership and state fees associated with buying a car, some lenders charge fees for taking out a loan.<\/li><li><strong>How long are the loan terms?<\/strong> Does your lender offer terms you can afford after you factor in APR and other costs involved in getting a new car?<\/li><li><strong>What\u2019s the deposit?<\/strong> A 10% deposit is standard, but some lenders charge more. Go for a lender that offers a deposit that fits your budget.<\/li><li><strong>What are the early-repayment terms?<\/strong> Paying your loan off early can save you money on interest. However many lenders will charge a fee, for example one month\u2019s interest, if you wish to repay your loan early. With each of the finance options listed here, you should make sure to find out the early-repayment terms of the product that you&#8217;re considering.<\/li><li><strong>How\u2019s its online reputation?<\/strong> Quickly scan online forums and review sites to see what people say about each lender. Are interest rates high? Do people have trouble making repayments? If anything sounds sneaky, run.<\/li><li><strong>What services does it offer?<\/strong> Some lenders hold your hand throughout the process of getting financing, and others don\u2019t. Consider the help if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing \u2014 but also ask: Is the lender genuinely helpful or just pushing you into their partners\u2019 laps?<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"importantText importantText__quote\">\n  <blockquote>\n    <div class=\"importantText__quoteIcon\"><\/div>\n    <p>When calculating your budget for car finance, keep in mind that you&#8217;ll also need to have enough cash set aside to cover other car ownership costs. These include the vehicle&#8217;s MOT, insurance and road tax, as well as fuel costs, general maintenance and breakdown cover.\u201d<\/p>\n    <footer class=\"importantText__quoteAuthor\">\u2013 <cite>Rachel Wait, financial journalist<\/cite><\/footer>\n  <\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Can you get a car loan if you have bad credit?<\/h3><p>Yes, it&#8217;s possible to get a car loan with a lower credit score, although it may be more challenging and come with higher interest rates. Some lenders who specialise in bad credit car loans may offer options for individuals with less-than-ideal credit, but it&#8217;s important to be prepared for stricter terms and conditions.<\/p><h3 id=\"options\">Finance options for first-time car buyers<\/h3><p>If the bank of mum and dad is closed right now, here are some options to consider:<\/p><ul class=\"has-margin-bottom\"><li><strong>An unsecured, fixed-rate personal loan.<\/strong> A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/personal-loans\">personal loan<\/a> is a very common method of financing a car purchase. They&#8217;re available from high-street banks and online lenders, and there are plenty of specialist lenders around that serve &#8220;non-standard&#8221; (read &#8220;bad or limited credit&#8221;) borrowers. If the loan has a &#8220;fixed rate&#8221;, it means that the interest rate won&#8217;t change during your loan, so you&#8217;ll know in advance exactly how much you&#8217;ll pay each month and overall.<\/li><li><strong>Hire purchase.<\/strong> With hire purchase you&#8217;ll need to put down a deposit (normally at least 10% of the vehicle&#8217;s value) and you&#8217;ll then pay the remainder off over one to five years. The credit is secured against the car, so if you fail to keep up repayments you stand to lose the vehicle. In fact, you won&#8217;t actually own the car until the final payment has been made. These deals are normally arranged by the dealership, which means that they tend to be more competitive when you&#8217;re buying one of their new cars, as opposed to privately buying a used car.<\/li><li><strong>Personal contract purchase (PCP).<\/strong> With personal contract purchase you make monthly payments, and then at the end of the agreed period either make a balloon payment to purchase the car outright or give the car back. Because of the balloon payment at the end, your monthly payments are lower than with hire purchase.<\/li><li><strong>A guarantor loan.<\/strong> With a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/guarantor-personal-loans\">guarantor loan<\/a>, a friend or relative promises to step in and pay off your loan if you fail to do so. Interest rates on these loans aren&#8217;t fantastic, but sometimes they can be better than you&#8217;d get if you applied on your own.<\/li><\/ul><p>You could even pay for your car using a <strong>credit card<\/strong>. It&#8217;s not quite as mad as it sounds, but that&#8217;s only if you have the self-discipline to use the card correctly and, crucially, if you can get approved for a long enough <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-cards\/0-purchase-credit-cards\">0% purchase deal<\/a>, with a high enough credit limit (which is likely to be extremely tricky if you don&#8217;t have much in the way of credit history).<\/p><p>Realistically, for most first-time buyers, a credit card won&#8217;t be a sensible approach to financing a vehicle purchase.<\/p><h4 id=\"tips\">Tips for financing your first car<\/h4><ol><li><strong>Don&#8217;t just accept dealer finance without comparing your options.<\/strong> Be wary of pushy car dealerships that want you to sign on the line there and then for their finance deals (which will naturally earn them a commission). Buying a car is a big move with long-term financial implications, so it&#8217;s important to shop around.<\/li><li><strong>Get to know your credit score.<\/strong> There are numerous services that can offer you visibility of your credit score for free. To access your full report, you&#8217;ll normally have to pay a little each month. Once you know your score, you can look at ways of improving it.<\/li><li><strong>Put down a large deposit (if you can).<\/strong> By reducing the amount you need to borrow, you&#8217;ll be less of a risk to lenders and the loan will cost you less.<\/li><li><strong>Look at the overall cost of each option.<\/strong> A great rate is one thing, but once your loan has been spread over a number of years, or once the fees have been taken into consideration, that rate might not be giving you the full picture. Always look at the total cost of borrowing. Naturally you want to keep this as low as possible, while ensuring you can comfortably afford the repayments.<\/li><li><strong>Use &#8220;eligibility checkers&#8221; or a &#8220;matching service&#8221;.<\/strong> These days, you don&#8217;t have to simply apply for a car loan and hope. Lenders offer &#8220;eligibility checkers&#8221; which can tell you your likelihood of getting approved before you apply, without affecting your credit score. What&#8217;s more, a good broker or matching service will be able to check your eligibility with a range of lenders in one go.<\/li><li><strong>Consider applying with a guarantor.<\/strong> You might not have much in the way of credit history, but maybe a friend or relative who has excellent credit would be willing to act as your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/guarantor-personal-loans\">guarantor<\/a> \u2013 helping you get your application across the line.<\/li><\/ol><h3>Frequently asked questions<\/h3><ul class=\"luna-accordionGroup accordionGroup\"><li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000000\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000000\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Why was my car loan application rejected?<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000000\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>You can typically find out why your car loan application was denied by contacting the lender. If you applied online, you can often find out simply by logging in to your account. Otherwise, reach out to customer service over the phone to find out how to get this information.<\/p><p>Some common reasons why car finance applications are denied include:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Affordability.<\/strong> Lenders must only lend responsibly. That means looking at your regular income and outgoings to see if there&#8217;s enough left over to comfortably cover repayments on the loan you&#8217;ve requested.<\/li><li><strong>Credit history.<\/strong> Your credit record is used as an indication of how likely you are to pay back or default on a loan. It includes details like past CCJs, missed payments and previous credit searches. A higher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/credit-score\">credit score<\/a> means a lower risk for lenders. You don&#8217;t have a single definitive credit score \u2013 different credit reference agencies (CRAs) calculate your score in different ways, but if you have a good credit score with one, you&#8217;ll almost certainly have a good credit score with others. It&#8217;s usually free and fairly straightforward to check your score.<\/li><li><strong>Eligibility.<\/strong> Each lender has its own set of criteria that all borrowers must meet. You&#8217;ll invariably need to be over 18 and a UK resident, but there may also be an upper age limit or requirements on the vehicle that you wish to purchase. Make sure to check a lender&#8217;s eligibility criteria before you apply.<\/li><li><strong>Employment.<\/strong> If you only just started a new job, if you&#8217;re self-employed or have an unstable employment situation, some lenders may consider you a higher risk.<\/li><li><strong>Simple mistakes.<\/strong> You might be surprised how many car loan applications are rejected on a technicality. It&#8217;s possible you could have made a simple mistake on the form.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li><li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000001\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000001\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">How can I avoid getting my car loan denied again?<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000001\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>If your car loan application is rejected, there are three simple steps to take before you apply again:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Ask why.<\/strong> Lenders typically explain why your loan was declined if you ask. This can give you an idea of what to do differently next time and whether the issue is a problem with your finances or the lender&#8217;s strict requirements.<\/li><li><strong>Get prepared for next time.<\/strong> There may be measures you can take to boost your chances, like reducing debt, applying for a more affordable loan or working on your credit score.<\/li><li><strong>Consider a broker\/matching service.<\/strong> Enter your details just once, to get a good idea of the lenders that would be able to offer you a loan, all without hurting your credit score.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li><li class=\"luna-accordion\" data-accordion=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__summary\">\n    <h4 class=\"luna-accordion__heading\">\n      <button class=\"luna-accordion__action collapsed\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion0000000002\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#accordion0000000002\">\n        <span class=\"luna-accordion__title\">Can you get a car loan without a credit check?<\/span>\n        <svg class=\"luna-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-down\" data-accordion-icon=\"show\"><\/use>\n          <use xlink:href=\"#chevron-up\" data-accordion-icon=\"hide\" class=\"is-hidden\"><\/use>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/h4>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"luna-accordion__details collapse\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"accordion0000000002\" data-accordion=\"details\">\n    <div class=\"accordionContent\"><p>No credit check car loans aren\u2019t available. A credit check will always be required if you want a car loan.<\/p><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/li><\/ul><article class=\"luna-card luna-card--alt\"><div class=\"luna-card__block has-padding-small\">We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms \"best\", \"top\", \"cheap\" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/terms-of-use\" class=\"fin-text-navy\">terms of use<\/a>. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.<\/div><\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before you sign the finance plan your dealership is offering, compare car loans, and HP\/PCP deals from a range of lenders to secure a great rate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-masthead-two-column.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[3767],"class_list":["post-75397","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-money-loans"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.9 (Yoast SEO v24.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Compare car loans and finance deals for 2026 | Finder UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before you sign the finance plan that your dealership is offering, compare deals from a wide range of lenders and apply online to secure a great rate.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Compare car loans and finance options\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Before you sign the finance plan that your dealership is offering, compare deals from a wide range of lenders and apply online to secure a great rate.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Finder UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@findercomUK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"20 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans\",\"name\":\"Compare car loans and finance deals for 2026 | Finder UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-12-19T12:37:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-20T15:56:12+00:00\",\"description\":\"Before you sign the finance plan that your dealership is offering, compare deals from a wide range of lenders and apply online to secure a great rate.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans\"]}],\"reviewedBy\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/531b4649d053a94fb7388e896df73218\"},\"lastReviewed\":\"2024-03-20T15:56:12\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/car-loans#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"UK\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Car loans\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"Finder UK\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Finder\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Finder-Logo-696x696-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Finder-Logo-696x696-1.png\",\"width\":1392,\"height\":1392,\"caption\":\"Finder\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/findercomuk\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/findercomUK\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/finder\/\",\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Finder_(website)\"],\"description\":\"Every month more than 2 million unique visitors turn to Finder to save money and time, and to make important life choices. 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