Compare car finance

You generally have to be over 18 to get a car loan, and lenders will often have their own specific requirements. You can find out more by looking at their website or contacting them directly, by phone, email, or post.

To apply for a loan you’ll need your address, contact details, details about your incomings, expenditures and employment. You’ll also need to mention how much you want to borrow, and for how long.

This depends on the lender. Some loan providers will charge you extra fees if you start making higher repayments than have been agreed, but others may allow it. There may be an early repayment penalty charge if you want to clear the loan in full before the end of the term.

A soft-search or soft-application is a way of finding out where you stand in terms of getting a loan without leaving a footprint on your credit report. This is important because credit searches and applications can temporarily lower your credit score in some cases. Using a soft search is a way of finding a loan you’ll be eligible for without harming your credit score and your chances of being accepted. MoneySuperMarket’s loan Eligibility Checker uses a soft search.

Missing repayments could have several negative effects so always speak to your lender as soon as possible if you are experiencing difficulties. The lender should be able to offer options to help you mitigate the problem. A missed debt payment could harm your credit score and result in a County Court Judgement against you. Any assets secured against the loan could eventually be repossessed. Try to avoid missing repayments as it is likely to make borrowing more difficult and more expensive in future.

APR, or your Annual Percentage Rate, is the interest rate at which you pay back money you’ve borrowed. It takes into account the actual interest rate you pay, plus any other fees or charges involved in the deal, to give you a more complete picture of what your loan will cost.

When you see a rate advertised as the representative APR, this means the lender is required to offer this rate to at least 51% of applicants – however it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to receive this interest rate yourself.

When looking to finance your new car consider what is most affordable for your circumstances, not what is necessarily the cheapest. If you can’t afford to pay for your car upfront with cash (which will usually be the cheapest way to buy a car), taking out a personal loan could be a way to spread the cost of the purchase over a number of years to make it more affordable. When deciding what is the best way to finance a car, you’ll need to consider the interest and any charges added to the finance plan you take out, and the size of your monthly repayments. 

It can take a few minutes to a few days to get approved for a car loan, depending on what type of lender it is, the type of loan you’ve applied for and the type of car you’re looking to buy.

When applying for car finance, you’ll usually be asked to provide a proof of identity, usually your driving licence. You’ll also need to give a proof of income and address history of the past three years.

If your car is still on finance, you can’t sell it until you’ve paid off the finance in full as you don’t legally own it yet. Once you’ve paid off your car finance in full, you’ll own your car outright so should be able to sell it if you choose to.