Get a Car Finance Quote

Car finance lets you spread the cost of a vehicle over time instead of paying for it all at once.

Here's the basic idea: a lender gives you the money to buy your car, and you pay them back bit by bit each month. These payments include a small extra amount called interest, which is essentially the fee for borrowing the money.

Before you start, you'll need to decide two things:

• How much you need to borrow
• How long you'd like to take paying it back (usually somewhere between 2 and 5 years)

If you have some savings, you can put down a deposit upfront. This reduces how much you need to borrow, which means lower monthly payments.

With some types of car finance, the car acts as security for the loan. This means if you couldn't keep up with payments, the lender could take the car back.

Types of Car Finance

There are different ways to finance a car, but two options are the most popular: Hire Purchase (HP) and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP).

Hire Purchase (HP)

With HP, you borrow the money and pay it back in monthly chunks. The car belongs to the lender until you've made every payment and paid a small final fee called the “Option to Purchase” (usually just £1). Once that's done, the car is officially yours.

You could put down a deposit at the start, and you're usually free to drive as many miles as you like.

Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)

PCP works a bit differently. Your monthly payments are often lower than HP, but at the end of the agreement you don't automatically own the car.

Instead, you get three choices:

• Hand the car back and walk away
• Use any value left in the car towards your next vehicle
• Pay a larger final amount (sometimes called a “balloon payment”) to keep the car

Through Brumble's selected partner you can quote for both products to see which is the most suitable for you.

The best choice depends on what matters most to you and how you plan to use the car.

Choose HP if you want to own the car

Hire Purchase is a good fit if you want to own the vehicle at the end. You can also drive as many miles as you like without worrying about limits. The downside? Monthly payments tend to be higher, and you can't sell or swap the car until you've finished paying it off.

Choose PCP if you want flexibility and lower payments

Personal Contract Purchase usually means smaller monthly payments. But there's a catch: you'll likely have a cap on how many miles you can drive each year. And when the agreement ends, you won't automatically own the car. At that point, you decide whether to hand it back, put any remaining value towards a new car, or pay a lump sum to keep it.

We'll help you find the right deal

Whatever you decide, our partner will search through a range of lenders to find an option that works for your situation.

We've partnered with Car Finance 24/7 to help you find a car finance deal that suits your budget and circumstances.

Here's what that means for you:

One application, multiple lenders

Instead of applying to lots of different lenders yourself, your application gets checked against a whole panel of them. This saves you time and increases your chances of finding a deal that works.

No impact on your credit score to check

You can see what you might be offered without it affecting your credit file. A full credit check only happens if you decide to go ahead with a full application after you're happy with your offer.

Expert support

Car Finance 24/7's team can guide you through the process and answer any questions along the way.

It's free to apply

There's no cost to you.

The total cost of car finance is made up of the amount you borrow, the interest charged on top, and any fees that come with the loan.

The biggest factor is usually the interest rate you're offered. This depends on things like your credit score, how much you're borrowing, and how long you want to take paying it back. If you have a good credit history, lenders see you as less of a risk, so they're more likely to offer you a lower rate. That means you'd pay less overall.

With options like Hire Purchase (HP), each monthly payment chips away at the amount you borrowed, plus covers some of the interest. By the end of your agreement, you'll have paid off both.

If you want to reduce the cost, you could put down a larger deposit, choose a shorter repayment term, or work on improving your credit score before you apply.

Yes, you'll typically need a full UK driving licence to apply for car finance. Lenders usually ask for this as part of their checks when you apply.

If you only have a provisional licence, you may find it harder to get approved. It's generally best to wait until you've passed your test before applying.

When you first apply through Brumble's partner, they'll run what's called a “soft” credit check. This helps them see which lenders might approve you. It may show up on your credit report, but it won't affect your score.

A “hard” credit check only happens if you decide to go ahead with a finance deal. This type of check can have a small impact on your credit score.

So, you can check what's available to you without any risk to your credit rating.

Yes, you can use your existing car as a part-exchange. This works like a deposit — the value of your old car gets taken off the amount you need to borrow, which brings down your monthly payments.

A part-exchange can also improve your chances of getting approved. Because you're asking to borrow less, more lenders may be willing to say yes.

If you'd rather put down a cash deposit instead, or as well, that's fine too.

Yes, you can choose a car from any verified dealership in the UK.

Our partner has over 95,000 cars listed on their search tool to help you find the right one. Once you've spotted something you like, just share the details with your account manager and they'll take it from there.

You're not limited to cars on their website though. If you find a car somewhere else, or need a hand searching, your account manager can help with that too.

You don't always need a deposit to get car finance but putting one down can work in your favour. It reduces the amount you need to borrow, which could mean lower monthly payments or a shorter repayment term.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for around 10% of the car's price if you can. But only put down what you can comfortably afford and make sure you've still got enough set aside for things like insurance, tax, and fuel.

It's a good idea to check insurance prices on any car you're going to buy — you can do that via brumble.co.uk.

APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. It's a way of showing the total yearly cost of borrowing, including interest and any fees. The higher the APR, the more you'll pay overall.

The APR you're offered depends on your personal circumstances, including things like your credit score. A stronger credit history usually means you'll be offered a lower rate.

A soft credit search is a quick look at your credit history that doesn't affect your credit score. Lenders use it to get an idea of whether they might be able to offer you finance.

It may appear on your credit report, but only you can see it — other lenders can't. This means you can check what deals might be available without any risk to your rating.

A “hard” credit search only happens later, if you decide to go ahead with an application.

Yes, it may still be possible. Our partner works with a wide range of lenders, which means they can often help people with less-than-perfect credit histories.

Every application is looked at individually, so even if your credit isn't great, it's worth checking what's available. You might still find a deal that works for you.

Just keep in mind that any finance offer will depend on your circumstances at the time.

Credit is subject to status.