Best Car Finance Websites in the UK

If your savings are looking a little underwhelming, hunting for a new/used car might make you feel like you have to settle for the cheapest option. But, with the first car finance deal, you can open up the world of used cars with payment plans that fit into YOUR budget.

With so many options when it comes to car finance, getting started can seem overwhelming. So, we’ve done the legwork for you: researching some of the leading car finance websites in the UK, so you can make the best choice for your finance needs.

In this review, you’ll find everything from simple calculators and searches to help you choose between options all the way to companies who take the entire process out of your hands and cut out the hassle entirely!

As well as deciding how to fund your new ride, it’s worth considering whether the car you’re thinking of buying has been financed before. With our easy car check, you can instantly find out if there’s any outstanding finance just using the vehicle registration.

Top 7 Car Finance Websites in the UK

If you don’t have the money for a large deposit or outright sale, then independent finance can be a great way to spread out the cost of your car and fit payments around your other expenses.

The APR is likely to be higher than a loan with a deposit or downpayment and the actual rates will often depend on your credit rating, but with a little research and some good financial planning, car finance can give you the keys to your dream car without the nightmare downpayment.

If you don’t mind a few limits like mileage caps and mandatory servicing (and you know you can keep the car in a good condition!), then hire purchase or personal contract purchase schemes could also be worth considering to save on the full cost of a vehicle while keeping your options open for future upgrades.

Related Post: How To Finance a Used Car

1. Car Finance Saver

Car Finance Saver provides a unique perspective on the car finance market, facilitated by its partnership with Monevo. This partnership empowers Car Finance Saver to deliver you competitive quotes, extremely quickly. Complete with precise APR rates from established finance authorities like the Post Office, RAC, AA and loads more, you’re in safe hands.

As a smaller car finance broker, Car Finance Saver benefits from lower operational costs. This enables them to negotiate superior car finance deals for their customers. Their size and efficiency advantage puts them in an influential position to propose finance solutions for a variety of circumstances and needs.

2. Money Supermarket

Money Supermarket breaks down popular car finance options into a series of easy-to-read charts to help you choose the best finance method for your circumstances.

They do a good job of explaining the impact of factors such as credit rating and have some handy charts showing the differences in monthly cost and rates you’re likely to get with various types of deals.

If you’re interested in learning more about non-ownership options such as hire purchase (HP) and personal contract purchase (PCP) then Money Supermarket is a great place to find more information and handy guides that will help you decide whether these are good options for you.

3. Confused.com

Confused.com is a registered finance broker which means that, unlike many other comparison sites, they can give you the exact APR rate for the deals offered – rather than a guideline price.

You will need to enter more details than on some other websites. But the trade-off is that you’ll receive results tailored to your personal financial situation. You’ll also be given an accurate assessment of how likely your application is to be accepted, which is well worth spending a few extra seconds filling in questionnaires for!

If you’re not sure where you stand financially, Confused.com offers a lot of tools to help you better understand your personal financial position, and can help you avoid the possible disappointment of being rejected for a loan elsewhere.

4. Money Saving Expert

Moneysavingexpert.com isn’t a broker and they won’t help you apply for a loan. However, they are a fantastic (and unbiased) resource for anyone thinking of financing a used car.

As well as a range of useful articles packed with tips for finding the best deal, they provide some handy calculators to check your eligibility and work out how likely you are to be accepted for any loans you have in mind.

Money Saving Expert should be your first stop if:

• You’re looking for more information on a particular finance option.
• You want to know what to expect when applying for finance.
• You want some extra reassurance that your application will be approved.

5. Buyacar

A one-stop shop for every stage in the car finance process, Buyacar takes all the hassle out of buying a used car. However, you are likely to be subject to higher APR rates for the duration of the loan in exchange for the hassle-free service.

A simple online catalog lets you compare the upfront and finance costs of thousands of cars: searchable by everything from engine type to emissions rating.

Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, there’s no need to go elsewhere to apply for finance – a deposit secures your choice while you complete the process and Buyacar arranges delivery once it’s complete.

6. USwitch

If you already know what type of finance you want to go for and don’t need any help picking out a suitable car, then USwitch is a great option for comparing similar deals from different companies and sniffing out the best option.

Select the type of finance you want and enter a few details about the loan amount and duration to see clearly displayed comparisons of total repayment, APR, fees, and many other useful details. It’s also easy to sort results by the lowest APR to make sure you get the most out of longer finance options.

USwitch won’t help you find a car and they won’t hold your hand through the finance application process. But, if you’re confident you know what you need, it’s a fantastic resource for comparing typical deals without filling in a separate form for every provider.

7. Go Compare

Go Compare is another site offering handy tips alongside some useful calculators to work out what sort of finance you are likely to be eligible for before you apply.

They have a comprehensive guide on the different finance options available. Plus, there’s a set of links to compare loans and check eligibility once you’ve got the basics down and know what to look for.

GoCompare’s free smart search is optimized to show you the car finance deals you’re most likely to be accepted for, without affecting your credit score!

Check your next used car with Reg Car Check

When shopping for a used car, a major concern should be whether there’s outstanding finance on the vehicle. If there is, you run the risk of not being the owner of the car, as it still belongs to the finance company.

While there are ways around this, it’s far simpler to complete a thorough vehicle background check before purchasing. This way, you’ll avoid any nasty surprises down the road!

Our used car checks will tell you everything you need to know about the car you’re eyeing up, including:

• Any outstanding finance against the car.
• A full MOT check, mileage, and tax history.
• Any mileage anomalies.
• Whether the car has ever been reported as stolen or scrapped.
• Plus, extra information about potential running costs, emissions, and more.

We’re so confident that our data will help you make the right choice that all our used car reports are backed by a £30,000 guarantee!

Simply enter the registration into our used car check service to get all this information and more. So you can enjoy your new car with total peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to get the best car finance deal?

Choosing the best car finance deal can seem daunting but there’s a huge amount of information available to help you make the right choice.

Several of the sites mentioned above allow you to compare finance options without committing to a deal so it’s worth trying out different combinations to give you an idea of your options.

How to negotiate the price of a used car?

If you’ve found a used car you like but want to negotiate on the price, you’ll probably want to read our top tips for negotiating the best deal.

That said, the simple answer is to do your research and be confident in your own assessment of what the car is worth.

What to watch out for when buying a used car?

A few of the top things to keep an eye out for when shopping for a used car include:

–       Facebook and gumtree ads with limited details.

–       Missing logbook or other documents.

–       ‘Clocked’ cars (mileage anomalies).

–       Cars with outstanding finance.

You can catch all these issues and more by running a full car check before moving ahead with the sale.