Approved Car Finance UK

Step 4: Compare prices

Try not to get a car that has been driven over over 100,000 miles as they will need a little more attention and maintenance than a more modern car and may affect you getting approved for finance. 

Get a local paper and see what is on offer, you will usually find that a Friday is a good time to look for used car prices. You will want to have a drive to local garages and dealers within a reasonable distance of where you live.

Step 5: Arranging a car loan or approved car finance

Check out car finance sites or try personal loans site to get the best loan rates you can.

We recommend you look at 2-3 different places to get the best deal, but do not apply for 10 loans as it will damage your credit rating. 

Remember to always stick to your budget, and make sure you can afford the payments.

Step 7: Negotiation

Always negotiate face to face, as it will help you generate rapport with the sales man and makes it more likely and easier to ask for discount or get the price knocked down. Tell them why you want the car and get the sales staff on your side.

Always stick to your budget.

If the car price, warrantee and finance deal is agreeable to you, say to the sales person that you want a coffee and 5 minutes alone to talk to your partner. Make sure that you are both happy with the deal. This five minute pause could save you from weeks of nagging later, or from spending thousands of pounds on a car which is not really suitable.

If you are getting a car loan from the dealer, always try and get road tax, warranties and a tank of fuel included in the finance.

Always look at what the warranty doesn’t cover, as some warranties aren’t worth the paper they are written on.

Step 8: Warranty

If the warranty is a good one it should clearly state what is not covered.

Always try and get a better warranty if you are buying a second hand car from a dealer. They normally offer you the bronze warranty try and get at least silver as they normally go up to platinum. But remember that even platinum will not cover every single thing on the car.

If the dealer is confident in the car he should give you a 6 month warranty.
Again most importantly ask when the cam belt is due to be changed and try to get them to include it in the service that should be done before you pick the car up.
Also make sure if something does go wrong, the faulty part is replaced and has a new warranty.

Step 9: Get everything in writing

Make sure you get everything in writing.

Any work that was promised to be done will be done i.e. paintwork, dents removed, radio code and all other agreed items.

Get the service history if you can.

Step 10: Getting the keys

Most modern cars have central locking which uses an electronic key they can cost hundreds of pounds to replace. So make sure you get two keys and keep one in a safe place.