Car Advice

This story was first published in 2015, and has been updated a number of times in the years since. The details below have been brought up to date for the beginning of 2020. If you're in the market for a new vehicle, or even a used one, there are many things to consider, but one items sometimes overlooked is servicing.

When it comes to time to putting a new car in your driveway, there are a lot of financing options available. We take a look at the four basic methods for funding your next vehicle. This story was originally published in 2015. The loan is probably the simplest financial product to understand: a financial institution lends you a big wad of cash and you use it to buy something. Depending on your circumstances and preferences, a personal loan can be either secured or unsecured.

One thing is clear with the growing demand for cars to be equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Carmakers are not meeting the needs of consumers when it comes to intuitive, useful infotainment systems that integrate into our lives. While manufacturers have staff committed to developing the infotainment systems in our cars, we bypass all their hard work when we connect our smartphones.

The end of the calendar year and the start of a new one is a good time to buy a new car because dealers are trying to clear old stock. But the bargains are likely to be sharper this time around because new-car sales are on track to hit the brakes for the ninth month in a row, dealers are overstocked, and the forecast for next year is gloomy.

Bessie Hassan, Money Expert at finder.com.au If you don’t have enough in savings to buy the vehicle outright, taking out a car loan is one way to get you on the road sooner. Deciding on the term of your car loan could make a big difference to the overall amount that you’ll pay for your vehicle – so don’t sign on that dotted line until you’re sure you can afford the repayments! What difference does the loan term really make?