Pre-Approved Before You Test Drive.

New cars and late-model used vehicles attract the sharpest rates because their resale market is strong and the lender has solid security. Used vehicles up to about 7–10 years old typically still qualify for secured loans at competitive pricing. Older than that, you're looking at slightly higher rates or unsecured options.

Most secured car lenders cap the vehicle's age at the end of the loan term — so a 5-year loan on an 8-year-old car (vehicle ends at 13 years old) is a common ceiling.

We tell you upfront which lenders make sense for your specific car's age.

Dealer finance is convenient — sign everything in one spot — but the dealer earns commission on the finance margin, which usually means a higher rate than you'd get going elsewhere. Add to that the time pressure of a sales environment, and most buyers leave money on the table.

Going direct to your bank can work for established customers with simple situations, but you only see one lender's rate offering — and your bank may not be the sharpest in the market this month.

A broker compares the entire panel — major banks, specialist lenders, credit unions — and finds the rate you actually qualify for, often saving thousands across the life of the loan. The broker is paid by the lender, not by you, so the comparison is genuinely independent.

Most personal car loans in Australia are fixed rate — the rate is locked in for the life of the loan, your repayments don't change, and you can budget cleanly. The trade-off: if rates drop during your loan, you don't get the benefit.

Variable rate car loans exist but are less common — your rate moves with the market, your repayments can rise or fall, and there's usually more flexibility around extra repayments and payouts.

For most personal car buyers, fixed wins for the certainty alone. We'll talk you through both options if your specific situation suits one over the other.

A balloon payment is a lump sum left at the end of the loan — typically 20 to 30 percent of the original loan amount. Including a balloon reduces your weekly or monthly repayments while you have the loan, which improves your immediate cash flow.

The catch: at the end of the term, you have to pay the balloon out of pocket, refinance it for another period, or sell or trade the car to clear it.

Balloons make sense if you genuinely intend to upgrade the car before the term ends, or if cash flow during the loan term is tight and the balloon is realistic to clear at the end. They make less sense if you intend to keep the car long-term, because you end up paying interest on a larger balance for longer. We model both scenarios on every quote so the trade-off is visible in dollars.

Most lenders look at one payslip and get nervous about anything that isn't a standard 9-to-5 PAYG salary. FIFO and shift workers earn well — often very well — but the income arrives in chunks, with overtime, bonuses, and roster-based fluctuations. Casual workers vary week to week. Uber, DiDi, and delivery drivers earn through platforms that don't issue regular payslips. Self-employed business owners often have lumpy bank statements and tax returns that don't reflect their real earning capacity.

We work with specialist lenders who actively assess these income types properly — looking at bank statement deposits, BAS, recent payslips with overtime included, and platform earnings statements. The income's there. It just needs to be presented in a way the lender's credit team can read.

We do that for a living.