01
Which method costs the least?
Estimated cost over your chosen period, after deducting the value of any car you own at the end and including finance or final fees still owed.
ONE CAR. FIVE WAYS TO PAY.
What is the best way to pay for your car?
Compare cash, a personal loan, HP, PCP and leasing over the same period. Start with what matters most to you, then use the actual offers available to see what you pay today, each month and at the end.
YOUR PAYMENT COMPARISON
Your five payment methods
01
Total money paid
Everything leaving your bank account during the comparison period: upfront, monthly, fees and final payments.
02
Estimated cost over the period
Total paid + estimated finance and unpaid final fees − the value of the car you retain. For lease, you return the car, so there is no retained value.
Example: £40,000 paid − £20,000 car value = £20,000 estimated cost.
| Method | Fit / 10 | Upfront | Monthly | End payment including fees | Total paid in this period | Finance / fees left at the end | Estimated cost |
|---|
SEE THE DIFFERENCE
Four views of the same comparison
Each chart answers a different question. The figures always reconcile with the table above.
02
Where does that cost come from?
Longer bars mean a higher estimated cost. For ownership methods, the bar separates the car’s lost value from finance charges and fees. Lease payments are shown as the cost of using the car.
Car value lost / vehicle useFinance costFees
03
What if the car is worth more or less than expected?
Your future car value is an estimate. Each line shows how the method’s cost changes if the car is worth 15% more or 15% less than you entered. A shorter line means the result is less sensitive to resale value.
Lower estimated costHigher estimated cost
Lease has no resale-value range because you return the car. Mileage, condition and other lease charges can still change its actual cost.
04
How does the money leave your account over time?
Solid lines show cumulative cash paid—not the true cost. At the end, the dotted adjustment allows for the car you own and any finance remaining. Compare the labelled end markers to see estimated cost.
Cash starts high because the full price is paid immediately. That does not make it the most expensive method: the end adjustment deducts the car’s remaining value.
THE TIMING MATTERS
Five payment journeys, shown together.
See today’s payment, the regular commitment, any final payment and what position you are in at the end.
Calculations and assumptions
Estimated cost = total money paid during the selected period + estimated finance and unpaid final fees remaining − retained car value. PCP assumes you pay the balloon and keep the car.
Car-value sensitivity is an illustrative ±15%, not a valuation forecast. Running costs, tax, maintenance differences, insurance, investment returns and early-termination costs are excluded. For loan, HP and PCP, you choose whether APR or monthly payment is the known figure; the other is calculated. APR is also used to estimate outstanding finance where a term continues beyond the comparison date. Any unpaid final fee entered is then added. This is not a lender settlement quote.
Methodology version 1.2 · September 2026
How the rating works
Ratings do not use an arbitrary “flexibility” score. They are based on estimated cost, your three payment limits and whether you want to own the car. No rating guarantees affordability or credit approval.