Transparent illustration method

How our car finance calculator works

The calculator shows a mathematical illustration, not a lender quotation. It does not assess your income, commitments, credit history or whether a particular car meets lender criteria.

Nationwide Motor Finance · HQ Sourcing LtdPage updated How we prepare our information
01

Inputs and assumptions

The current website uses the entered or recorded vehicle cash price, a selected deposit and a term of 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60 months. Its stated rate assumption is 8.9% representative APR. Standard stock-card comparisons currently use a £250 deposit and 60 months (5 years).

Listed vehicle cash prices include a £499 administration fee. That fee is included once in the total shown, not added on top at enquiry. Our illustrations assume the total cash price less your deposit is financed; whether the fee can be financed requires provider confirmation. The effective annual rate is converted to an equivalent monthly rate, with equal monthly repayments and no additional finance fees assumed. These are comparison assumptions, not lender minimums or product eligibility rules.

02

Reading the result

Compare the amount borrowed, monthly estimate, charge for credit and total payable. Display rounding may create a small difference from a provider's repayment schedule. An actual proposal can use different fees, rates, deposit requirements or terms.

Independent checks

Official and independent sources.

These links open the original organisation so you can verify important information yourself.

MoneyHelper: buying a car with hire purchaseIndependent explanation of deposits, monthly payments, APR and hire purchase.Open source ↗MoneyHelper: interest rates explainedIndependent background on interest and APR.Open source ↗

Helpful answers

Finance calculator methodology: common questions

Does this calculate my chance of approval?

No. It calculates payments under selected assumptions only.

Does it include the cost of owning the car?

No. Insurance, fuel, maintenance and other running costs need a separate budget.

What should I compare with a lender quotation?

Check all figures and conditions, not only the monthly payment. Use our quote comparison checklist.

Ready when you are

Ask about a real car and a realistic monthly budget.

Choose a short callback enquiry or the full online application. Both reach our credit-broker team; neither form searches your credit file or gives a lender decision.

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