CAR BUYING AND FINANCE GUIDES
Understand the car and the finance before you buy
Sourced guides to the loan, lender checks, taxes, insurance and transaction steps behind buying a car in Australia.
Selected lenders from our accessible asset-finance panel
The logos shown are selected examples, not a promise that every lender or product is available. BaseRate has access to 60+ asset-finance lenders. Lender and product availability varies, and BaseRate does not compare the whole market.
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Car Finance Guide
Follow the complete decision from ownership budget and lender assessment through comparison, approval and settlement.
Read more →Australian Car-buying Costs
Understand stamp duty, luxury car tax, CTP, registration, insurance and why on-road costs can change a finance structure.
Read more →Car Finance Glossary
Plain-English definitions of PPSR, LVR, balloon payments, comparison rates, settlement and other finance terms.
Read more →Tools and calculators
Car Loan Calculator
Estimate weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments before you apply. Adjust price, deposit, term and balloon payment.
Read more →Car Loan Refinance
Already have a car loan? Check if refinancing could lower your rate or repayments through BaseRate.
Read more →Balloon Payment Calculator
Understand how a balloon payment affects your weekly repayments and what you owe at the end of the term.
Read more →Buying and settlement
Used Car Finance
Finance an eligible used or pre-owned vehicle through BaseRate. Dealer and private-sale criteria vary by lender.
Read more →New vs Used Car Finance
Compare how vehicle price, age, depreciation, lender criteria and running costs can affect financing a new or used car.
Read more →Private Car Sale Buyer Verification Checklist
Verify the vehicle, seller, PPSR result, payment instructions and handover records before completing a private car purchase.
Read more →Electric Vehicle Finance
Learn how lenders assess electric vehicles and how battery condition, insurance, charging costs, tax rules and depreciation can affect your finance decision.
Read more →BYD Finance in Australia
Compare BYD electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle finance considerations, estimate repayments and continue to current BaseRate model and variant pages.
Read more →Tesla Finance in Australia
Compare Tesla Model 3 and Model Y finance considerations, estimate repayments and continue to current BaseRate model and variant pages.
Read more →Car Finance Approval to Settlement
Follow the checks between conditional approval and settlement, including evidence, vehicle acceptance, contracts, insurance and verified payment.
Read more →Planning and eligibility
Car Loan Amount Guidelines
Understand observed product minimums and maximums, and why serviceability, vehicle value and LVR determine the usable amount.
Read more →What to Do After Conditional Car Loan Approval
Already conditionally approved? Use this car-shopping checklist to verify the vehicle, protect your deposit and avoid invalidating the lender’s conditions.
Read more →Car Loan Deposits
See how a car-loan deposit changes the amount financed, scheduled repayments, equity position, loan-to-value ratio and lender assessment.
Read more →Credit Scores and Car Loan Enquiries
Understand Australian credit reports, scores and car-loan enquiries, including what lenders can see, how to check your reports and what a score cannot tell you.
Read more →Car Finance for Self-employed Applicants
Understand the information a lender may request when assessing car finance for a sole trader, contractor or business owner.
Read more →Managing an existing loan
Managing a Car Loan
Work through payout, sale, negative equity, write-offs, missed repayments, hardship, repossession and declined applications.
Read more →Car-loan Refinance Break-even Checklist
Build a term-adjusted comparison of your current payout and replacement loan to find the refinance break-even point.
Read more →Selling a Car with Finance Owing
Understand payout figures, PPSR security, buyer protection, settlement and equity before selling a financed car.
Read more →Negative Equity on a Car Loan
Calculate negative equity using the lender payout and realistic vehicle value, then understand the effect on selling, refinancing, upgrading and insurance.
Read more →Paying Out a Car Loan Early
Compare the payout figure, fee treatment, interest saving and security discharge before closing a car loan early.
Read more →When a Financed Car Is Written Off
Understand insurer assessment, loan payout, financier payment, shortfalls and replacement decisions after a write-off.
Read more →Missed Car-loan Repayments and Hardship
Act early after a missed car-loan repayment and understand hardship requests, lender responses and free support pathways.
Read more →Car-loan Repossession and Remaining Debt
Understand Australian car-loan default notices, hardship options, vehicle repossession, lender sale and why a remaining debt can still be payable.
Read more →What to Do After a Car-loan Decline
Respond to a declined car-loan application by checking the stated reason, affordability and credit report before creating repeated enquiries.
Read more →Comparing loan structures
Interest Rates and Comparison Rates
Understand the difference between a car-loan interest rate and comparison rate, what fees may be included and how to compare like with like.
Read more →Secured vs Unsecured Car Loans
Compare secured and unsecured car loans, including security, eligibility, potential pricing differences and repossession risk.
Read more →Car Loan Balloon Payments
Learn how a balloon payment changes regular car-loan repayments, total interest and the amount due at the end of the term.
Read more →Car-loan Pricing Factors Checklist
Prepare the borrower, vehicle, deposit, term and loan details needed to compare Australian car-loan pricing and total costs on a like-for-like basis.
Read more →Car Loan Fees and Total Cost
Identify establishment, ongoing, discharge and contingent fees before comparing the total cost of car finance.
Read more →Taxes, registration and insurance
Car Stamp Duty in Australia
Check how Australian states and territories calculate vehicle stamp duty, when concessions may apply and where to find the official calculator.
Read more →Luxury Car Tax Explained
Learn how Australian luxury car tax works, what enters the LCT value, how the formula applies and why LCT can affect a car-finance structure.
Read more →CTP Insurance in Australia
Understand what compulsory third party insurance covers, what it does not cover, how state schemes differ and why comprehensive insurance still matters for finance.
Read more →Vehicle Registration and Transfer
Understand registration, ownership transfer, inspection and notification steps when buying a car in an Australian state or territory.
Read more →Comprehensive Insurance for a Financed Car
Learn why secured car lenders commonly require comprehensive insurance, what CTP does not cover and how a write-off can leave a loan shortfall.
Read more →Dealer Fees, Add-ons and Warranties
Separate the vehicle price from dealer delivery, accessories, protection products, warranties and finance-linked add-ons before signing.
Read more →Used-car Checks Before You Pay
Check seller identity, VIN, registration, PPSR, condition, value, recalls and transfer requirements before buying a used car.
Read more →Calculate the Complete Drive-away Cost
Build the complete Australian car-buying budget from vehicle price, duty, registration, insurance, dealer items, deposit and trade-in.
Read more →Ready when you are
See what fits your budget.
Build an illustrative estimate with clear assumptions before deciding whether to apply.
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