The ethics of using finance as a leg-up into a fancier car than you might otherwise be able to afford buying outright are hotly debated on PH, and at the heart of many a 'man maths' calculation. But it remains a popular way of, shall we say, increasing your buying power.
In fact in the last year alone, our members purchased over £5.8m worth of cars with the aid of finance from our partners at Zuto. This got us thinking; which cars otherwise out of your price range could you see on your driveway using the help of finance, and how much would it cost? You can finance pretty much anything, even a car from a private seller, and the loan term and interest rates will vary dependent on the car and your credit rating*, but let's start by taking a look at popular hot hatches on offer in the classifieds. All examples shown are based on a 48-month term and on the PistonHeads Zuto representative APR of 15.0 per cent.
Honda Civic Type R
This facelift EP3 Civic Type R looks like pretty good value at £3,850 with only 67K miles on the clock and stacks of recent work. With just a £500 deposit, you could have this car for £92 per month. Alternatively we've found this outgoing FK2 Type R at £24,450 with barely 7,000 miles recorded. Put down the £3,850 you may have spent to own the EP3 outright as a deposit and you could have this instead for £564 per month.
Love it or hate it, the Astra VXR is one of the most commonly financed cars on PistonHeads. This
first generation VXR
looks good at £5,295 with 64K miles and two former keepers. With a £1,000 deposit, you could have it for £117 per month. Then again, second generation cars can be had for less than £14K. This
one-owner car
looks tempting with just 25K miles and lots of options at £13,990. With no deposit at all, you could have this for £383 per month.
Volkswagen Golf GTI/R32
Fed up of the new breed of forced-induction hot hatches? The thumping 3.2 V6 in the Golf R32 can be had in Mk5 form from £6K. This one is £7,995 with 76K miles and almost full VW service history. With a £1,500 deposit, you could have this for £178 per month. Although for not much more, can get you into a Mk6 Golf GTI. This DSG example is £10,782 with 44K miles. With the same £1,500 deposit, you could own it for £254 per month.
The Focus ST comes out on top for all cars financed through PH. This (very orange!)
earlyST-3
is £5,599 with 72K miles, and with a £500 deposit could be yours for £139 per month. Third generation STs can be had from £11K, but we fancy
this
Tangerine Scream ST-2 at £13,495 with 29K miles. With a £5,000 deposit, it could be yours for £232 per month.
Ford Fiesta ST
Prefer the Focus's little brother? Early naturally-aspirated models can be had for little over £2K, and this one looks like a belter at £3,695 with only 51K miles on the clock. With no deposit you could have this for £101 per month. If you've got a bit more to spend, we've found a 235hp Stage 2 Molten Orange ST-2 for £9,795 with 59,000 miles. With a £3,000 deposit it could be yours for £186 per month.
Audi S3/RS3
In its various guises, the Audi A3 is also very popular with PHers. Mk6 Golf GTI money will see you into this 61K-mile, 2008 S3 for £9,990. With a £500 deposit it could be yours for £260 per month.
But if nothing short of 367hp will suffice, this RS3 can be had for £36,497 with 26K miles. With a £10,000 deposit it could be yours for £725 per month.
Supercharged R53 John Cooper Works Minis can now be had for less than £4K. We'd pick
this one
for just £3,995 with only 58K miles on the clock. With a £500 deposit it could be yours for just £96 per month. The turbocharged R56 John Cooper Works is a cracking hot hatch, and
this 45K-mile car
is up for £8,950. With a £4,000 deposit, it could be yours for £135 per month.
Want to find out more about financing your next car with Zuto? Check out our car finance page for more information or click on the 'finance this car' button on an advert. If you are planning on applying, we'd recommend giving this article a read first. Improving your credit rating will not only give you a higher chance of being accepted for finance, but it'll also help you to get a better rate too!
*All finance examples are based on HP (hire purchase) with a 48-month term and with £0 fee. They are also based on the PistonHeads Zuto representative APR of 15.0 per cent for deals December 2016 - February 2017 (three-month period). Finance is subject to status and income. Applicants must be 18 or over, terms and conditions apply. Zuto is a Credit Broker not a lender.
Representative Example
Borrowing £10,000 over 48 months with a representative APR of 15.0 per cent, the amount payable would be £274 per month, with a total cost of credit of £3,131 and a total amount payable of £13,131.