How much car finance can I get on my salary?

Lenders do not use a fixed multiple of salary. They look at your income, your existing credit commitments, your essential spending and your credit history. As a planning guide, keeping the finance payment to 10–15% of take-home pay on a £30,000 salary (about £2,090 a month after tax and NI in 2026/27) means roughly £210–£315 a month, which supports borrowing of about £8,800–£13,100 over 48 months at 6.9% APR.

Do car finance lenders check affordability?

Yes. FCA-regulated lenders must assess creditworthiness before lending, which includes whether you can repay without undue difficulty (the rules are in the FCA Handbook, CONC 5.2A). In practice that means checking your credit file and often your income and outgoings. An online calculator cannot replicate that check.

Does a longer term mean I can borrow more?

A longer term lowers the monthly payment for the same loan, so the same monthly budget supports a larger amount. At 6.9% APR, £300 a month supports about £9,700 over 36 months, £12,600 over 48 months and £15,200 over 60 months. You pay more interest in total over the longer term.

How much does the APR change what I can borrow?

Quite a lot. At £300 a month over 48 months, the amount supported falls from about £13,100 at 4.9% APR to about £12,600 at 6.9%, £11,900 at 9.9% and £10,800 at 14.9%. Use an APR you have actually been quoted where possible.

Is a PCP deal a way to get more finance?

PCP lowers the monthly payment by deferring part of the car’s value to an optional final (balloon) payment, so the same monthly budget can cover a more expensive car. You still owe the full amount and must pay the balloon, hand the car back or part-exchange at the end. Compare both with our PCP vs HP calculator.

Will checking my eligibility hurt my credit score?

Using this calculator involves no credit check. Many lenders and brokers offer eligibility checks that use a soft search, which other lenders do not see. A full application normally leaves a hard search on your credit file, so it is sensible to check eligibility first and avoid lots of applications in a short period.

How much car finance can I get?

The amount of car finance you can get comes down to one number: the monthly payment you can sustain. Your salary, outgoings, the APR and the length of the agreement then turn that payment into a borrowing figure. Enter your details below to see an estimate, then use the worked examples to see how term and APR move the number. No credit check and no signup; this is a planning tool, not a lending decision.

Reviewed by: Oliver Burton, Editor · Last updated: 09 October 2026

Your affordability result

Stretch

Recommended max monthly payment

£359

Estimated max car budget

£17,021

Estimated finance amount: £15,021
Total interest: £2,211
Total repayable: £17,232

Based on your income and 15% affordability, you could put around 359 per month towards a car. Over 48 months at the rate you entered, that supports a finance amount of about 15021. With your deposit, your total car budget is approximately 17021. This is an estimate only—actual offers depend on lender criteria.

What to do next

Compare product shapes with the PCP vs HP calculator or refine instalments in the car finance calculator.
Check salary-band examples on the affordability by salary UK hub.
Budget for upkeep — book your MOT online.
Buying used? Protect your car with a used car warranty.

Estimates only — not a lending decision or financial advice. We are not a lender or broker. FCA-regulated partners handle quotes. We may earn a commission if you follow sponsored links.

Disclaimer

This calculator is for estimation only. It is not financial advice and does not represent a lending decision. Your actual affordability and car finance options in the UK depend on your circumstances and the lender's criteria.

How the borrowing figure is worked out

Estimate your monthly take-home pay (or enter it from your payslip).
Subtract regular commitments you enter, such as other loan or card repayments.
Apply a share of what is left to the car: 10% (comfortable), 15% (stretch) or 20% (risky).
Work out how much that payment repays over your chosen term at your APR. That is the finance amount.
Add your deposit to get a total car budget.

Lenders do their own version of this using your credit file and verified income, so treat our figure as a ceiling to plan around rather than an amount you will be offered.

How much finance each monthly payment supports

Amount borrowed (excluding deposit) at 6.9% APR on a standard amortising agreement such as HP or a personal loan:

Monthly payment	36 months	48 months	60 months
£150	£4,900	£6,300	£7,600
£200	£6,500	£8,400	£10,100
£250	£8,100	£10,500	£12,700
£300	£9,700	£12,600	£15,200
£400	£13,000	£16,700	£20,200
£500	£16,200	£20,900	£25,300

Rounded to the nearest £100. Illustrative only; excludes fees and any PCP balloon.

Car finance by salary: worked examples

Take-home uses 2026/27 income tax and employee National Insurance (8%) for someone on a standard tax code in England, Wales or Northern Ireland with no pension or student loan deductions. Borrowing is over 48 months at 6.9% APR, before any deposit.

Salary	Take-home / month	10% payment	15% payment	Finance at 10–15%
£20,000	~£1,490	£149	£224	£6,200–£9,400
£25,000	~£1,790	£179	£269	£7,500–£11,300
£30,000	~£2,090	£209	£314	£8,800–£13,100
£35,000	~£2,390	£239	£359	£10,000–£15,000
£40,000	~£2,690	£269	£404	£11,300–£16,900
£50,000	~£3,290	£329	£494	£13,800–£20,700
£60,000	~£3,780	£378	£567	£15,800–£23,700

Scottish taxpayers pay different income tax rates, so take-home will differ slightly. Pension contributions and student loan repayments reduce take-home.

For more detail, see the salary guide or the £30k salary example.

How APR changes what you can borrow

The same £300 a month over 48 months supports noticeably less as the rate rises:

APR	Finance supported by £300/month over 48 months
4.9%	£13,100
6.9%	£12,600
9.9%	£11,900
14.9%	£10,800
19.9%	£9,900

An advertised “representative” APR only has to be the rate at least 51% of people taking out credit from that advert are expected to get, so the rate you are offered may be higher. See car finance APR explained and, if your credit history is patchy, car finance with bad credit.

What lenders look at

Credit history: missed payments, defaults and how much of your available credit you use.
Income and stability: employment type and how long you have been in your job.
Existing commitments: other loans, cards, buy-now-pay-later and housing costs.
The deal itself: deposit size, car age and value, and term length.

FCA rules (CONC 5.2A) require lenders to check both the risk to them and whether the borrowing is affordable for you. A bigger deposit or a shorter loan reduces the amount at risk and can help. Remember running costs too: insurance, fuel or charging, road tax (£200 a year standard rate for most cars from April 2026) and servicing come on top of the finance payment.

HP, PCP or a personal loan?

With HP and personal loans you repay the whole amount over the term, so the tables above apply directly. PCP defers part of the price into a final balloon payment, so the same monthly budget covers a pricier car, but you either pay the balloon, hand the car back or part-exchange at the end. Compare them with the PCP vs HP calculator, check typical figures in average car payment UK, or see the car loan affordability guide if you are thinking of borrowing from a bank.

Frequently asked questions

How much car finance can I get on my salary?: Lenders do not use a fixed multiple of salary. They look at your income, your existing credit commitments, your essential spending and your credit history. As a planning guide, keeping the finance payment to 10–15% of take-home pay on a £30,000 salary (about £2,090 a month after tax and NI in 2026/27) means roughly £210–£315 a month, which supports borrowing of about £8,800–£13,100 over 48 months at 6.9% APR.
Do car finance lenders check affordability?: Yes. FCA-regulated lenders must assess creditworthiness before lending, which includes whether you can repay without undue difficulty (the rules are in the FCA Handbook, CONC 5.2A). In practice that means checking your credit file and often your income and outgoings. An online calculator cannot replicate that check.
Does a longer term mean I can borrow more?: A longer term lowers the monthly payment for the same loan, so the same monthly budget supports a larger amount. At 6.9% APR, £300 a month supports about £9,700 over 36 months, £12,600 over 48 months and £15,200 over 60 months. You pay more interest in total over the longer term.
How much does the APR change what I can borrow?: Quite a lot. At £300 a month over 48 months, the amount supported falls from about £13,100 at 4.9% APR to about £12,600 at 6.9%, £11,900 at 9.9% and £10,800 at 14.9%. Use an APR you have actually been quoted where possible.
Is a PCP deal a way to get more finance?: PCP lowers the monthly payment by deferring part of the car’s value to an optional final (balloon) payment, so the same monthly budget can cover a more expensive car. You still owe the full amount and must pay the balloon, hand the car back or part-exchange at the end. Compare both with our PCP vs HP calculator.
Will checking my eligibility hurt my credit score?: Using this calculator involves no credit check. Many lenders and brokers offer eligibility checks that use a soft search, which other lenders do not see. A full application normally leaves a hard search on your credit file, so it is sensible to check eligibility first and avoid lots of applications in a short period.

Sources & notes

Our calculators and guides draw on publicly available UK guidance. We review content periodically but do not guarantee that external sources remain unchanged. See our about page for how we use these tools.

MoneyHelper – How to find the right way to buy a car
General guidance on budgeting and car finance options in the UK.
MoneyHelper – Work out your budget
Household budgeting principles used alongside affordability rules of thumb.
FCA – Consumer credit and your rights
Regulatory context for regulated car finance agreements.
FCA Handbook – CONC 5.2A (creditworthiness and affordability)
How FCA-regulated lenders must assess affordability (illustrative reference).
Black Horse – Car finance (sample lender information)
Example of how a major UK motor-finance provider describes its products.
Santander – Car finance (sample lender information)
Example lender product information; rates and criteria vary by provider.

Compliance notes

Car Affordability UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We do not provide regulated financial advice, credit broking or lending.
Calculator outputs are illustrative estimates based on the inputs you provide and published third-party guidance. They are not quotes, offers of credit or lending decisions.
FCA-regulated lenders apply their own affordability assessments, which may differ from the percentage rules of thumb used on this site. Always check formal terms before signing any agreement.
We may earn commission if you follow links to third-party finance comparison services. This does not affect how our calculators work or how content is reviewed.