Compare unsecured car loans Background

Compare unsecured car loans

The table below shows unsecured personal loans from our Online Partners. As the loans do not require security as a condition of approval, they could be considered for financing a range of purchases, such as a car. Check the terms and conditions with the lender.

Group Manager, Research & Ratings
Senior Finance Journalist
Fact checked

Instantly compare 210+ Canstar expert rated products based on the inputs below


Sort results Sort By
down-arrow
  • Star Rating - lowest first
  • Star Rating - highest first
  • Interest rate - lowest first
  • Interest rate - highest first
  • Comparison rate^ - lowest first
  • Comparison rate^ - highest first
  • Monthly repayment - lowest first
  • Monthly repayment - highest first
Features and fees Glossary
  • icon Additional repayments
  • icon Redraw facility
  • icon Top-up facility
  • icon Application fee: $0 up to $600
  • icon Annualised fee: $0
  • icon Loan terms available: 3 years to 7 years
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
7.24% Glossary
up to 9.39% Glossary
Fixed Glossary
7.24% Glossary
up to 11.49% Glossary
$398.29 Glossary
up to $418.96 Glossary
Features and fees Glossary
  • icon Additional repayments
  • icon Redraw facility
  • icon Top-up facility
  • icon Application fee: $300 up to $1200
  • icon Annualised fee: $0
  • icon Loan terms available: 1 year to 7 years
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
6.57% Glossary
up to 9.29% Glossary
Fixed Glossary
7.59% Glossary
up to 10.33% Glossary
$391.98 Glossary
up to $417.99 Glossary
Features and fees Glossary
  • icon Additional repayments
  • icon Redraw facility
  • icon Top-up facility
  • icon Application fee: $300 up to $1200
  • icon Annualised fee: $0
  • icon Loan terms available: 1 year to 10 years
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
6.57% Glossary
up to 9.29% Glossary
Fixed Glossary
8.28% Glossary
up to 11.03% Glossary
$391.98 Glossary
up to $417.99 Glossary
Features and fees Glossary
  • icon Additional repayments
  • icon Redraw facility
  • icon Top-up facility
  • icon Application fee: $300 up to $1200
  • icon Annualised fee: $0
  • icon Loan terms available: 1 year to 7 years
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
6.57% Glossary
up to 9.29% Glossary
Fixed Glossary
8.28% Glossary
up to 11.03% Glossary
$391.98 Glossary
up to $417.99 Glossary
Features and fees Glossary
  • icon Additional repayments
  • icon Redraw facility
  • icon Top-up facility
  • icon Application fee: $175
  • icon Annualised fee: $60
  • icon Loan terms available: 0 to 7 years
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
11.49% Glossary
Variable Glossary
13.77% Glossary
$439.75 Glossary
Features and fees Glossary
  • icon Additional repayments
  • icon Redraw facility
  • icon Top-up facility
  • icon Application fee: $575
  • icon Annualised fee: $0
  • icon Loan terms available: 3 years to 7 years
star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon star-rating-icon
5.76% Glossary
up to 24.03% Glossary
Fixed Glossary
9.78% Glossary
up to 28.52% Glossary
$384.43 Glossary
up to $575.71 Glossary

Showing 6 of 122 results

To see more results adjust the filters above

check Included
cross Not included
na Not applicable
canstar-rating-icon Canstar rating
indicative-canstar-rating-icon Indicative Canstar rating

Unsure of a term in the above table? View glossary

The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Comparison rate^ (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

About unsecured car loans

If you are considering borrowing money to fund the purchase of a vehicle, you may be wondering what an unsecured car loan is and how it works.

What is an unsecured car loan?

In the strictest sense, there is no such thing as an ‘unsecured car loan’ – the phrase actually refers to an unsecured personal loan that you might take out for the purpose of buying a car. Personal loans can be used for a variety of purposes, including holidays, home renovations, and even debt consolidation, and purchasing a vehicle is just one of these.

The most important thing to understand about unsecured personal loans is that there is no collateral attached, meaning there is no specific thing that a lender can repossess to recoup their costs if you are unable to make your repayments. Instead of this, you will personally be responsible for repaying the debt, and may be taken to court if you are unable to do so.

For this reason, lenders may consider unsecured loans riskier than secured ones, and may charge higher interest rates.

What is the difference between secured and unsecured car loans?

The key difference between a secured car loan and an unsecured car loan is that with the former type of loan, the car itself is used as security against the purchase. This means that if you are unable to make your repayments, your lender has the right to repossess the car in order to recoup any losses from the outstanding balance of the loan. An unsecured car loan is an unsecured personal loan, which does not hold the car (or anything else) as security for the amount borrowed.

It is important to understand that you may not be able to take out a secured car loan for the purchase of any vehicle. Lenders tend to offer them for new or near-new cars, and if you are purchasing an older second-hand car, your lender may not use it as security. This is one circumstance in which you may consider an unsecured personal loan to purchase the car instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

The question of where you can find the ‘best’ unsecured car loan is subjective, and will come down to your own personal needs and circumstances. There are some things you can consider when comparing loans in order to determine which might be suitable for you, including:

  • The fees and charges attached: Some loans can come with establishment and ongoing fees, so it is important to read the product disclosure statement (PDS) of any loan product, or ask the lender what fees you might be charged.
  • The interest rate: The interest rate of a loan refers to the amount of interest you will be charged on the balance of the loan, and therefore gives an idea of how much you will repay each month.
  • The comparison rate: This is a figure that lenders are required to display alongside the interest rate of a loan, that is intended to give a true picture of how much it will cost when interest, fees and charges are factored in. The comparison rate may reveal that a loan which appears to be the cheapest option may not actually be the most affordable, when fees and charges are factored in.
  • Whether the interest rate is fixed or variable: A fixed interest rate will remain the same for the term of the loan, giving you certainty in your repayments, while variable rates can go up and down depending on market forces and your lender’s decisions. Fixed rate loans can offer a sense of security in your repayments but can be more expensive than variable rate ones.
  • The term of the loan: This is the amount of time you will have to repay the balance of the loan. A survey of personal loan providers on Canstar’s database shows that personal loans can typically have terms of one to seven years, but this will depend on the individual provider.

If you are considering taking out an unsecured personal loan to purchase a car, some potential benefits may be:

  • The flexibility to buy whatever vehicle you want, be it new or used, newer or older.
  • The fact that you may not automatically lose your vehicle if you are unable to make your required repayments.
  • The flexibility to choose a personal loan that suits your particular needs.

Some potential things to be wary of when it comes to unsecured personal loans include:

  • The fact that the interest rates of unsecured loans tend to be higher than for secured ones.
  • The fact that, if you cannot make your required repayments, your lender may take you to court.
  • The fact that lenders may offer you a smaller loan amount than you might be able to get for a secured loan, as they may view unsecured credit as riskier.

The term ‘unsecured car loan’ refers to a personal loan that can be used to fund the purchase of a car. These loans can either have fixed interest rates, meaning that the interest you pay will be the same each month, or variable ones, meaning that your interest rate can fluctuate up or down or remain stable, depending on market forces and your lender’s decisions.

Your credit score can play an important part in whether a lender is willing to approve you for a loan, and for how much.

In Australia, credit producers are bound by responsible lending laws, meaning they may only loan you money if they believe you will be able to repay it, and a survey of your credit score is a component of this.

If your credit score is too low, a lender may not be willing to offer you a loan, or may only be willing to offer you a loan with higher interest rate, as they may view you as a risky borrower.

Latest in personal loans

Canstar Personal Loans Star Ratings and Awards

Looking for an award-winning personal loan or to switch lenders? Canstar rates products based on price and features in our Personal Loans Star Ratings and Awards. Our expert Research team shares insights about which products offer 5-Star value and which providers offer outstanding value overall.

Canstar rates a range of financial products, covering banking, insurance and investment. We also reveal which providers have the most satisfied customers in our dedicated Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Personal and Car Loans Awards

About the authors

Alasdair Duncan, Senior Finance Journalist

Alasdair Duncan
Alasdair Duncan is a Senior Finance Journalist at Canstar, specialising in home loans, property and lifestyle topics. He has written more than 200 articles for Canstar and his work is widely referenced by other publishers and media outlets, including Yahoo FinanceThe New DailyThe Motley Fool and Sky News. He has featured as a guest author for property website homely.com.au. In his more than 15 years working in the media, Alasdair has written for a broad range of publications. Before joining Canstar, he was a News Editor at Pedestrian.TV, part of Australia’s leading youth media group. His work has also appeared on ABC News, Junkee, Rolling Stone, Kotaku, the Sydney Star Observer and The Brag. He has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Journalism from the University of Queensland. When he is not writing about finance for Canstar, Alasdair can probably be found at the beach with his two dogs or listening to podcasts about pop music. You can follow Alasdair on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale
Joshua Sale is responsible for developing the methodology and delivering Canstar’s flagship Star Ratings, as part of Canstar’s Research Team. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, he enjoys helping Australians find more suitable financial products by transforming complex calculations into a consumer-friendly Star Rating that explains the values and benefits of different financial products. As one of Canstar’s company spokespeople, Joshua is confident participating in print, radio and broadcast journalism interviews. He has participated in interviews with the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine, along with other leading media outlets, discussing topics such as home loan equity, banking incentive schemes, digital wallets and wider finance trends. You can follow Joshua on LinkedIn. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Joshua as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

Thanks for visiting Canstar, Australia’s biggest financial comparison site*

Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more.

The Personal Loan Star Ratings are updated daily. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. Current rates and fees are displayed and may be different to what was rated. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Personal Loans Star Rating Methodology. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products.

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. Canstar provides information about credit products. We’re not suggesting or recommending a particular credit product for you. If you decide to apply for a loan, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. It’s important you check rates and product information directly with the provider. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure. ^Read the Comparison Rate Warning.

Representative example total repayment amount: For a personal loan of $20,000 borrowed for 60 months with a minimum interest rate of 9.84% (comparison rate^ of 10.87%), the total amount you would need to repay would be $25,551. This is made up of a $20,000 principal amount, $5,402 interest amount, estimated upfront fees of $149 and total ongoing fees of $0. This example is hypothetical. The total loan repayment amount for any individual personal loan will vary depending on several factors (including making on time repayments). You should confirm with the lender the total amount repayable for your particular circumstances.