The primary consideration when buying new or preowned autos is financing. Consumers can have difficulty getting approval for a conventional auto loan, and the interest is usually relatively high with these products.

In many cases, buyers will choose a used vehicle and take a personal unsecured loan for greater affordability. An unsecured loan is essentially a billån uten sikkerhet or car loan without collateral or where the consumer doesn’t secure the funds with an asset.

A personal loan is somewhat easier to obtain for those who have trouble finding a lender that will give them a conventional auto loan. The terms and conditions are typically much friendlier than that of a loan product from a dealership.

More people are taking advantage of these benefits, straying away from the hassle of conventional loans and using the lump sum from a personal unsecured loan to make their auto purchase.

What are the differences between the two financial solutions? Go here for details on secured vs. unsecured debt. Let’s look at the conventional auto loan vs. personal loan products.

How Does The Conventional Auto Loan Differ From The Personal Loan Product

A conventional auto loan is the standard financial solution for purchasing a new or used vehicle from a dealership. Finding a lender to approve someone with a less-than-favorable credit profile or financial status for one of these products can be difficult. The criteria are fairly stringent.

Those who need a car but can’t get the approval from a conventional lender are choosing to use personal loan providers to obtain the funding they need. While these are very different financial solutions, they’re also comparable in the sense they’re each an installment-type of loan.

That means, as the consumer, you’ll make regular monthly repayments for a predetermined period. Plus, in each situation, the lender will assess your credit profile and financial status to determine approval. If you’re unsure which you want to pursue initially, consider the pros and cons of each.

The conventional auto loan

A conventional auto loan is a product specifically designated for the purchase of a vehicle. It’s a secured option meaning the car you want to purchase will secure the funds or serve as collateral for the loan. That means the lender could seize the auto if you were to stop making repayments or default on the loan.

A personal loan product

A personal loan is a product used for various monetary purposes. The loan is an unsecured debt with the risk being taken by the loan provider. That means you don’t need to secure the funds with any sort of valuable asset or collateral. Your signature and guarantee are all the provider receives as a promise of repayment. L

With these loans, the lender takes extra precautions to ensure you can repay the monthly installments by confirming a positive credit profile and financial status. The interest will be higher for an individual with less than favorable criteria, and the term will likely be shorter than that of a car loan.

Why Would You Use A Personal Loan For An Auto Purchase

A few variables will determine whether you can use a conventional auto loan or need to work with a personal loan product. A primary consideration would be the sort of auto you need to purchase. Sometimes, buying a beater is necessary when your car suddenly stops functioning out of the blue.

If you’re financially ill-prepared to invest in a new or prime used vehicle, a beater could be your best option. Conventional lenders, however, will only approve up to a specific age and mileage, so it’s vital to find out these terms when shopping for a product.

When comparing lenders for a personal loan, a priority is first to do your homework on your eligibility using a loan calculator to discern where you stand with qualifying and for how much.

This will guide you to the most suitable loan provider and help you search for an appropriate auto. Let’s look at why a conventional auto loan is not in the cards for you.

The vehicle is not suited for a conventional product

When looking at cars within a specific age range, it’s vital to understand there are limits to conventional auto financing. Securing one of these products in certain situations means the vehicle cannot exceed ten years old. Lending agencies and some banks stipulate this as a condition for loan rejection.

Another condition is the mileage. With an older vehicle, many lenders will require that the mileage is under 100,000 in order for the buyer to achieve financing. The reason for the stringency with these guidelines is the fact that a conventional loan is a secured product, and the asset securing the funds is the vehicle.

If the vehicle has no value, it’s not worth anything to the lender in the capacity of an asset. If you were to default on the loan, the car wouldn’t equate to the amount borrowed, leaving the lender unable to recover their loss.

Your credit profile is less than favorable

Lenders will look at your credit profile and financial status for a car loan. If your credit is less than stellar, you might qualify for what’s described as a “subprime product.”

These are exceptionally expensive with an exorbitantly high-interest rate. “Per Experian, the range was nearly 16 percent in the 2022 third quarter for subprime loans compared to prime used vehicle loans, which came in at roughly 5 percent.”

The suggestion is that buyers only look at “subprime” lending if there is absolutely no other option. Instead, a personal loan could offer a much better solution.

Final Thought

A buyer will find there are pros and cons to either scenario, whether you choose conventional auto financing or a personal loan product to finance an auto without collateral. The primary benefit of using a personal loan is you won’t need to secure the funds with the car.

If you get behind on payments or even default, you won’t have to fear repossession of the auto. Another advantage has the funds ahead of selecting the car allowing more time to choose the most suitable vehicle for you. It might not be one you find with a dealer; you might opt to work with a private seller.

Generally, a personal loan is a more reasonable option when buying a used car nowadays. You will, however, have a shorter loan term and likely higher interest. The idea is to crunch the numbers to see if the benefits will outweigh the downsides.