5 years: higher payment, lower financing cost
A five-year tenure concentrates repayment into fewer months. Your instalment is higher, but flat interest is charged for fewer years. It can suit a buyer whose monthly budget comfortably absorbs the payment.
7 years: the middle ground
Seven years lowers the monthly commitment compared with five years while avoiding the full interest cost of stretching to nine. Whether it is comfortable still depends on your income and other commitments.
9 years: lowest monthly payment, longest commitment
Nine years can make a more expensive car appear affordable because the payment is spread over 108 months. The trade-off is more total interest and a much longer period before the loan disappears from your budget.
Choose the car before choosing the longest loan
If a car only fits your budget when stretched to the maximum tenure, consider testing a lower car price with the Car Affordability Calculator. The goal is not the smallest possible instalment; it is a car that fits alongside the rest of your financial life.