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How my car changed my life

Getting a new car isn’t always just about getting from A to B. For many of our users, the cars they financed through ClearScore have allowed them to achieve some amazing things.

02 January 2018Hannah Salih 4 min read

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Getting a new car can be a really exciting step - there's nothing quite like that new car smell after all. We connect thousands of people with car finance offers everyday but we never get to hear about what happens next (which is really the exciting bit).

So we caught up with some of our users to find out more. They've shared their stories about what their cars, financed through ClearScore, really mean to them and the surprising things their new cars have helped them to achieve.

Over to you…

The 'first taste of independence' car

OWNER: Gaby, Yorkshire and Humber

CAR BOUGHT: Peugeot 107

Getting your first ever car is a pretty big deal - everyone always remembers what theirs was and thanks to ClearScore I can finally join in the conversation.

I recently decided that it was definitely time to take the plunge and get my very own car. In the past, I've always been completely dependent on other people for lifts (which I imagine got fairly annoying for everyone) and the public transport where I live never seems to go exactly where you need to be.

I spent some time looking into my options, I really wanted to make sure my first car was right. I had my heart set on a car fresh from the manufacturer, but when I started looking into brand new cars, I was really surprised by how expensive they could be. But I'd come across this car, a lovely little Peugeot, and my eye was caught. It was the perfect first car - such a great size and a nice, easy drive. But it was quite expensive. It would have taken years to save up enough to buy it outright, but I'd learnt about the different types of car finance through ClearScore and they connected me with a provider with no hassle at all.

Getting car finance through ClearScore has enabled me to do so much. I now have the freedom to take myself everywhere I need to go. It was literally a dream come true getting behind the wheel of my car for the first time. I drive to town, work, to see my friends, and sometimes I'll just drive around for the novelty of it all. Plus, I'm finally able to repay people with lifts - I've got a lot to go until I'm even but I'm getting there!

The 'roof-down, wind in the hair' dream car

OWNER: John, 61, Wales

CAR BOUGHT: Convertible Volvo

I recently secured a loan for a car through ClearScore, and I used it to finally buy the car I have wanted for the longest time. I’ve always had a vision of myself driving with the roof-down along beautiful, winding country roads. It's been a dream of mine for years and it was so exciting to get my hands on the car of my dreams. Winding the roof back for the first time was a very good feeling.

But the country roads of the UK aren't quite as idyllic as in my dreams, so I would like to set off on a big trip around France with my wife next year. We're big foodies and love trying out different wine and food combinations, so we're hoping to do a tour all around the French wine regions.

I am slightly apprehensive about driving abroad as I've never done it before, but I'm determined to overcome this obstacle and we can't wait to set off on our adventure! It might be 'just a car' for many people, but not for us.

The 'I’m-a-cool-dad-now' car

OWNER: Kevin, 42, Yorkshire and Humber

CAR BOUGHT: Mercedes estate

I drive pretty much every day - to work, at the weekends with my family and we often drive abroad too. I'm not hugely bothered by car brands and as long as it goes, I don't really mind what it looks like. But my daughter has never been very keen on the 'dad' cars I've tended to opt for in the past.

When my previous car finance plan came to an end, I started looking into cars that were my usual style, to the slight disappointment of my daughter. This planted the seed that maybe I could look into getting a car that was just a little bit nicer, if I could find the right finance. I checked with my bank to see what deals I could get, but the offer I found on ClearScore was at a much better rate, which was a great result.

So in the end I opted for a Mercedes. It's such a nice drive and it's a car my daughter finally isn't embarrassed by. In fact, she loves it so much she asked if I would chauffeur her and her friends to their end of year prom!

I did ask her if I needed to wear a chauffeur’s hat but luckily she let me off that one... As a dad you do spend quite a bit of time operating a free taxi service so I was really happy to be able to do it on such a special occasion for my daughter.

The 'pastures new' car

OWNER: Danielle, 33, Wales

CAR BOUGHT: Toyota Aygo

I had a company lease car but after deciding to leave my job for pastures new, I was left with the dilemma of what to do with the car. I could either hand it back to the company or try to buy it. I've switched from IT to insurance which is a really exciting career move for me, but I needed a car to be able to get to my fab new job.

I really didn't want to go through the hassle of finding a new car, but I couldn't afford to buy it outright. I’d also been declined for car finance in the past because I didn’t have any credit history, so I was really apprehensive about how I was ever going to get my hands on this car. Luckily, I took out a credit card last year through ClearScore and I’ve been using it build my credit history and boost my score. This seemed to pay off as I applied for finance through ClearScore and I was actually approved. So the car was officially mine!

I’m now happy tootling back and forth in the car I love to my amazing new job! And it’s lovely knowing the car belongs to me.

And the good effects of getting this car financed doesn't stop there. Next year, my partner and I are planning on driving the car all the way to France. We've been talking about going on a proper road trip for a while but we couldn't do it before because of the limited mileage on company cars. We're going to get the ferry and make our way down to Disneyland Paris - I can’t wait!

We loved hearing all about how ClearScore If you have a story tell


Hannah Salih Image

Written by Hannah Salih

Content Creator

Hannah is currently studying for a Master's in Comparative Cultural Analysis. She knows all about personal finance, but as a student, she's an expert in money saving tips and tricks.