Car Leasing
- Rated 4.9/5 on Feefo
- FCA authorised, FRN 315268
- BVRLA leasing broker member
- Part of Global Vehicle Group
Search by body type, CO2 band or brand.
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Choose a car lease around the job it needs to do
Car leasing gives a business or private driver the use of a car for an agreed term and mileage, with the vehicle returned at the end. Start with passenger and luggage space, your regular journeys and who will sign the agreement. Then compare the powertrain, tax position and complete written cost.
- Agreed term and mileage
- Business or personal
- Return at the end
Intelligent Vehicle Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and receives a commission from the lender or funder when an agreement completes. A trading style of XLCR Vehicle Management Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 315268). Finance is subject to status, availability and individual funder criteria.
Last updated: September 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Stacey Smith, Brand Director, Intelligent Vehicle Finance. Reviewed and approved September 2026.
Choose around your driving
- Your journeys: Passengers, luggage, parking.
- Your powertrain: Charging access and regular trips.
- Your agreement: Business or personal, term, mileage.
Make the awkward journey your test: the longest regular trip, the bulkiest item and the full passenger load. Check the boot opening and usable shape, rear-seat access, child-seat fit and where you park. A body-style label does not prove that your luggage fits or that a particular version has the seats you need.
Start with the journeys, then choose the body
For an SME director, the same car may cover client visits, the school run and family holidays. A sole trader may need room for equipment without stepping up to a larger vehicle. A small fleet needs cars that work for different drivers, while a private driver may place more weight on parking, comfort or luggage access.
Make the awkward journey your test: the longest regular trip, the bulkiest item and the full passenger load. Check the boot opening and usable shape, rear-seat access, child-seat fit and where you park. A body-style label does not prove that your luggage fits or that a particular version has the seats you need.
Use the category routes to narrow the search
| Body category | What to check |
|---|---|
| Hatchbacks | An opening rear tailgate for everyday luggage access; check the actual boot and rear-seat space. |
| Saloons | A separate boot; check its opening if you carry bulky items. |
| Estates | A longer load area can help with luggage or equipment; compare usable space and seat folding. |
| SUVs and 4x4s | Explore different sizes and seating heights; confirm driven wheels and seats on the exact version. |
| People carriers | Start with passenger access and seating layouts, then check luggage room with the seats occupied. |
| Coupes | Check door access, rear-seat use and headroom before prioritising the shape. |
| Convertibles | Check passenger space and boot use with the roof in each position. |
| Sports cars | Check the seating, access and luggage compromises against your regular journeys. |
| City cars | Start with parking and short-trip practicality, then test passenger and luggage requirements. |
For emissions-based browsing, use up to 100g/km, 101–110g/km, 111–130g/km, over 130g/km. These are catalogue bands, not individual BiK brackets. Use the displayed band labels, then confirm the exact car's tax data.
For a broader search, browse all car lease deals, in-stock cars or latest car offers. Explore prestige car leasing for premium choices or car manufacturers if you already have a brand in mind.
Match the powertrain to how you can use it
A battery-electric car needs a charging plan that fits your home, work or regular public stops. Think about access, charging cost and the journeys when stopping is least convenient. A plug-in hybrid also needs regular charging to make useful use of its electric capability. A full hybrid does not need to be plugged in; a mild hybrid uses electrical assistance to support its engine.
If you cannot charge reliably, compare the practical running pattern of a full hybrid, petrol or diesel car before selecting a plug-in version. For frequent longer trips, check fuel or charging costs using your own mileage and routes. Do not treat an official CO2 band as a prediction of your fuel bill.
Compare electric car leasing with hybrid and plug-in hybrid leasing. Confirm the exact derivative, model year and equipment before relying on any specification.
Choose the agreement before comparing quotations
Business contract hire is an agreement for business use; personal contract hire is taken in your own name. A director choosing a company car needs to consider personal benefit-in-kind tax as well as the business cost. A sole trader should have their accountant check the business-use treatment rather than assume the company-car calculation applies in the same way.
Compare the same version, term, annual mileage, initial rental, maintenance selection and VAT basis. Include administration and other stated fees in the comparison. A larger initial rental can reduce the recurring figure without reducing the overall amount you commit to.
Read how business contract hire and personal contract hire work. The business leasing and personal leasing pages help you explore the relevant route.
Plan the whole term, including the return
Contract hire gives you use of the car, not ownership or a contractual option to buy it. Check the servicing obligations, insurance requirement, mileage allowance and return-condition standard before you sign. Excess mileage and damage outside the agreed wear-and-tear standard can produce additional charges.
If work or family circumstances could change, ask how a mileage amendment or early termination would be handled. Neither is automatically available without a cost. Keep insurance, fuel or electricity and any items excluded from a maintenance package in your own running-cost plan.
Tax and road costs across the agreement
Look beyond the first tax year when choosing the powertrain. A company-car choice and a private lease have different personal tax consequences.
For a company car available for private use, including commuting, the benefit-in-kind (BiK) percentage is applied to its P11D value to calculate the taxable benefit. Your Income Tax rate then determines the personal tax. It is not a percentage of the lease payment.
| Car tax category | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-emission car | 4% | 5% | 7% | 9% |
| Qualifying 1–50g/km car | 4% to 16% | 5% to 17% | 18% | 19% |
In the qualifying 1–50g/km band, the exact percentage before April 2028 depends on official electric range. Cars above that band use their applicable CO2 bracket; diesel supplements can apply. The maximum appropriate percentage is 37% in 2026/27 and 2027/28, 38% in 2028/29 and 39% in 2029/30. Check the exact version against HMRC’s rates for each year.
Some plug-in hybrids can qualify for a temporary emissions easement. Check the registration date and Euro status as well as the CO2 and electric-range data against HMRC’s company-car guidance. Ask your accountant to confirm the treatment; a catalogue CO2 filter cannot settle it.
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED)
For cars registered from April 2017, first-year VED follows the applicable emissions and fuel rules. In 2026/27 the standard annual rate from the second tax payment is £200 when paid annually. Electric cars are not generally exempt. Check which road-tax costs are included in your agreement and how later changes are handled; future rates can change.
Expensive Car Supplement
For 2026/27 the additional annual supplement is £440 for five years from the second tax payment. It applies above a list price of £40,000 for non-zero-emission cars, including hybrids, or £50,000 for qualifying zero-emission cars registered from 1 April 2025. The electric threshold applies from 1 April 2026. Check the original list price including relevant options, before discounts, and the registration date against the vehicle-tax rules.
Planned eVED from April 2028
The government plans an additional mileage charge from 1 April 2028: 3p a mile for battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell cars, and 1.5p a mile for plug-in hybrid cars. It is additional to existing VED, with inflation uprating planned from 2029/30. The July 2026 eVED policy paper sets out the proposed measure. Check the final rules and how your funder will handle it before relying on a whole-term cost.
Tax information checked against GOV.UK and HMRC on 29 September 2026. This is general information, not individual tax advice. Your accountant should confirm the position for your circumstances, including any VAT recovery. Read the company-car BiK guide and VAT guide for the next questions to ask.
Useful next routes
A compact-car shortlist might start with the Hyundai i10 page; a larger-car shortlist can use the Skoda Kodiaq page. These are model information routes, not a promise that a particular derivative is in stock. For a company choice, read the directors’ company-car guide.
Find more explanations in the leasing guides. Confirm any fees against your quotation and our status disclosure.
Choosing a car lease: your questions
Choosing the car
Where should I start when choosing a car to lease?
Start with passengers, luggage, parking and your regular journeys. Then decide whether you can charge, who will take the agreement and what term and mileage fit your plans. Use those requirements to compare a small shortlist of exact versions.
What is the difference between business and personal car leasing?
Business contract hire is arranged for business use, while personal contract hire is taken in your own name. The VAT presentation and tax treatment differ. Directors should consider company-car tax, and sole traders should check their business-use treatment with an accountant.
Does an SUV always have more usable space than an estate?
No. Check the exact car rather than relying on its body label. Boot shape, rear-seat room, seat-folding arrangements and the space left with every seat occupied can matter more than exterior size.
Powertrain and tax
Should I choose electric, hybrid, petrol or diesel?
Match the powertrain to your mileage and charging access. Battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars need a workable charging plan. Compare your actual journeys and running costs, then check the tax position of the exact version.
Can I use the CO2 categories to work out company-car tax?
Use them to narrow your search, not to calculate the final liability. The benefit-in-kind percentage depends on the exact car and tax year, with electric-range bands applying to cars in the qualifying low-emission band before April 2028. The taxable benefit also depends on the P11D value.
Is the initial rental returned at the end?
The initial rental is part of the hire cost, not a refundable security payment or an ownership payment. Compare it with all the later rentals and stated fees, and ask about the funder terms if an agreement ends early.
The agreement and enquiry
Are servicing and insurance included in a car lease?
Do not assume they are. Maintenance may be available as a separate package with defined inclusions and exclusions. Arrange the insurance required by the agreement and check road-tax treatment, servicing, tyres and any other charges in the written quotation.
Can I keep or buy the car when contract hire ends?
Contract hire provides for the vehicle to be returned and does not give you a contractual option to buy it. Check the mileage and condition requirements before signing. If ownership is your priority, discuss the agreement type before choosing the car.
What should I send with a car leasing enquiry?
Tell us your preferred cars or body type, business or personal use, annual mileage, intended term and charging access. Include any essential seats, equipment or accessibility needs. Call 01752 429950 or request a callback; finance is subject to status and individual funder criteria.
Intelligent Vehicle Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and receives a commission from the lender or funder when an agreement completes. A trading style of XLCR Vehicle Management Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 315268). Finance is subject to status, availability and individual funder criteria.
More ways to browse and help
- Every way to browse our offers - All car and van hubs in one place.
- GAP insurance - Optional cover for the shortfall after a total loss.
- Tyres and servicing - Maintenance packages and your funder's contact numbers.