Buying a new car can be a daunting prospect. From determining your needs to finding the perfect fit and getting your finances sorted, there’s a lot to consider and tick off before you can hit the road in your new ride.
Below, we test out a platform designed to make the car buying experience easier, and comedian and car enthusiast Tim “Rosso” Ross provides his top tips for a successful test drive.
Taking the Buy & Own a Car platform for a spin
A Brighter editor road-tests the Buy & Own a Car platform, which offers deals, finance options and information.
1. Start the car search
An online search of “CommBank Buy & Own a Car” takes me to the vehicle hub, which is stacked with special offers, loan options and information on popular car models. While here, I browse the available deals, from manufacturer discounts on eligible vehicles, savings on electric or hybrid car loans and the EV Access Program, in which eligible essential workers or individuals earning $100,000 or less can get a special discounted rate on EV-specific Secured Car Loans.
2. Go window shopping
Thinking about which options best suit my lifestyle, I head to the “Explore cars” page and type in the make, model, year, budget, condition and keywords that best describe the car I want. I settle on a new 2025 model BYD and am shown a list of nine cars. The platform offers me options to organise finance through CommBank, select a salary-packaged EV subscription or to simply buy the car outright.
3. Run the numbers
I choose the car that fits my needs: a 2025 BYD Dolphin Essential, a hatchback in Ski White with an AC70kW electric motor and a driving range of approximately 340 kilometres (WLTP). Suddenly I feel like someone who deeply cares about the difference in whites that car companies offer and electric motor capacity—who even am I? The drive-away cost comes in at $32,041* and the interest rate on a seven-year CommBank Secured Car Loan is estimated at 5.99 per cent per annum (comparison rate 7.41 per cent per annum)¹. This boils down to a weekly repayment of about $110/week for seven years. The burning question now: can I afford this car?
4. Put it to the test
To see how it would feel to commit to this loan, I went into the CommBank app and set up an automatic transfer to my GoalSaver account called “car fund”. For 30 days, I set aside $110 per week, imagining that going towards my new (Ski White!) Dolphin. In the first two weeks, I feel it. With a little less disposable money, I’m making small lifestyle changes like bringing lunch from home, buying fewer coffees and opting for a walk with girlfriends instead of dinner. Still, this starts to feel normal by week three and I find I’m able to tuck away $110 quite easily. It’s a surprisingly simple adjustment to make to secure a new car—or, at least, pretend to.
