A flexible choice of repayment periods is pivotal for people deciding which finance to use to buy a new car, according to research released today by GMAC Financial Services (UK), the financial services arm of General Motors.

The survey of over 500 car owners revealed that almost half (47%) said that their choice of finance provider would be directly influenced by the length of the term.

The opportunity to arrange a loan at the same time as purchasing the car was not far behind, with 40% stating that this would be an important consideration.

When researching which financial provider to opt for the internet is by far the most popular tool with 45% of car buyers using this method, compared to just one in five (21%) who refer to the financial section of newspapers.