Annual mileage guide: Can I amend the mileage on my car lease? Plus more mileage Q&As
Back to 'Expert guides'How many miles will you drive in 2022? Annual mileage is something that affects your insurance premium, maintenance costs and, when it comes to car finance, your monthly payments too.
This is because a car’s residual value is inherently linked to its mileage; a car that has covered only 24,000 miles (8,000 per year) after three years will usually be worth more than if it had travelled 45,000 miles (15,000 per year) over the same period.
As such, it’s important to consider how many miles you drive before you take out any form of finance, whether it be a personal contract hire or personal contract purchase. When it comes to choosing a rental profile, mileage is one of the factors that affects your monthly payments the most.
How many miles do people really drive?
Overestimate your mileage, and your monthly payments will cost you more than they should. On the other hand, it’s worth keeping in mind that you may have to pay more at the end of your contract if you underestimate your mileage. Either way, you should always try and be as accurate as possible.
With record numbers of cars on the road and seemingly endless traffic jams, you may assume that average mileage in the UK has risen. But it’s actually fallen.
Figures from the government’s latest National Travel Survey showed motorists drove an average of 9,200 miles back in 2002. However, almost 20 years later it’s a different story. In 2020, the average UK motorist clocked up just 6,800 miles.
You might think that’s to do with the pandemic, but even in 2019 pre-COVID 19, drivers only did 7,400 on average.
Which rental profile is best for you?
Our recent data shows that almost one in three car leasing enquiries (32%) were for deals with a 10,000 p/a limit. 30% of enquiries were for deals with 8,000, while 17% of enquiries were for deals of 5,000 miles, the rest were for 12,000 miles a year and above.
Something worth consideration is that lease companies set mileage allowances by year, not by contract length. For example, if you plan to take our a three-year, 10k p/a lease, you’ll be able to drive 30,000 without worrying about additional costs at the end of the contract.
If we use the national average of 7,900 as a baseline then, there must be some people opting for 10,000 miles that really only need an 8,000 mile per-year deal.
The best way to calculate your mileage
So, the UK’s average mileage stands at less than 8,000 per year, but our figures suggest people round up to 10,000 when that’s not really necessary. So, what’s the best way to calculate your yearly mile count?
When you renew your insurance policy you are asked to state your approximate average mileage, so you may already have an idea. If you’re not sure however, the table below will give you a rough idea of what deal profile corresponds to your mileage:
| Miles driven per day | Miles driven per week | Miles driven per year |
| Up to 20 | Up to 140 | |
| Up to 25 | Up to 175 | |
| Up to 31 | Up to 217 | |
| Up to 39 | Up to 273 | |
| Up to 53 | Up to 371 | |
| Up to 66 | Up to 462 |
Can I amend the mileage on my car leasing contract?
Life happens. You could change your job, move house or a global pandemic could hit. There are many reasons why your mileage needs may change over the course of a contract.
You CAN apply to your lease provider to make an amendment to your contracted mileage if your situation changes. Reducing your mileage allowance is likely to reduce your monthly payments and vice versa. However, please note that you still will be charged on a pence per mile basis if you go over your amended allowance. Any changes to your contract are also at the discretion of the funder too.
