12 Month Car Lease
Twelve months is where most business agreements settle: long enough to bring the monthly figure down, short enough that you are not committing capital to a vehicle for three or four years.
Prices exclude VAT. A twelve month agreement is usually a business decision, and VAT-registered customers reclaim it.
A year behind the wheel, without signing up for three. A 12 month car lease gives you a brand new car for twelve months on a fixed monthly price, then hands the next decision back to you — renew into a newer model, switch, or walk away. There's no depreciation to swallow, no long contract, and often a way in when a traditional lease has said “not yet”. Choose your car, we deliver it, and a year later you choose again.
All vehicles on a 12 month lease
Drive Subscribe is an ACL Automotive brand — FCA regulated, a BVRLA member, with over 20 years in UK vehicle leasing and fixed prices you can count on.
“My car finally turned up today and I'm very pleased with it. Took a little longer than expected but worth the wait — a big thank you to Lisa for keeping me updated throughout. Will recommend and use again.”
What a 12 month car lease actually is
It's a short term lease over twelve months: a set monthly price for a car that stays ours, not yours. Think of it as the shortest of the “proper” leases — long enough that it feels like your own car, short enough that you're never tied in for years or left holding a car as its value drops. When the twelve months are up, you're free to move.
Who takes a 12 month car lease
Twelve months suits people and businesses who want a car sorted for the year without the long-haul commitment:
Most of our twelve month leases are for businesses — it's where this term makes the most sense. Not quite your situation? Drop us a line and we'll be honest about whether it fits.
What's included — and what isn't
Everything but insurance and fuel is built into one monthly figure, locked for the full year: servicing and maintenance, road tax, breakdown cover, the manufacturer warranty, and free delivery and collection at both ends. Free delivery and collection apply across mainland Britain, excluding the Highlands. Fancy a change part-way through? You can swap cars. The two things we leave with you are the insurance and whatever goes in the tank.
One job stays with you beyond insurance and fuel: telling us when a service is due. Over a year almost every car reaches one. Ring us when the dashboard starts counting down and we’ll book it at an approved service centre and pay for it. Leave it more than 500 miles past due and the warranty falls away, and there’s a £500 plus VAT fee attached to that. Every other charge that can ever appear on an agreement is listed on our fees and charges page, rather than left in the small print.
You cover the insurance, and it works out better for you that way. A single policy stretched across every driver would push everyone's price up, so instead you arrange your own for the twelve months and cancel it when the car heads back. You pay for cover that fits you and nothing more, and we'll tell you exactly what's needed before delivery day.
Getting your car
Delivery to your door is free anywhere on the British mainland outside the Highlands, and we collect the car for free at the end of the year too. Reckon on roughly 10 to 14 days between placing your order and the car turning up. It isn't instant, and that's on purpose — that window is how we make sure the car that arrives is cleaned, checked and ready to just get in and drive.
The price you see is the price you pay
The figure on each car defaults to Business, excluding VAT, with Personal pricing a toggle away if you need it. And because twelve months is the longest of our short-term terms, it's usually the keenest monthly rate we do — worth a look if you're weighing value against staying flexible.
Three things are due when you order, and we keep all of them in plain sight: your first month's rental up front, a one-off £95 plus VAT documentation fee, and a refundable deposit from £750 that comes back to you at the end once the car's returned in good order. After that, you're simply on the monthly price for the rest of the year.
Mileage, in plain numbers
A twelve month lease comes with 833 miles a month as standard with higher mileage allowances available. Anything beyond your contracted mileage is 40p a mile plus VAT, and we only ever bill for the miles over your allowance — with the rate shown up front. If your year involves serious motorway time, flag it before you order and we'll talk options.
Cars and vans, same simple terms
Take a car or a van for the year on identical terms — city runabouts, saloons, SUVs, electric, or a work van earning its keep. For a business it's the company-car alternative without the multi-year commitment: one predictable line in the budget, an easy annual refresh, and no capital tied up in a depreciating asset.
The VAT treatment on a car differs from a van, so your accountant can confirm what you can claim. For a driver, it's a year in a car you'd happily call your own.
Why not just take a cheaper long lease?
Fair question. A three or four year lease often looks cheaper per month. Here's what the twelve month version actually buys you:
If a long lease genuinely suits you better, we'll tell you. But for a lot of people, twelve months is the sweet spot between price and freedom.
Common questions
Can I extend a 12 month car lease at the end of the year?
Yes — you can extend a 12 month car lease. Coming to the end and want to keep going? Tell us before the twelve months are up and you can roll into a fresh year — the same car, or step into a newer one. Nothing starts over from scratch.
What happens at the end of a 12 month car lease?
Three roads: renew into another year, switch to a different car, or return it and walk away. Let a customer advisor know before the term ends and we'll arrange collection.
What if I need to end a 12 month car lease early?
Talk to us. Twelve months is a twelve month commitment, but life moves — if you need to hand the car back early, we'll walk you through the options and any costs honestly, rather than leaving you stuck.
Is insurance covered in a 12 month car lease?
No, and deliberately so. Cover priced for everyone would cost you more than cover built around you. Arrange your own for the year, stop it when the car's back, and you only pay for what fits. We'll set out what's needed ahead of delivery.
Can I swap the car during a 12 month car lease?
Yes — you can swap the car during a 12 month lease. A year is long enough for plans to change — a bigger boot, an EV, a van instead of a car. Switch when your term ends, or if it can't wait, talk to us mid-term and we'll do what we can.
What's the mileage allowance on a 12 month car lease?
833 miles a month as standard. Go over and it's 40p a mile plus VAT, billed only on the excess. If your year runs long on the motorway, flag it before you order and we'll talk it through.
What do I pay at the start of a 12 month car lease?
Three things when you order, all shown from the start: your first month's rental, a one-off £95 plus VAT documentation fee, and a refundable deposit from £750 that comes back once the car's returned in good order. From the second month on, it's just the monthly price.
Can a business lease a car for 12 months?
Yes — it's the term businesses use most. New companies that can't yet land a long lease, firms wanting a fixed yearly cost, teams on annual projects: one monthly figure, no multi-year tie-in, hand it back when the year's done. Ask us about business terms.
How does servicing work on a 12 month car lease?
Over a year almost every car reaches a service, and it’s paid for and booked by us at an approved service centre. Your only job is the phone call: when the dashboard starts counting down in days or miles, ring 0333 772 1886. Miss the interval by more than 500 miles and the warranty goes, which turns a free job into an expensive one.
A year in, what does it actually cost you?
Our 12-month van lease deals hit the sweet spot between commitment and flexibility.
Continue reading →
Navigating the UK tax system can feel like driving through an unmarked maze. Here's the plain version.
Continue reading →
Nearly half of UK consumers would prefer a short term lease over a traditional purchase. Here's the case both ways.
Continue reading →Not sure whether twelve months or a long lease is the smarter call?
Tell us where you're at — new to the UK, a young business, or simply after a fresh car each year — and we'll give you an honest answer, even if it points you somewhere else.
Fresh fleet drops, the best short term lease deals, and the odd useful guide straight to your inbox before they go public. No spam, leave whenever you like.
The flexible short term car & van lease service from ACL Automotive Contracts. FCA regulated, BVRLA member, 20+ years in vehicle leasing.
© Drive Subscribe is a trading style of ACL Automotive Contracts Ltd 2026
Drive Subscribe is a trading style of ACL Automotive Contracts Limited, who are registered in England | Registered number 06296885 | VAT number 338 855 754 | DPA number Z100466X
ACL Automotive Contracts Limited t/a Drive Subscribe are an owner and broker of hire who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number 730720. Member of the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA). Complaints we cannot resolve may be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Prices shown are indicative and subject to status and availability.