Tonella Ainscough was sceptical; the adage “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is" was ringing in her ears.

Her trusty 2004 Holden Commodore having bitten the dust, she was weighing up options for a new car. A personal loan she looked into didn’t appeal. Then, having heard workmates at Sydney Trains trumpeting novated leasing for several years, she’d decided to ring Maxxia.

“As Cedric [the leasing consultant] explained everything, I kept waiting for him to say ‘…But’, but he didn’t. There was no catch; everything sounded perfect.

“At the end he asked if I had any questions. I said, ‘Strangely, no.’”

Tonella says she was particularly taken by the tax benefits. “That’s what really appealed to me: working to pay for my car and still getting my other money in my hand – and I don’t have to worry about bills and servicing.”

Cedric even found her “the exact vehicle I wanted” – a 2018 Ford Ranger – which she’s fitted with a dog box to accommodate the love of her life – her German shepherd, Eshie. “It’s a genuine canine carrier,” she says. “I’ve even changed the number plates to her name.”

Tonella also uses the car for her work commute, and plans on getting some mileage into the car by visiting friends in rural Australia.

“I’m as proud as anything of my car, and everyone is commenting on how good it looks,” Tonella says. “I’ve been recommending Maxxia to everybody… my only regret is not doing a novated lease sooner.”