Anonymous wrote:With $500 I agree with the other posters about checking out a credit union or bank for a loan.
The issue with those car dealerships that try to cater people with poor credit is that they'll probably gouge you with the financing. You can still see what they offer but at least you'll have the other loan from the bank or credit union as back up if the dealership's terms aren't favorable.
With the loan from the bank you can also shop cars from private sellers.
I think it's possible to find a decent vehicle in the $5000 range. Maybe check out reliable compacts like Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas, etc. Just make sure that you do your due diligence and get it checked out by a trustworthy mechanic. You might be able to check out some subcompacts as well, such as Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, etc. You might be able to get something a bit nicer and maybe cheaper if get an even older car. But with older cars, there is more potential for needed repairs and maintenance that will come soon after you get it. By looking at cars that are cheaper to begin with, hopefully you can get something a bit newer and not need as much money right away.
I don't know what interest rates are but there are some decent vehicles that you can get new for less than $20k nowadays. Like the ones mentioned above and I've heard good things about the Kia Soul.
A good way to get a deal is try to find out if anyone you know is planning to trade in their vehicle. And maybe offer a bit more than they would get if they traded in the vehicle. But do your due diligence as you normally would.
An issue is that there are a lot of costs that come with car ownership as well. To start out with you're going to need to get insurance for the car as well.
You want to avoid the buy here pay here lots, if you can. They will take a $2000 dollar car, have you put $1000 down, then pay $100 /week for 1 year. So, you have paid $6200 for a crappy car.