Shopping for a new car when your old one is about to give up isn't most people's idea of a good time. It's not deciding what kind of car you want that's the problem. Most people are able to think seriously and be realistic about what kind of car they can afford to own. They'll happily settle for a sedan, even if they dream of a sports car.

However, your credit might get in the way. If you've got less than great credit, car dealers can make you feel like a second class citizen. They don't want to take the risk of selling you the car you need, so they steer you towards other, less desirable models. They don't want to waste their time on you if you are not going to qualify for financing.

Very few people have perfect credit these days. There's always an occasion where you miss a few payments on a credit card or other bill, or get laid off from your job and have to put off the least vital bills. However, even if things are now different and you can deal with your financial responsibilities, you'll still have that black mark on your credit.

Credit bureaus can keep the information about those missed payments on your record for a long time. When you start investigating your options for financing your new car, they're sure to turn up. This means that you're on the defensive, and have to relive the period when you weren't able to live up to your responsibilities. It's necessary for you to explain to the dealership what happened, why you weren't able to make those payments, and to justify your ability to make them now. Here's some information to help you do this more easily.

The first thing you should do is realistically figure out how much you can afford for your new car payment. Don't make the mistake of being too optimistic about your ability to save money or reduce expenses. Buying a new car shouldn't affect your quality of life. If it's necessary to stretch your budget that thin, you should put off getting a new car until things improve.

When you are realistically figuring out your budget, remember that cars do not drive on air. You will need to put gas in them and it would be a good idea to set aside money every month for maintenance like tires, oil changes, etc.

Also, it's important to retain a good sense of reality in regards to how much you'll get when you trade in your car. You probably won't get the blue book price. For instance, if your car is worth $6000 as a trade in, realize that this is only $6000 off the sticker price of the new car. If you receive a discount on the sticker price (rarely do people ever pay the sticker price!), you probably won't get as much for your trade-in. Sometimes the amount that the dealer discounts your trade in turns out to be the same as if you'd paid the sticker price in the first place.

However, should you be able to work things out with your dealer and arrive at a fair price, you still need to shop for a new car loan. Even if you're getting a good deal on your trade in vehicle, you'll almost certainly need to borrow money to buy a new car. What kind of loan you get is almost as important as picking out the car.

If you happen to have a good credit rating, you can often get a good deal on your new car financing through the dealer. They'll use the manufacturer's lending resources to help find you the right financing. The best deal you can get is a zero percent finance rate. There's no interest with a zero percent rate. You can also get one point nine or two point nine percent interest rates, which are a lot better than you can get through most other lenders. Therefore, if you can get a good deal through the dealer, you should probably go for it.

However, those with less than perfect credit may need to look at other options for their new car financing. You may be able to find attractive loan programs through other lenders. These programs are designed for people with a few credit problems. You can even get loans designed for people with very poor credit or even those who've filed bankruptcy. However, you should be careful with these kinds of loans. Slipping up with them can put you in line for lots of fees and penalties, and the interest rate is going to be higher because they will consider you a higher risk.

Remember, when you buy a new car, shopping for the right car loan is just as important as picking out the perfect car. If you go with the first financing you're offered, you may find yourself paying several thousand dollars more than you would have if you had bothered to shop around. Don't underestimate the value to you of getting the right financing. There's an option available for you, no matter what your credit history looks like.