If you've ever looked into buying a car, it will not have escaped your attention that they're not cheap. Along with the actual cost you also have to cover any repairs, pay petrol, insurance and road tax. However the freedom that a car can give is most definitely worth it. When public transport is unreliable, slow and doesn't go everywhere- in order to get around and be truly independent you need your own vehicle. But what do you do if you need a car, but don't have thousands up front to purchase one? Here are a couple of options to consider.

Can You Get A New Car Loan?

Most car dealerships will have finance options on offer. Aware that vehicles are both practical and desirable (but also much more expensive to buy up front than most people can afford) they allow you to spread the payment. As with a mortgage, the loan is secured, the dealership lends you the money to buy the car on the understanding that you keep up repayments. If you can't, they take back the car. The problem? Your credit needs to be good enough for them to offer the loan. In fact, to be accepted at a major dealership your credit score needs to be in pretty perfect shape.

Bad Credit? Try A Guarantor Loan.

So then, what are Guarantor Loans? Well, this is a form of borrowing that will free you to buy the car you want, as long as you have co-signer with a good credit score. Providing you know you can definitely keep up the repayments both now and in the future this could be a good way to go. However consider this option carefully, as if for some reason you're not able to pay then they become liable. After they have been nice enough to vouch for you, you don't want to land them in a heap of trouble and extra expenses. The major upside here is that if you keep up repayments, it helps your credit rating immensely.

Save Up and Buy Outright

If finance isn't an option, and you have time to save, then putting money aside each week until you have enough is the best way to go. This is the route I'm going to be taking, and for the last few months have been saving to be able to buy a car right away when I pass my test. Luckily the one I want is neither new or expensive (a cream Volkswagen convertible if you're interested) and so for me it was do-able since I don't need it right now. With this option you do run the risk of spending more on repairs, since an older car has more chance of faults occurring or things going wrong. But on the plus side, you own your vehicle without being tied into loans or contracts. The one thing to bear in mind here is that insurance prices are often higher on older cars, and so be sure to run some quotes through a price comparison before making your purchase. The last thing you want is to be stuck with sky high insurance costs! 

Have you ever bought a car? Did you go with finance or just save like crazy?