Bad things happen to good people. Just look at the subprime mortgage crisis. Mortgage bankers approved mortgages to borrowers they knew would have trouble making the payments. A recession occurs, borrowers are foreclosed, damaging their credit. Now they wonder if they can buy a car at all. The answers to a few simple questions will resolve this dilemma.
First, do you really need a car right now? Ask yourself what would happen if you did not get the car. If you can get by using buses, bikes, walking you will probably be better off taking the money you would spend on insurance, maintenance parking etc and saving it for a down payment later.
Second can you afford the car? Notice I didn't ask if you can pay for it. If your take-home pay is $1500.00 monthly you can pay for a corvette. If you have other expenses such as food, clothing or shelter then you cannot afford the 'vette. You need to make a list of all your expenses, make an allowance for inflation and emergencies then compare it to your take-home pay. The difference is what you can pay for the car. Don't forget to include not just the loan but insurance, gas, upkeep as well.
If you are very, very confident of your ability to stick to this budget for the life of the loan you may want to get an auto loan to buy a car. Otherwise, don't! However as you make all your payments on time, you will gradually improve your credit score and make finance easier to get in the future.
Finance is a fact of modern life - but cars are expensive to run and aren't real assets - because they don't make you any money!