I totaled my car last night, and can’t go very long without one unfortunately. I am not looking to get something brand new. I just want something that will get me from point A to B, and has heat/air. I have never had a loan before. I’m not sure if the personal loan route would be a better route than a car loan.

I have a 621 credit score (Vantage: Credit Karma) and i have a 92% payment history. I have two hard inquiries and zero derogatory marks. I do have a little more than $2,000 of credit debt, but it’s not more than $2,500 (across three cards). I make more than the monthly payments each month. The credit card I have with my bank is almost paid off, and I haven’t missed a single payment this year.

I bank with an actual bank and not a credit union.

I do currently only work part-time but I make $21 an hour. It is a sales position and will be turning into full-time in January.

I’m just not sure how much I can get or if I can even get approved for a loan. I just don’t want to waste my time and I don’t want to resort to a crappy dealership. Would it be better for me to go through the dealership directly? should I try to go through my bank? Or should I just try the credit union?