Best car deals for bad credit history customers. We research the top bargains in the $8,000 to $12,000 range.
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Best Cars For Bad Credit

Two types of customers: those looking for new, cheap and small -- or those going for the bling

Small And Cheap, Or Older And Cheaper?

In our research of best cars for bad credit history car loan customers, we found:

-- from AOL Autos, a recommendation of any Lexus from1997 to 2002. Consumer Reports noted in its 07 buying guide that a 98 Lexus will have fewer reported problems than an 06 Mercedes. We've seen sites recommend Lexus vehicles more than 15 years old.

-- Edmunds.com puts out an annual report of Used Car Best Bets. The 07 list included, among others, the Hyundai Elantra (01-05), the Mazda Miata (00-05), the Pontiac Vibe (03-05) and the Ford F-150 pickup truck.

-- at autos.msn.com, you can find all kinds of useful information on vehicle reliability (which is a big deal when searching for a car). Their 07 story on Most Reliable Vehicles mentioned, among others, the Scion XA, the Buick Century, the Toyota Rav4 and the Oldsmobile Silhouette.

-- and finally, look at award wnners from a few years back, and then look for vehicles that have dropped into our $8,000 to $15,000 target range. You can find a complete list of Car and Driver's Top 10 cars of the year at this Wikipedia page. For a start, may we suggest the 02 Subaru Impreza.

An Original Escalade? Why Not?

Here's a stat for you. One fifth of all used Mercedes are sold to people with credit scores under 550. In fact, one third of all cars sold to bad credit history customers are upscale vehicles.

So what's going on here? At 1-800-Car-Loan we understand the psychology of the credit-challenged. We know people who are more concerned about getting approved than they are concerned about any particular car. We also know people who will shop forever for a specific vehicle -- even if it's a few years older. In a word, we get it, and if you apply today you'll be in good hands for a bad credit car loan.

Learn About Platform Cars -- And Save

Did you know the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix are nearly identical cars, built on the same platform? And did you know you can find a used Vibe for about $2,500 less than a Matrix?

Finding cars that share essentially the same chassis, drive train and engine is a great way to save money. There are Fords that are the same as more expensive imports (Focus versus Mazda 3, Escape v. Tribute, Ranger v. B-Series truck). You can find them in Chevys, too -- the Trailblazer is thousands less than its mechanical twin, the Saab 9-7X.