Check educational credit unions as well, I'm a member of one and it's great. They offer loans on vehicles back to x year, and then also classic auto loans, boat, motorcycle, rv. the gamut.
There are a lot of questions that you need to ask yourself that will determine what you buy. I'll throw this out here because it can save you a lot of money. I have two cars that I just paid off last year, one bought new and one bought used. Even on a used vehicle, financed, you pay A LOT more than the price you think you're buying it for. My Trailblazer which I purchased used for under 18k IIRC is now worth around 5k. It's 9 years old. I would rather buy a 9yo vehicle for 5k dollars cash. I understand you don't have the money to do that, NOW, but later you might, so here's what I'd figure out for myself:
1. Purpose of the vehicle and how it will be used.
Is it just my commuter, school and work, and how far am I commuting?
Is it town or freeway driving? populated area or rural?
Is it just me or is it me and family/friends riding in it?
What's the weather like where I live?
Where will I park/store it?
This tells me what I need in the vehicle as far as gas mileage, size, how modern it is and what features I want/need (long distance driving I want cruise control but don't mind a manual transmission, where with city driving I don't need cruise but don't want a stick. Older vehicles with 2 speed wipers if I'm gonna have a lot of rain might be irritating, but if it is a dry area I'm not gonna care etc. etc), tells me if I want a small easy to park vehicle that is me plus 1 or need a big one that is me +5.
2. How long will this vehicle need to last me, how long till I'll be able to afford another one? Often times vehicles are transitional. The 65 mustang fastback I had as a teenager was one of the most reliable vehicles I ever owned (often times those older cars/trucks are bulletproof if maintained even semi-well) but now with a wife and two kids and a couple of dogs it wouldn't be right for me. I have a buddy that owns a real nice volvo, but when he took a job that was 1.5 hours away he bought a prius because of the gas bills. saved him more money monthly than the payment on the new car.
3. How much work can/will you realistically be able and willing to do? Oil changes are barely worth doing yourself, but brakes and other repairs can really save you money. I can do the brakes on my wifes Honda for 50-60% of taking it to a shop or dealer. You want to know the type of car you're looking at and the usual maintenance and items that go bad, but you also want to know what the cost of maintenance is on them. If it is a very common vehicle then used parts and non-oem parts are going to be more available and cheaper than a car that is less common or smaller number made.
Believe it or not you can often times for under 2k dollars buy a very reasonable, reliable enough car for your purposes. My uncle bought my wife's contour from her for I think 800 dollars, spent about that much on some repairs which he made himself, it got 25mpg and worked great for him till he gave it to his grandson (who subsequently wrecked it). My buddy just sold an older chevy blazer, 4wd, with aircon, auto etc., very well maintained with 150k miles on it for under 2k. I can go on and on. My point is, you may be able to borrow from your grandma or whomever you said would cosign for you, and do this and save the money you'd spend on interest. that might not be an option, but a personal loan that you could afford to pay off in 6mo to a year would cost you less than an auto loan financed over 4-6 years.
I've learned a lot by doing things the wrong way, or less than ideal way. Hopefully we can save you some learning curve and help you meet your needs at the same time.
and don't discount motorcycles!
Red
