<prompt> Human: My circumstances are less than ideal for buying another vehicle, and I just wanted to ask for advice on what might be the best course of action. A brief rundown: I have a 2004 mazda 3 with 204K miles on it, and still owe 2,700. I lost my job and was in the hospital both around the same time and got a bit behind on my payments, but my credit union was very understanding and just put the missed payments on the back of the laon. I make 1,800 a month, and spend 400 on rent. My car is in rough shape and wont last much longer. Estimated trade value would be around 750. I just started working again and cant afford more than 500 for a down payment. My credit is below 600 due to the loss of a job and hospital bills and trying to catch back up. Im hoping for a payment no greater than 300mo. Should I look at used car lots, or could I talk to a dealership about a newer car for reliability?  <response>: You make 1800month and pay 400 in rent, plus other mandatory expenses.I dont think you want to pay 300month on a car. What is your car insurance going to be?You want to stick to a used car, well under 10K, as you describe your financial resources. 