I'm currently making a hell of a lot less than you(but am going to law school in the fall), with a credit score lower than yours and I was approved for an auto loan that exceeded my salary with an interest rate of 6.5 (no co-signer)which isn't all that bad considering. Just don't go to a bank of american and be expecting them to help you. Shop around online for starters. I got my loan from USAA but you have to be X military of the immediate relative of someone who is X military to qualify for their services I do believe. I hope everything works out!!

 

Do not close your old accounts, once you do, (if they are old accounts) they will shorten your history and pontentially lower your score. Ensure you keep your revolving balances down below 30%. Your revolving balances make up 30% of your FICO. Do not pay your revolving balances off to $0.00 instantly. The best way to boost your FICO is to pay the balances instantly down to 30% of their limits, then over several months pay the balances down, but be sure to not let any account sit idle for more than 6 months. If you do, it will not show any activity and act as a inactive account, thus lowering your score. One key score bump that most people skip over is not making sure all your revolving accounts (Credit Cards, Store Cards) show a credit limit for each account on all your credit reports. If you have 3 credit cards each with a $10,000 limit and each with a $5,000 balance, but one doesn't diplsay your credit limit at all, the FICO algorithm will combine your two displayed limits for the other cards ($20,000) then subtract your displayed revolving balances ($15,000) and the result if a false outcome of you showing a total revolving balance of $15,000 and a total revolving limit of $20,000, placing you at 75% utilization. I have personally seen 30 point bump by performing the above. There are tons and I mean tons of other things to boost your score also, but the most powerful your payment history. PM for anymore questions.

 

Sounds like a dream job, $90K working with Linux. At least I get to do some Linux where I work.

Don't worry about the bad credit score, it isn't a reflection of who you are. I've never paid anything late or even so much as looked at a lender cross eyed and my credit score is 0. I've had loans in the past, but apparently if you don't constantly use credit cards and borrow money they give up on you.

Do what I did for my last SUV, buy used with cash. I'm still looking for a 03-05 6mt and I'm seeing them every day for less than $23K list price. If I wasn't so darn picky, 6mt silver or grey with light interior, I could easily pick up an 04 for $19k.