PSA about your student loans, 1 secured credit card and thinking you have strong credit

-Auto lenders don't give a shit about your deferred student loan payments.

-Your 700+ AutoFICO (750 Credit Karma for the illiterate) does not grant you access to tier 1 rates

-Your 1 secured credit card with a $1,500 limit that you use for gas and 2AM Jack in the Box munchies, then immediately pay off the next day does not exude financial stability.

-You are still a first time buyer

-You have yet to take on this type of debt in a 5 figure+ range

-There is no direct correlation between debtors satisfying their student loan payments, and satisfying their auto loan payments. Matter of fact, data likely shows the opposite - which is why student loans don't have much (if any) bearing on what interest rate you get approved for.

Take the interest rate you get approved for then refinance in the future, go get a co-signer if you can't handle the rate, or go pay cash for a $5k clunker (which is realistically what you should be doing anyway).