Call it what you like, but the economy is different nowadays. And if you want to buy a car, you might be worried about your credit score. Maybe you think your score is good, maybe you’re convinced it’s not very good, or maybe you just don’t know exactly what your score means these days. The truth is that having a high credit score is no longer the moral exemplar and blank check to getting whatever you want that it once was, and chances are those days will not be returning for the foreseeable future.

However, unless you plan to pay cash for whatever car you decide to purchase, credit will likely play a role in the purchase of your next car. The good news is that your credit score isn’t the penultimate determining factor it once was.

A credit score essentially relates to risk, specifically how much of a risk there is that you won’t meet your financial obligations. The key thing to remember is that not every car seller is ready and willing to accept the same amount of risk.

Take, for example, General Motors (GM), an auto manufacturer currently experiencing financial difficulties of its own. The current economic climate means that GM is only going to want to sell cars to those people with the highest credit scores who represent the smallest amount of risk. Think of it this way – GM has enough problems of its own already, so it can’t risk taking on more from its customers.

On the other hand, look at the example of Bob’s Used Cars – your local neighborhood used car dealer. Bob’s business is stable, and he knows you as more than just a credit score number. He’s also interested in the financial welfare of his community, so your credit score may not need to be as high as you think for Bob to consider you an acceptable risk. Bob also has smaller overhead and smaller layers of business expenses, so he has much more financial fluidity should you default on your loan.

If you plan to buy a car, at least as important as knowing your credit score is knowing what kind of entity will be most willing to consider you an acceptable risk.

The kind of car you want to purchase will also make a difference. The higher the amount you need to finance and the less equity you’ll have in the car, the more the issue of risk is important. If you make a large down payment, you have greater initial ownership in the car, and the lender can be reasonably certain that you’ll protect your investment and make your payments in the future. They also know that if they have to repossess the car and sell it, the amount they’ll need to cover on the outstanding debt will probably be more than covered by the sales price of the car.

Things are, indeed, different. However, you, as a savvy buyer, can still use a combination of your credit score, knowledge of the selling/financing entity, and a cash down payment to leverage the purchase of the exact car you want.