Since you are younger, ask your parents to co-sign the loan for the car. I was older than you, almost 19 when I started making my first car payments. I was driving a slightly used very nice car. I was in college, but went to school full-time and had a tiny part-time job making next to nothing. Well, just enough to make the car payments, pay for gas and a few extras every month.
I made the payments, but my mom's name was on the loan & my parents weren't willing to step in and make the payments for me; so I had to be good
But this really opened the door for me. Be careful with credit cards -- they can be very dangerous
