You cant get an auto loan without prior history of loans..How do i break the cycle?

[Paige B]

I have a credit score of 639 and cant seem to get an auto loan. I have no real established credit and no prior loan history. and no possible co-signers. I've had 3 credit cards for a little over a year with a very minimal balance on each and made all payments in full and on time. I still cant seem to get approved for an auto loan without putting like $5,000 down. If I had that i'd just buy something outright..right? Any advice would be great