The loan market has tightened for new cars as dealerships have increased standards for loans, and it may make used cars in New Jersey or other states a more attractive option for buyers.

Experian Automotive says that independent dealers showed the largest gains in used car loans, with their share coming in at more than one-third of the market, as used car loans overall now represent more than two-thirds of all automotive financing.

“Banks, credit unions and captive finance companies appear to have tightened their lending criteria as they look to mitigate risk,” said Melinda Zabritski, Experian Automotive director of automotive credit. As lenders change terms, it “is pushing some consumers out of the new vehicle market and into the used vehicle market.”

The company says that the independents generally serve customers with lower credit scores find used cars in New Jersey and other locations.

That could be attractive to the increasing number of customers who have lower credit ratings, a group 6.3 percent larger compared to last year, according to Experian.