Car loan: Do I need a down payment?

So I have had my current vehicle, a 2011 toyota corolla LE, for about a year and am considering trading it in. I owe about $10,300 on it still and I estimate the car is worth anywhere from $9,000 to a little over $10,000. I'm guessing if I traded in this car and were to purchase the new 2014 ford focus I want to get, they would add about $1,000 to $1,500 on top of the new loan. My question is, do I need a down payment? I know its always better to have one but I really don't have the money saved currently. By the way, my credit score is 691. Hope there's enough info here, thank you!

You don't always need a down payment. Your credit score is probably good enough to get the loan without one. Also you have to consider if the bank will allow you to roll your negative equity into your new loan. If the new car isn't worth that much, they might not let you do it, this needing some money to put down to offset the negative equity.

Don't finance at a dealer, do it at a credit union or bank.

You might if you car is only worth $9000. Rolling over negative equity is possible in some cases but its not a good idea.

You really should not trade often because you lose thousands in value each time. You get wholesale but you pay retail.

Depends on the dealer but most dealers now don't make you put a down payment especially on a new car. I saw a incentive yesterday that offered to pay off your car loan if you buy a new car from them which is insane I think it was Infiniti or Honda that had the deal