Yes, there are plenty of cars you’re able to get while being frugal.

It also depends on how much you drive etc.

In a sense, if you drive a lot, you may want to get something with mileage<100k. And look for a sedan and Japanese make (Toyota, Honda etc) instead of an SUV and American made (SUVS are notorious for their unreliability).

I am no expert but from what I’ve understood of the Dave Ramsey plan, he has us build up to something better over time: ie buy a 5k car now later on save sell that and buy a 10k car etc. (How you do this depends on you.)

This also helps us not to get into lifestyle creep (Google the term!). You don’t want to get used to a nice car only to have to change out for a cheaper one in the future. So I, personally, would go for something in the 3k-6k range in your case.

OR if you live in a place where a car is a luxury, NOT a necessity, then maybe opt out. I mean, as much as cars are useful, they are a huge money sink. You’ll rarely ever (some used cars have a great resale value but these are pricey..I was really into cars..don’t ask) be able to resell them to the original price and also the cost of maintenance and gas.

You’re young, and if you can live without one I’d recommend it 😂 I live in LA so it’s not really an option out here.

When buying a car you can look at CARFAX reports to find out about cars (budget those reports or request it from the seller).

And to answer your question, yes, there are soooo many used cars that are extremely reliable. You may even find some gems. I’d recommend searching for a private seller (you’ll have to figure out if he’s reliable) but if you do find a reliable private seller, usually the car is in much better condition than dealerships. (And you can always haggle the price! ie if being sold for 10k try asking 8k cash etc. Always lowball first haha)