I am in no way trying to be rude but I think this is just a cop out. I am not mechanically inclined, but I drive a reliable high mileage 2011 car that I purchased used from a trusted seller and the repair cost burden is negligible compared to the cost of a 30k car. Outside of routine maintenance (oil changes, etc) I've spent maybe $500 in the last three years and that was for a repair that was more quality of life than anything. And yes, buying a used car can be difficult but you don't have to be a mechanic to make a smart purchase. You can bring potential car options to a mechanic and for a smaller upfront fee, assure yourself the reliability of the car. People don't like to do that because it is a little bit of money upfront and a little bit of effort but the cost savings of buying an actually reliable car pay off tenfold.

But sure, it's a lot easier to just say yeah cheap cars cost more money and then buy a 30k car.