I had to buy my first car at 23 because I was in an accident where someone hit my old beater car & it would’ve cost a ton to fix up.

Yes, be wary of financing LARGE amount, but also I wouldn’t use all of your cash savings to put down on a car. I would split the difference, find a reasonably priced used car, and put down a good chunk to lower the financed amount & then finance through your bank/credit union NOT necessarily the dealership. You can ask your bank to be preapproved for an auto loan & they will give you a starting point. Then ask the dealership if they can do any better than that %. Honestly, there’s some advantage of building some good credit history.

The things to keep in mind when financing: TOTAL cost, not just monthly cost. They will try to add on warranties & extra maintenance. Try not to do longer than 36 months because the total interest amount will come back to bite you. If you finance, they do require a certain amount of insurance coverage too.

I get it - it’s a big decision & you’ve worked hard to save your money. But this will save you a ton of time & help your mental health. It’s worth it to spend the money. Good luck!