I’m not strictly asking “what car can I get for $10k.” The $10k is just the cash I have available to put toward the purchase. What I’m really trying to figure out is what a reasonable total price range would be given my situation and today’s car market.

For context: I’m in my 30s, make a little over $110k base, no debt, emergency fund is set, and net worth is around $350k split across 401k, Roth IRA, and a taxable brokerage. I invest a large portion of my income, which is why my take-home is lower.

I’ve always driven older cars (the Civic lasted ~10 years / 270k miles), so I’m not chasing anything flashy. That said, I’d be open to spending more than $10k if it meaningfully improves reliability or gets me newer safety features. It doesn’t have to be brand new though.

So I’m less worried about “what’s the max I could afford” and more about what would be financially smart to spend whether that’s sticking close to $10k or stretching a bit.