What are some used cars that are more recent for a person on a budget

I just got my license and I am now looking for a cheap car that has necessities (A/C, GPS, etc.) but doesn't cost over $5k. Any thoughts? What should I be looking for in a used car?

Where do you live?
Any no-go makes/brands?
Also just use your phone for GPS, especially under 5k since GPS is usually considered an extra addon or "luxury".
My suggestions:
>Golf III / IV / V
A Golf III can be repaired really easily without special tools, some come with a sunroof and AC.
>E46 BMW
Dont try to kill yourself with it. Also quite expensive to run and not as easy to work on.

a 4k civic

Don't get any German shit op...

ferd fiesta?

Gps is overpriced. Just get a garmin.

I had the same budget last year and found some decent mazdas and civics with around 100k miles.
Depends on what youre looking for though.
Youre best bet is to have a few months to search and wait for "the one".
The sticky still has best advice for what to look for when buying used

mid to late 2000s civic/accord/corolla/camry will be around 5k depending on mileage and overall condition. Has the necessities and is practical for daily application.

As far as stuff to look for see if you can find out about maintenance records, oil changes (every 3-5k miles) and then do a test drive to see if the car is in operating condition.

>Use your phone for GPS
Oh that is true. Thanks

>Where do you live?
Texas
>Any no-go brands?
I just want something that can get me to point A to point B without having too many problems, and is fairly safe.

Is it worth buying at a car dealership with a brand name like Nissan or risk a used car dealership where chances are the cars are cheaper but might be lackluster?

Get a camry. Reliable af and parts are everywhere.

If i'm buying a used car, what is the ideal mileage for that car to have? I'm not sure if I can go for a car if it already has 100k miles.

>wanting built in gps
it's garbage. especially on any car in your budget. your phone is better in every way. just get a civic for 3k.

post your local craigslist.

Yeah I just realized that. Thanks

shouldnt be too hard to find a sedan between 100k-150k.

also this. i find it fun to search through craigslist for this kind of thing

100k is nothing for most cars made after the mid-80s.
Honda Civic
Honda Accord
Toyota Camry
Geo Metro
Geo Prism
Ford Focus
Ford Ranger
Ford Crown Victoria
Mercury Grand Marquis
Nissan Sentra
Chevrolet C1500 series
Chevrolet Cavalier
Buick Roadmaster
Buick Regal
Buick Century

Just to name a few.

When it says 100k miles, does it mean that the car can go up to 100k miles, or does it mean that the previous owners have used 100k miles on the car?

Also, how can I trust certain people on craigslist

Read the sticky for inspecting a used car. Odometer shows how many miles it's driven.

100k miles as in its been driven for 100k miles.
In reality you cant trust anyone on craigslist. And even if someone is genuinely not trying to stiff you, there might be something wrong they dont know about, or the car could be perfect when you buy it but have a catastrophic failure after a week.
The sticky has a great used car buying guide, its almost too in depth.
Best case scenario in buying used is buying something from someone you know.

Sticky in need of some serious updating.

Newer lincoln town car, mercury grand marquis, mid 2000's lexus.

Ie: car that old people bought new that depreciate fast as fuck but are nice and have lots of features. Highly recommend a ford product that will have a 4.6l that'll last forever. Would like to recommend cadillacs but their motors are shit and annoying to work on.

GM Service Manager here. I want to like GM cars but fords are best reliability for cheap.

Can confirm. Cadillacs are an absolute nightmare.

Yeah, I was wondering about newer cars rather than older ones, but it looks like the Honda Civic is the best option for a lot of people apparently

So you guys are telling me I shouldn't buy one of the 10 2007 5k CSVs that are for sale near me?

I can't speak for modern Cadillacs. I just know that the HT and Northstar series are horrific to perform repairs on.

>Newer lincoln town car, mercury grand marquis, mid 2000's lexus
im no expert but these sounds like money pits, especially considering anyone buying a vehicle with a $5k limit probably doesnt have the cash flow to keep up with something like those

Northstars actually require specially trained mechanics who charge shit like 120/hr to fix those fucking boat anchors

So glad mine's a 92.