Auctions are pretty hit or miss, and buying cars at auctions only plays out if you do it a lot (kind of like VC: you get a lot of turds and one unicorn). Best

Auctions are pretty hit or miss, and buying cars at auctions only plays out if you do it a lot (kind of like VC: you get a lot of turds and one unicorn). Best way is to look for a specific model, and educate yourself of the weak points. I always buy cars from people, not businesses since their warranties usually don't mean much. I'd rather buy a car on the cheap and use the remaining budget to replace things than to buy a more expensive car where the dealer assures you the timing belt has been changed recently. For 3-5K I would buy an early 2000s Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Galant or Subaru Legacy. These things are bulletproof, insanely reliable. Higher mileage is no problem, but learn how to spot worn clutches (if you get the manual) and replace the timing belt. At this price/age they won't be flawless and you won't look cool, but I care about reliability and costs over everything else.