This is the correct answer. I have done it all over the years and nothing beats buying a used car and paying cash for it. Don't let people tell you that oh you

This is the correct answer. I have done it all over the years and nothing beats buying a used car and paying cash for it. Don't let people tell you that oh you can make more money in interest outside blah blah. They forget to tell you that what if you need to sell the car quickly for any reason, then what ? You could end up being under water comapred to the loan. If you finance a car, you are paying a lot of interest for nothing. Here are my steps: 1. Look for a used car (reliable brands only like honda/toyota) on craigslist/facebook or directly from a seller. Check values on KBB.com or similar websites to compare what you should pay for a car like that. 2. Get a mechanic to check it for like $100/$150. 3. Buy it out with certified check to the seller. If dealing with a dealer, do not add any extra warranty crap. Just buy the damn car. If you are buying a reliable brand, it shouldn't matter. You can do Step 1 with a dealer also and then you may not need Step 2 BUT dealers will always add a premium to the total cost. If you don't want the hassle of dealing with individual sellers, dealers are your best bet. DO NOT GO TO scummy auto centers that are not proper dealers. They would mostly sell you crap.