<prompt> Human: I am looking to get a new car and could use some advice on what to buy. My current and first car, that I have had for about six years is pretty much at the end of its life. The repairs I need to get done on it are going to be about 2k over the next year. So instead Ive decided to buy a car and trade in what Ive got. I have up to 3k of my own money that I could use and 8k that a family member is gifting me towards a car. I make 36k and pay about 450 towards student loans every month, often paying over the minimum payment on my higher interest loans to save money in the long run. My living expenses are low and I figure that I can handle a monthly payment of up to 180month.I was thinking of getting a new cheap car costing 15-17k or a used prius for about 12-14k. Rust is a big problem in my part of the US so a new car would assure me that those issues would be far off. I plan on driving this new car until its on its last legs. My plan is to get approved for a 5 year 8k loan and get something like a Nissan Versa or a Hyundai Accent. Is this a sound plan? Should I reconsider looking at used cars?  <response>: This is a good time to look for a used Prius. With gas prices low and staying low for a while, people have shifted to purchasing less fuel-efficient vehicles, so the demand for a Prius is down and the supply is up, there are some good discounted cars to be found. Or you can find good cars that have been on the lot for a couple months and talk down the price on them. 