<prompt> Human: About three years ago, I started off with over 90k in student loans and have paid those down to about 45k due to a well-paying job and living in cheap apartment.The transmission just died on my car and isnt worth repairing, by anyones standard. I just wasnt expecting to buy a new car this soon. My goal was to pay down the rest of my student loans in the next two years, and now thats not going to happen.Im having a really hard time trying to decide what price point I should aim for with this new car.I make 67,000 and have 12,000 in my bank account, with a goal of having at least 9,000 in savings while Im paying down my loans. After taxes, rent and my average credit card expense, I have about 1,240 each month 1,880 - 640 student loan payment, which I have been putting towards savings andor overpaying my student loans. This has let me put down 20k on my loans each year and still add to my savings.Getting another car is going to set back my savings andor require another a loan, in either case, my financial goals are going to be pushed back by however much the car costs.Im having a very hard time figuring out a price point for buying another used car. I could get something a few years old for 8k-11k at a used car dealer, or a certified pre-owned car for 12k from a dealer. Im hoping to have a car thats going to be reliable, but I also know that reliability and cost go hand in hand. Im not interested in going through a private seller I need to get this car purchased ASAP so I dont have the time to hunt on Craigslist, and I dont have a lot of car knowledge, so even if I get it inspected first, Id like it to come from a more formalized source. tl;dr: I want a car thats going to be reliable, but cost impacts both reliability and my goals of lowering my debt.Edit: Something else I need to factor in is that Im not comfortable working on cars, doing my own repairs or going part-hunting, so I rely on a mechanic for those repairs. Not fiscally ideal, but its peace of mind.  <response>: As car guy going through college, heres my advise for what vehicles you should check out for reliability. Toyota and Honda are your best bet, Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Civic, Accord, CR-V. Not all cars are created equal so once you find a certain vehicle make sure to check the Forums for that car because actual owners will tell you what common problems those vehicles come with and give you an idea of whats coming with the miles the vehicle your interested has. 