I don't know how to buy a used car, but I need to buy one soon.

Find the most boring, minimally rusted Toyota or Honda that is 20% less than your maximum budget. Have a Honda or Toyota specialist mechanic check it out for you. Buy car. Keep that 20% around for surprises. Drive that car into the ground.

http://ask.metafilter.com/248367/I-dont-know-how-to-buy-a-used-car-but-I-need-to-buy-one-soon#3607307: "Your friend's advice is bizarre, particularly given your budget." 5 grand will get you an old Mercedes that still has a hundred thousand miles or more in it with only minor repairs and regular maintenance, at least around here. That said, the few people I know who drive used Mercedes all have the resources to pay for a $2000 repair if it came to that, which it rarely does. Right now my boss is driving a 1988 300TE (the station wagon) with at least 300,000 miles on it. He might replace it before next summer because he's tired of being without A/C, but I doubt it. That said, I think when most people talk about a reliable Mercedes, they mean one with a diesel engine. Those things do not die. My neighbor still has a late 70s/early 80s model that he drives almost every day. That said, look at the Pontiac Vibe. It's a Toyota Matrix, but since it's got the Pontiac badge, they usually go for less money than the ones with the Toyota badge. There are a couple near Boston listed on Auto Trader.

1998-2002 Toyota Corolla... Seriously... Have you priced Volvo or Mercedes repair parts? Also, old Volvos get terrible gas mileage. Make a deal with a local mechanic to inspect two cars for a fixed rate (two hours of labor). Pick the two best Corollas you can find via craigslist or other direct sale by owner and arrange to have the owners meet you at the mechanic's shop. Buy the one that is in better condition relative to its price and whatever repairs might need to be done on it in the near term.

Do not under any circumstances get an old Mercedes. My first and second car were both elderly Mercedes and while the second one was a diesel that had made it to an astonishing amount of miles, they are EXTREMELY expensive to fix. Even if you have a nice mechanic that will source used parts for you. On the other hand, my most recent car, a 1989 Toyota Tercel that I bought for $1600 was a dream. I drove it from Philadelphia to California and happily ever after until it was impounded recently. Great car, and even the one biggish repair it needed cost me hundreds of dollars less than another make of car would have.

I've been driving for 24 years I've never spent even $3K on any of the... uh, 11?... cars I've owned. More than 2/3 of them had 3-digit price tags. Take that for what it's worth. I think you can do fine in that price range. I'd try to go for a private seller instead of a dealer, because the dealers who sell cars at that price point only sell crappy cars. The two best things I can suggest you do to get a good price and avoid getting screwed are to buy from someone who has no incentive to screw you, e.g. a relatively affluent person just trying to get rid of an older but well-maintained car, and pay a mechanic to inspect it thoroughly. Don't deceive yourself into thinking any car you can afford will be free of problems. Don't spend everything on the initial purchase and leave nothing for repairs. If you get a loan, don't plan your budget down to the nickle, leaving nothing for the unexpected. I would not go for an old Mercedes or Volvo unless you personally want to learn to work on it. New parts for them are very expensive. There are decent sources for used parts, and enthusiast's forums to help you figure out how to do the work, but none of that matters if you aren't mechanically inclined.

For about $5000, I'd get a used Honda or Toyota from the late '90s through mid-2000s. Have it checked out by a mechanic. If there's a lot of miles on it, you'll want to know if major things have been recently replaced (e.g., the fuel pump, etc.). There's no way I'd get a Volvo, Mercedes, etc. if you will be on a tight budget for future repairs and maintenance.

Grandma cars, like Buicks and Oldsmobiles depreciate quickly (and are thus undervalued in the used car market) and are reliable. They often have low mileage, regular maintenance and only one or two owners.

http://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files Find a good mechanic and talk to them ahead of time to find out how they'd like to work it. Just say you want to have your mechanic (not their mechanic) inspect the car before you buy it. THEN DON"T SIGN ANYTHING that doesn't explicitly say something like, "contingent on inspection by Rustic Etruscan's mechanic."

I bought a 1999 Toyota Carolla for 5000 (including a loan). They are one of the most reliable cars in the world and my mechanic says he's seen them make it to 300,000 miles. Mine's at almost 200,000 with no serious issues. Not sure about safety of driving in the snow...