So many people are all over the place in this thread, jeez. Let's start with the basics.
-Everyone is willing to negotiate, even if they say they aren't. Cash talks.
-Don't buy an SUV if you're looking for efficiency. Period.
-Don't look for something cool, modified, fast, etc at that price point, unless you have mechanical ability and don't mind fixing things yourself when they come up. Because trust me, things WILL come up.
-You aren't going to get anything past some early 2000s models for 3k or under, so anyone saying RSX, TSX, Acuras like that, Ford Fusions, etc is just dreaming.
-Don't buy a Mustang for 3 grand unless it's a fox body ('84-'93) because any newer Mustang for that price will be either a high-mileage shitbox or an automatic v6. If you buy an automatic v6 Mustang, kill yourself.
-Subarus are not expensive, but AWD can be if it has issues. You can buy just about any mid-late 90s one around here for under 3k. Especially Legacies, those go for like a grand to 1500 all day.
-Civics are some of the most upsold cars in the used car business just because they're known to be reliable and good on gas. That's all well and good, but paying 3 grand for a car that is really worth 1500 bucks at most isn't ideal. Like that one you posted for 2800 bucks, I wouldn't give him 2 grand for it. Plus you know it was owned and thrashed by some Fast and Furious-inspired kid because of the taillights. Basically, Civics are solid cars but there are way better options for the price you'll pay for one.
-Don't give in to all the idiotic brand bias in here. That kind of stuff may have been true when the cars first came out, but 10-20 years later, it means nothing. For the cars to have been around that long, the issues would have been sorted out, and by now it's just a free for all. Any car from any brand could be the best car you ever own, or a complete nightmare.
-Test drive the car, and beat the living fuck out of it. Check everything you possibly can beforehand, or have somebody that knows what they're doing do it for you. People suck, and they WILL try to rip you off if given the chance. That 3000 dollar Civic that looks like the perfect car could have a trans on the verge of grenading, or terminal unibody damage underneath. You never know. Drive it hard on the test drive. TRY to break it. If it doesn't break and it still runs smooth afterwards, you have a winner.
-Don't spend ALL of your money on the car. Instead of buying a perfect car for 3000 only to have something break later, buy a nice 2000 dollar car and have a grand left for when something does break.
Anyways, here is my list of cars I'd start looking at: Subaru Legacy (up to '99), Ford Focus (any in your price range), any mid-90s Buicks, VW Jetta or Golf ('93-'98, any with the 2.0 engine), 4th gen Nissan Maximas, and pretty much any Saturn. There's way more though, just gotta be on the lookout.
