First car recommendation for someone who knows nothing about cars, where to start, what to look for in a car, and is on a tight budget?
Hey redditers! (I'm new here)
I (24f) just graduated from college 3 weeks ago (yay me!) and was thinking about getting a car either this summer or next year. I live with my parents because the economy is crazy rn. I have a part-time job (retail) on weekends. The rest of the week, I'm applying to jobs. So please take into account that I don't have a lot of money to spend. Since I'm helping out my parents and siblings through their college, I can't spend more than 5k on a car. I know that's pretty low but that's all that I can afford rn. I was thinking about buying through Facebook Marketplace but then I realized that I don't really know anything about cars (hence, why I'm here).
I've never driven before expect in empty parking lots. I have a permit and am working on having my license in a few weeks. So, yes, I'm definitely an inexperienced driver (once I get my license). But I'd like to think I'm mature enough not to do dumb things. (I worked my butt off to pay off all my student debt while I was in college and studied even harder to secure scholarships that covered 90% of my tuition).
Does anyone have a car recommendation for a beginner? I'm looking for something reliable, affordable (<5k), works great in bad weather (i live in Indiana so it's always raining/snowing or something), and preferably doesn't need constant gas refills. I also know nothing about cars whatsoever. I don't know where to start, what to look for in a car, the type of questions i should be asking (here and when I'm buying), and what I should do. I feel completely lost and would greatly appreciate any help. (I think I have sugrophobia. I know buying something from FB is risky, however, that is the only way for me to afford a car with my budget).
From my research, I learnt that a honda civic is a great first car. is that true? like I said, I'm fresh out of college with no experience. I also don't have a lot of people i could ask these questions.
But I really want to take the next step and be able to support my family (like picking up my siblings from college everyday so they don't have to pay for room/board. That's about 25 miles away from the house (<1 hr commute).
i for reference, i don't want to finance a car because I don't want to get into interest (riba). i have a great credit score (750+) but don't want the hassle of monthly payments. I want to pay off a car in full.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.