It does depend where you live and how much effort you put into it.
- Location
Where I come from (without getting specific, south of Seattle) a 10-year-old Corolla might run you $2,400. Where some of my family lives in Idaho, that same car would be well south of $1,000. Just depends on the cost of living in your area.
- Effort
Purchasing from a dealership will likely be safer (with respect to reliability and safety), but generally more expensive than shopping around on Craigslist. That being said, Craigslist isn't all that bad if you're somewhat mechanically inclined. Now, that doesn't mean you need to be able to rebuild an engine, just that you know what to look for in a car. Here's a somewhat decent checklist[0].
Like others said, when in doubt get a Toyota or Honda.
- Location
Where I come from (without getting specific, south of Seattle) a 10-year-old Corolla might run you $2,400. Where some of my family lives in Idaho, that same car would be well south of $1,000. Just depends on the cost of living in your area.
- Effort
Purchasing from a dealership will likely be safer (with respect to reliability and safety), but generally more expensive than shopping around on Craigslist. That being said, Craigslist isn't all that bad if you're somewhat mechanically inclined. Now, that doesn't mean you need to be able to rebuild an engine, just that you know what to look for in a car. Here's a somewhat decent checklist[0].
Like others said, when in doubt get a Toyota or Honda.
[0]: http://www.chrisfixed.com/HowtoInspectaUsedCarChecklistChris... (PDF!)