But actually, $ 7k will nearly buy a new Kia, with a 10yr/100k warranty, according to ads here.

I used to work for a company that inspected Used Cars for the buyer, at their expense. We once worked with a local TV station, investigating classified ads for cars. The disappointing result was that 90% of the ads were run by resellers. Many posing as if they had owned the car for years. So first off be a serious shopper, don’t get excited about appearances. I told people that when they called, or if you email, about an advertised vehicle, ask if the car is titled in the sellers state, in the sellers name & will they show you their ID & the title? If you get ANY answer but yes say T-Y & hang up, don’t believe the BS stories about selling for a friend etc. Now as to car choice, watch for over-looked cars. For example, Mitsubishi, Suzuki & Subaru build solid dependable cars for a reasonable price, they are cheap used, because everyone thinks of the big players. In fact domestics can be a real bargain, if the mileage isn’t over 100k.

Beyond that, you can always bid low, if that actually let you walk, rare, come back next day to bid slightly higher or move on. Don’t get excited about those “inspections” I worked at a dealership that hung those on every used car, but ran none through the Service Dept.; Sales dept. refused to pay for it.

More advice, go to the dealer the last day or two of any month, the salespeople have quotas and many will do whatever it takes to get the sale. Hope this helps.