Ok, well, for what it's worth it sounds like a second hand toyota or something to that effect would be your ticket, they're reasonably cheap and about as reliable as it gets.
Other than that... you'd have to provide a whole pile of information on what your budget is (cheap is not the same for everybody), where you are and how much you expect to drive annually.
The way I do it is I set a budget, research the hell out of what is available on the local car sites within that budget, then pick a car make & model.
Then for the next month or so, every day I log in to all those sites and scan the listings for one that does not match the price/model year/mileage bracket.
The ones that are far below the average are worth looking in to and then you can probably still get a deal 20% better than what is listed. It's a buyers market at the moment.
I just bought a car listed at 11950 euros everywhere for 7000, (a c5 diesel), I expect to drive it for years.
EDIT: regarding the 'trust' factor, if I'm going to code up some stuff and I need advice I'd go to HN, not to my 'mechanic buddies' because I trust them more. Trust is not just personal relationships, it is also expertise.
