When I bought my car I browsed Craigslist for about a month until I saw a cheap car that I liked. If you have cash saved up, I would go this route instead of financing. I ended up buying a 2001 Dodge with 70,000 miles for $2,500 back in 2011. It was a son of an older lady who didn't want his mom driving anymore because she had recently run over a dear.

As far as insurance goes; since you just got your license it's going to be really expensive, but as the years go on and avoid traffic tickets and accidents, it will go down. And since you're older than 25, it will definitely be cheaper than for those of us who are under 25.