I have one car... a 2004 Highlander that's a beast.
Drove it a lot.
Rear ended at 60km/h by a Chevy Silverado which caused me to hit the Hyundai SUV in front of me.
Front bumper is fukked and needs replacement and painting.Back bumper is fukked with a bit of it being cracked and the protective bar behind the bumper is fukked. Both need replacement and the bumper painted.
The car still drives well but I occasionally hear noises that I never heard before.
Tail pipe is bent. I assume the tail pipe absorbed the impact and then spread it along to the other parts that are connected to the pipe. Body guy showed me a short video of what happens when the tail pipe is hit... basically everything attached to it absorbs the impact as well and on an older vehicle this will likely cause other issues down the road.

I am not loaded... have around 15 grand. If I get another 4k from this car that would make 19

I know not to buy from a dealership.
And not to buy brand new.

But do I go for a 3-4 year old car or take over someones payments or should I grab another Toyota of a similar year and hope that it is as reliable?

I also heard good things about Hondas and Nissan but I hear Honda is pricey on parts and repairs and Nissan has a few issues.

Just making this post for some advice as I have had that car for so long I don't want to end up with some unreliable POS vehicle when I buy again.

Thanks Misc brahs

just buy a 10 year old car for like 6-8k

I spent under your budget and got a 2011 Toyota Avalon loaded with 25k miles and no regrets