I never paid more than $1200 for a car, and they were all reliable and lasted years. My last one was a 1989 Taurus wagon that lasted 7 years, and I got back $200 from scrapping it.
I have several methods that enable me to find reliable cars cheap. I know how to fix them, and what to look for that will cause future problems. I buy "old people" cars like sedans, minivans, wagons from older couples that put them in the yard with a sign. They are usually original owners and have taken care of the vehicle.
There are always minor annoyances with a vehicle this old, none of the heaters or air conditioners worked in my vehicles(in TN, got hot in summer), I just rolled down the windows or wore my winter clothes. The window motors usually didn't work, I took out the motor and jammed a sawed off 2x4 in to hold the window up. It was either up or down. Also, timing belts and water pumps might need replacing, alternators went bad pretty frequently. The shocks were completely gone, I never bothered replacing them.
I never cared what people thought about the cars I drove. A car to me is an appliance, like a washing machine. I just drove them until they died and it cost too much to fix, then scrapped them. I'd spend a couple days finding another one.
I haven't driven since 2013. I always found driving to be irritating and annoying, and I hated it. I scrapped my last car then, and never bought a new one, though I might soon.