it's rough - i'm into 80s/90s JDM stuff. 240sx/ae86 bare shells are going for like $2500. clapped miatas are like $5k. miata hardtops alone are like $1500.
from my recent search looking for manual daily drivers - a decent shape 2017 GTI with 80k miles was still like $17k. i ended up going with a 5000 mile 22 corolla hatch as it was the last year they made it with a stick. was still $26k which is bananas.
but even as far as average dailies, the truck/SUV market has blown up so much in the states that the used market for, well anything else is really hot. there's not really a lot of decent older cars left in new england due to rust/rot as well. don't want to sound like a boomer but you used to see great, drivable cars on people's front lawns for like a grand all day long 10-15 years ago. now that's genuinely almost what you'll get in scrap value for anything with usable parts
i bought a 2012 top trim passat with the 3.6 v6 with 80k miles for like 8 grand in 2018 as an example. there's a 2012 middle trim level passat with the base engine with 100k miles still selling for $7k nearby today. 2007 rav4 with 110k miles is $9k.
if you're not clearing like $60k+ a year you're going to have to gamble a lot on FB marketplace on like 90s civics with 200k. if you're not able to work on your own car (and have the space to do so where you live) i'm not really sure how people are affording cars and rent around here. i drive an 86 ae86 corolla project car for fun when it's warm out. i'm not bill gates, but i'm decently well off. and even i genuinely considered just saying fuck it and driving a 40 year old car year round because of how expensive things are.
