Tearing my hair out trying to buy a used auto

Hello all,

I’m on the lookout for my first car and it’s driving me insane. I passed exclusively auto because I have ADHD and I found manual horrendous. However it’s now meant that I’m tearing my hair out trying to find an auto car.

I have around 9k saved up. I’d like to be able to include insurance and road tax within that price once I’ve purchased. So many people have said to me ‘that’s insane! Surely you can get a car with that?’ But the answer has been no over and over. I’m searching every single day, been saving up for a year and a half and it’s still not good enough. I’m getting so annoyed that manual drivers can get something good and reliable for 3k!

One car fell through as it was an import and insurers refused to insure it. Luckily I didn’t buy it, only reserved.

I’m not being fussy. I don’t care what it looks like or how I’m perceived in it, I don’t care about flashiness. I just want something super reliable that I can keep for a long time before I need to inevitably upgrade it and has a warranty.

Any advice would be appreciated. At this point for me, it’s going to mean even more time spent saving. I just want my freedom and to not have to rely on people taking me to places.