Car shopping is a frustrating endeavor. If you have the money in cash then you may be able to search craigslist or offerup to find a good car. You could also try carmax.com I have bought a car from them and it was great experience.
If you were to buy a car from craigslist see if you can bring a friend to help check it out who knows a little about cars or you can search online for an article on what to look for.