Maybe there is a bus you can take? A cab is like 2.50 a call and 2.50 a mile here. Not bad for short commutes. Maybe you can car pool, maybe someone near you who is close by that could give you a ride?
For a great used eco car 10 grand is a much better budget unless you will take a riced out POS honda off the hands of the parents who repossed it from their ahole kid.
Granted the little cars you mentioned roll on forever and in many cases 250k miles its just breaking in.
