Advice from my Father. Still good today.
Buy the least expensive new vehicle that meets your needs. Be realistic about what you need, but if you really need air conditioning, include it.
Pay cash. If you can’t afford cash, buy a cheap used car and save up until you can afford to buy a new car for cash.
Follow the maintenance schedule to the letter. Never neglect a service interval or repair.
Insure the car for replacement for the first three years. After that, insure for liability only. Drive carefully.
Drive the car for at least ten years. Put aside $100 every month so you can buy a new car in ten years, and repeat the process.
Realistically, the driver of the car is its most critical component. Adequate environmental control for that critical component prevents unnecessarily degraded performance of that critical component.If you don’t buy A/C, you “save money” - but risk money, and more - much more.