Consumer reports makes some good suggestions in car buying in their annual auto guide. Pick one up and read it for help, both in choosing a car and negotiating a deal. IMHO, it’s a great place to start.
One aspect that has not been discussed yet is that the kind of car you get can make a HUGE difference in insurance premiums. Some cars are more expensive to repair and/or are more likely driven my knuckleheads. So I’d get a relationship with an insurance agent going and get a quote on insurance on a car BEFORE buying it. As a new driver, the difference can be 100s of dollars a year.
@longprime
"BTW, just how did you and spouse get around without a car? or is that an assumption that you had a car but no license/insurance. ? "
No of course not. We really just walked everywhere unless it involved having to go out of town which was never often I should add, But in that case we would rely on someone else to drive us there or go by local bus. It’s never been a case of convenience hence the decision to finally purchase a vehicle and get a license. 
Thanks all for the input. I was out on friday to meet with a local insurance broker and to a local ford dealership just to touch base and talk over a few things. I have since decided to buy new and will be going for a 2013 model, And will be going for it financed. We have decided to get home owners insurance finally aswell which is probably long over due. We may not have been too wise as far as avoiding that much to be honest. I do have the money on hand to buy the vehicle of choice in full but after some talkign it over I feel as though it would be somewhat wise for us to build up some credit and however much I end up paying extra on interest may in the long run may be worth it.
Enjoy you car trips,
Sounds like a good plan. Don’t buy gold right now with the extra cash but a good conservative mutual fund might offset the difference.
I’m not sure where you live, but in any rural area I would suggest a truck first if it is your primary vehicle. Pickups tend to be the least expensive (real) trucks. If 2WD works for you, you might consider a Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma. But the price difference for a fullsixe pickup isn’t that large. Ford, Dodge, Chevy/GMC, Nissan, and Toyota all offer full sixe pickups that are not much more than the compact pickups. Limit your choices by whatever dealer is close enough to you. Then test drive the trucks and see what works for you.