Safe and reliable at $3k ? I agree you can’t think of make, model or color. You need to be in the right place at he right time. For $3k, I believe your best bet is private sale and not dealer. Bang for the buck will be cheapest compacts, Focus and Prisms, and odd ball models like 4 cyl compact pick ups like Rangers and S10s and older big v8 s that no one one wants along with lots of Chrysler products.
If you need safety and a couple of years, you will need to eliminate rust buckets too. Don’t think that a car that appears to be well taken care of mechanically but is low price because of severe body rust is a safe buy; it isn’t.