It sounds like it may be out of the price range you’re working with, but my most successful car purchases have been certified pre-owned from a same-make dealership.

Most recently I bought a CPO Mazda from Rohrich Mazda and had a good experience – not much haggling to be done (which apparently is pretty standard these days with “internet pricing”), but the salesman (Jay, I think?) was low-pressure and communicated well, got me a good deal on my trade-in, and threw in some nice little extras. A nice add-on perk is that Rohrich offers lifetime free oil changes and state inspections (though not emissions tests) on every car they sell. I’ve done both multiple times – in and out with no charge and no upselling.