Determining how much car you can afford depends on several factors, including your salary, monthly expenses, and credit score. Here are some general guidelines to consider:

• 35% rule: As a rule of thumb, never spend more than 35% of your gross annual income on a car. For example, if you make $40,000 a year, your budget would be $14,000.

• Monthly payment: Financial experts recommend spending no more than 10% of your take-home pay on your monthly auto loan payment. For example, if your after-tax pay each month is $3,000, you could afford a $300 car payment.

• Down payment: Making a down payment or trading in your old car can affect the total loan amount you can afford. Use an auto loan calculator to see how your down payment or trade-in credit affects your monthly payment and loan amount.

• Loan period: The loan period should be maximum 4 years.

• Insurance and gas: Dont forget to factor in the costs of fuel and insurance, which can add up quickly.

Based on these guidelines, at your income level, you should aim to shop for something in the $20,000 range, assuming you have at least 20% down and the monthly payments + insurance + gas are less than 10% of your net monthly income. At most, you should spend $20,000 on a car, but its better to aim for something in the $12,000-$15,000 range that you can pay cash for.

Its important to note that expensive cars can come with expensive fixes, and those brands are not always reliable. Therefore, its best to look for a 3-5 year old used car with reasonable mileage that will be low maintenance and not have exorbitant service fees.