Hell yeah. I worked my ass off so I could buy an '89 Subaru Justy.
While I don't agree with renting a car, I do agree with taking the time to look at it logically. Gas, Insurance...etc. If you're going to have car payments through you're bank, you'll have to have full coverage through your insurance. $$$. And if you don't have full coverage, wrecking a nice car you paid a bit of money for will bite you in the ass. You'll regret not going with a cheaper used vehicle. My suggestion: Subaru. You can stretch the mileage pretty far, they're AWD, hot looking, and extremely reliable. Every single one of my cars has been Subaru (4) - and I don't think I'd ever not get one.