Used or New Car?

I'm a recent graduate and about to start work with a $75k salary. I need to buy a car to commute and have $15k saved up. I'm wondering whether to buy a used cheap car that I can pay immediately in full without loans, or to buy a newer car that I'd put maybe $10k down payment and then take loans for. I'm not a car person and saw online that used cars are quite pricey right now. A car that is a couple years old with tens of thousands of miles are only maybe $1-2k cheaper than a new one. Am I just not looking in the right places? With such a small difference, are new cars a better purchase or would it be better to get a cheap car for the sake of avoiding taking out a loan?