You're calling in him stupid and then giving him stupid advice, in the same post. He learned a lot from his mistakes (presumably) and buying used is almost always a better option for saving money than buying new. Did you even read what he told us about the shitbox he (yes stupidly) bought? Estimates of 2,500 to 3k to fix it, OR he can trade it in without fixing it for at least 6k, which is 2,500 less than he paid for it. Seems to me he's out that 2,500 either way, might as well trade it in for a more reliable car because this one has been in two accidents (if the title was clean it might be worth keeping). Or should he drive around without airbags which could potentially save his life? I still don't think he should buy new but it's the only way he's going to get decent trade in money for his beater.
Now let's also look at the mileage he's going to put on his car. 120 miles per day? That's ridiculous. Why would you ever recommend buying a new car to someone who's going to be putting that kind of mileage on it? He will be out of warranty within 2 years. Buying new would be fucking stupid (initially, but at this point is a much better option than before he had spent any money). You buy a beater (which he tried to do) because that car is going to get shit on and run down either way. What he should have done was buy a used Camry, Carolla or Sentra with 100k+ miles on it that was still in decent working condition. He would have gotten it cheaper, it would have been (as long as he took the due diligence, which he didn't) plenty reliable (those cars last forever with proper maintenance) and it wouldn't have depreciated by close to half in 2 years like a new car with those kinds of miles would. At this point he's kind of stuck, but buying a used car that's fairly common and easy to work on or find parts for, for that kind of commute is a much better option when you're strapped for cash than buying new. Hell, even if you aren't strapped for cash I'd still tell you to buy a beater in that situation.