The best advice I could give you is go to consumerreports.com, pay their forty bucks on the car buying kit, and do research on which car is going to be the best for you. If I remember correctly, they had up to ten years worth of data on cars (assuming the production line goes that far) so you can still buy a used car armed with knowledge, plus it gives you great car buying techniques that is a must for someone not as sauve as a good hagler. We revently bought a Toyota Rav4 and love it. We did spend more than we were hoping (upgraded from a Plymouth Neon) but in the end have a great car that should be very reliable. I wouldn't discount the Corolla because you don't like the looks. I know several people who own them that love it. Don't be afraid of a new car either. New cars may lose value quickly, but if you take good care of the vehicle and you buy a good quality car, your maintenance should be just preventative verus repair. Â Just to give you heads up on the power of consumer reports, I spent 40 bucks for their car buying kit (which is all online and you have access to it for three months to research just about any car you want) I saved well over $7000 dollars for my Rav4. That was a well invested $40 to me. Spent $40 to save $7000. Granted it differs from car to car, but you too could save from several hundred to several thousand. I hope that helps, and good luck with your new purchase.
