[masraum]

Twice in the past couple of years I've assisted one of the kids with purchasing a vehicle on a limited budget. Both times, we test drove the Versa and a bunch of other vehicles in the same size/price range. We found the Chevy Sonic (used to be the Aveo) to be a much better car all around and better bang for your buck. The Sonic was peppier, and had better features/options than the Versa. To get a comparable ($$) Toyota, you had to get the most stripped down Corolla with roll up windows etc.... Our other kid already had a Sonic and has put a ton of miles on it.

From your list, I'd consider the Aveo (although I'd be really nit-picky about one on the bargain end) and the Focus and the Civic. Around here, Civics and Corollas are way, way more expensive than everything else in the same class.

One thing, maybe if you're buying something older with higher miles on the cheap, then maybe it would be worth it to hold out for a Honda or Toyota instead of getting the Aveo or Focus.