[MRM]

Very popular styles with peope that age. Nice looking, good ergonomics, but I don't think they are very reliable. In that price range I would be very careful.

My recomendation for a car in that price range for that purpose would be a Mazda Protege, I think it's called the Mazda 3 now. My wife and I bought one as our first new car in 1992. We searched and researched everything in the range of smaller reliable cars. The Protege was just as good as a Civic and thousands cheaper and much better than a Corolla. Not quite as quirky as a Subu, but we got the larger engine and it was plenty peppy and completely reliable. We sold it ten years later only because the family was getting too big for it.

Time has been very good to the reputation of the Mazda 3/Protege. I wouldn't hesitate to get one for my kids when they go to school. eck, my '92 will probably still be on the road. Maybe I can get it back.