[onewhippedpuppy]

I've owned three Mazdas and never had any rust issues. My wife's younger teen/early-20s sisters have a 1st gen 3, 1st gen 6, and a 2nd gen 3, no issues with theirs either (and they don't baby their cars). Rust has really been the Achilles heel of all Japanese cars, though they have gotten much better in recent years. When I was a kid my dad drove an early '80s Accord that ran great, but the body was damn near rusted away.

One other consideration for me would be a Ford Focus. They are about the only older domestic economy car that I would consider, and should be cheaper than a Japanese car.