Is Toyota Corolla the only option?
 

I'm a beginning driver and in the market for a used compact car, no more than 4 years old. I hope to keep the price at about $10,000, but if something truly worthy comes along, I'd be willing to go up to $12,000.

The only car I'm considering right now is the Toyota Corolla, due to its legendary reliability. The Civic, while being equal in reliability, is not an option because it's too small on the inside, and I'm 5'10 and a big (read: fat) guy. Should I be considering any other cars? Are any as reliable as the Corolla?

Not sure if a cavalier would meet your criteria but it also is known for reliability

A Cavalier is pretty much out of the question. My father had a 1988 Chevy Cavalier, and he put so much money in repairing it that he could have bought a far better car with that money alone. Even if the Cavaliers aren't that bad nowadays, I still wouldn't be able to endure him telling me every day what a piece of shit it is.

Assuming you're interested in a small car with reasonable gas milage, made within the past generation of cars, under $12k, maybe some fun to drive:

2001

Coupe:
2001 Acura Integra
2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
2001 Subaru Imprezza R (AWD)
2001 Volkswagen Golf

Sedans:
2001 Acura Integra
2001 Audi A4 1.8T (my choice, I just bought an Audi and I can't stop driving it!)
2001 Dodge Neon R/T
2001 Mazda Protege MP3
2001 Subaru Impreza (AWD)
2001 Volkswagen Jetta VR6
2001 Volvo S40 Turbo

2002

Coupe:
2002 Ford Focus STV
2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
2002 Toyota Celica
2002 Volkswagen Golf

Sedan:
2002 Dodge Neon R/T
2002 Ford Focus ZX5
2002 Infiniti G20
2002 Mazda Protege LX
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer OZ Rally
2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V
2002 Volkswagen Golf GLS
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS

I'd recommend a Honda or Toyota. American cars, as you mentioned, will be in the shop a lot, and cost much more than their sale price through repairs.

We've had numerous American cars in our family, and they were in the shop at least 2 times a month for maintenance. A few years ago I bought a used Honda Accord, and it has yet to be in the shop for anything... My previous car, a Grand-Am, was literally in the shop every two weeks, and needed a new transmission after 75k miles. My Accord is at over 100k miles, and has had zero problems.

Nissan is another company that has really improved their cars lately, and I would recommend them slightly behind Honda and Toyota, though I have no experience with them personally.

Here are a few sites that may help you with your decision:

• Used Car Search (Pricing, Yearly Updates, etc)
  
  CAR Review.com (User reviews of cars, by make and model)
  
  Consumer Reports Used Car Guide (Arguably the best link. Includes reliability risks, highest ratings, and worst ratings)

I know from personal experience that you can get a 2005 Nissan Sentra for less than $12,000. BRAND NEW. Don't forget the timeless art of negotiation.

you might like that sentra SE-R sedan. Well built cars and they're just quick as all hell.

You should also look at Acura TL's. 2000 - 2003 cars are selling for 11-12 thousand. They're very nice cars, and they're roomy.

Ugh. Used to sell them for a living for a year while in between doing better things. Utter pieces of garbage.

Have had two Corollas - they are excellent vehicles, have never had a problem with either.

Have heard that the Hyundais have come up in quality and that the Elantra can be a good buy. Not quite as expensive as a Toyota or Civic, but very reliable. We had an Accent for a period and had no complaints.

Plenty of cars will be reliable IF you take care of them.
Neglect a Corolla and it will die on you just as fast as a Cavalier will.

But if you are on the rather rotund side...don't go with a compact car.
Unless you like cramped spaces.