Plan9

Cool beans, YaWhateva. Just make sure the accelerator pedal doesn't stick and you'll be alright. /recall joke

Wait... you get 45 MPG out of a 2010 Mazda3? Riiight. Does it have a Mr. Fusion on it or what?

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Ratman

Once you drive a Toyota, you'll never stop.

__________________
The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference.

"God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO

Plan9

*rimshot*

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

YaWhateva

haha that was a good one

__________________
“If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again.” - Bill O'Reilly

"This is my United States of Whateva!"

geeza

If you're even considering a Corolla then you're a Corolla guy, so I am not going to try to talk you into some "cooler" alternative. Your priorities are clear, which is fair and sensible.

The Corolla is the boring but utterly dependable and economical choice. Had them, loved them, would totally recommend them. The thing will still be running like a sewing machine in ten years' time and when you sell it the resale will be high.

The other posters make very good points, especially about buying a quality used one WITH PROPER SERVICE HISTORY (I say that because you don't want a high miler that hasn't had belts etc, or had them done by an idiot).

So, in summary:

1) Buy used with good history
2) Cheap to run (gas, service, insure etc)
3) Ultimately sell with good resale

You'll enjoy reliable, comfortable motoring for a comparatively very low total cost of ownership.

---------- Post added at 01:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 PM ----------


You'll drive Toyotas for a while, when sensible/economical is your top and only priority.

Then, when things like speed, power, chicks etc move up the list of your automotive Maslowian hierarchy of needs, you'll realize Toyota has nothing to offer and will go elsewhere.

Or you'll buy something else to accompany the econobox.