I agree about the Japanese cars. I currently have a Corolla, and I LOVE it.
Whatever you do, DON'T buy a CHEVY. Sorry, but I owned one (a Blazer) and my friend owned some car (don't remember her model), and we both spent a fortune in car repairs. I had my Blazer for 2 years, it was 7 years old when I got it, and I spent almost $8000 in car repairs in that 2 years. To compare, my parents had a Toyota, and it never needed any repairs (except for regular maintenance), and it was 10 years old.
Nissan's are good too, that's what my parents own now.
If you know someone with a subscription to Consumer Reports, ask them to borrow the annual car buying book. It'll break down for you the ups and downs of all models, including what you can expect to pay for repairs. The library might have a copy too.
Also, check out
here and
here.
[ 12-31-2003, 08:24 AM: Message edited by: harleyquinn ]