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I would say ford focus 5door. My wife has one and loves it. We would never do SUV or Mini van. We pick up our foci with 7k on now it has some thin like 28-29k no problem at all. Odly enough we are not "ford people" dispite her foci and my Intersecptor.
Focus, thats my .02
Mazda3 - not sure what problems you've seen with that car... Ford Focus - hatch or wagon Saab 9-3 Mazda 6 - hatch or wagon
jpaturzo wrote:You're going to be hard pressed to find one for $10k, but I have heard of it happening........
Honda Fit. It swallows my PA and all my keyboards no problem.
I smell a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another thing for the Foci. If you want to tinker with the suspension, The SVT suspension kit is only a couple hundred bucks
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Is a crossover like the Edge too big? Ours swallows up a bunch of stuff.
E-
Chevy HHR
I know US built is low on your list, but check one out. Good mileage, low cost, Tons of space w/ back sat down, low lift- in height in back.
HeavyDuty wrote:Suzuki Aerio wagon?
That or a gently used SX4. What about an Elantra Touring? Or an 06 Elantra hatchback? Spectra5?
2wd tahoe/expedition. Its amazing that people hate full size SUVs but have never experience how great they actually are at hauling and towing and generally being good DDs. MPG is not all that great however.
Vibe/Matrix. Look no further. I just got an 06 5-speed vibe with 30K miles for your price range. I get 35-37mpg highway and it can haul almost anything. Also you can Tow 1500lbs with the vibe. Most other small wagons don't allow any towing (the fit being one of them).
Ok, I put together a shopping guide for her using all of the above suggestions. She came right back to the xB. Its a good bit lighter and smaller than the RAV and CRV but more practically usable space inside. The 30 mpg was another kicker. Its also a bit bigger than the hatches/wagons like vibe, yaris, aveo, aerio, etc. Physically speaking, its the perfect car for her.
Now... any thoughts on what to watch for? Years to avoid or seek out? Common failure points? Crash test safety? Is it a mechanical nightmare that I should talk her out of?
I am just going through this myself. Margie has decided she wants a five (or more) passenger car. The E30 M3 holds only four people. I found a really nice 2000 E46 3 Series BMW with less than 100,000 miles for about $8500. This to me, is a sensible four door car with a great chassis and is near the bottom of the depreciation curve. She didn't like it. She said it was too bland and she has her heart set on the older, but more quirky E28 Five Series. I also suggested a Honda CR-V or Volvo wagon.
Of course Tommy was trying to talk her into an ex cop car.
If it has any bearing on your decision at all, I'd love to see some E28 content in the magazine 
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Good idea on the Scion. Hadn't thought about it.
The E46 4 door is a bit small for 5 people. The 5 series would definitely fit that requirement better. The e39 540i with the V8 took a drop sometime ago when gas prices rose if you're in the mood for a big balling motor. :) You can get those in wagons as well. Of course the regular straight 6 powered 5-er is pretty nice also.
The e34 5 series is pretty nice as well but older in looks
