[PMD1969]

[QUOTE=Ben M.;5121626]Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. May not get the under 100k & $4k in the same car, but you likely won't have any problems with them for 200k miles either provided basic maintenance is done.

Friend bought a Ford Focus for cheap and while it's been a decent car, it's needed a LOT of work he didn't intend to do (nor did the previous owner know about). He spent around $3500 and has probably put in another $3500 fixing all sorts of problems like leaky engine seals, leaky transmission (almost to the point of failure), etc. The Ford Taurus I am not overly familiar with, but they seem to suffer from a bland styling and potential transmission issues based on reading I've done.[/QUOTE

+1 for Honda's. I have owned 2 Accords and one Prelude and they do go forever. The key is to make sure to do the timing belt change at 100k and all regular scheduled maintenance and it'll be extremely reliable. Good gas mileage and a nice ride. Personally I am not a fan of foreign cars and my size I don't fit that well but the Honda's seem to be the most comfortable and have better quality. FWIW I have owned a Honda Valkyrie since new in 99 and it too has been a great bike.