I know I might be made fun of for this, but I've never had a problem with my Focus. It's a 2002 and I got it for $9,000 with 12,000 miles (like $4,000 less than KBB value). I've replaced the brakes and tires, but never had any technical problems with it. It's a stick, so it's peppy, roomy enough for service and handles well because it's got McPherson struts (it sticks to curves like a BMW). Donovan bought a 2000 hatchback new and we've only had a few problems with it; nothing that mechanics hadn't seen before on the first model year of a car.
VW's are a good choice too. Not the III's, but the II's, the boxier ones. They're built differently.
what do you mean w/ the VW's? the II's not III's?
There are 3 (actually 4 with the newest ones) types of VW bodies. The old rabbits/cabriolets from the 80's are the I's, the ones put out in the early 90's are the II and the ones put out in the late 90's are the III's. Every VW mechanic that we've talked to says the II's are made better.
(Because every 5 years or so, car companies redesign their cars. I shouldn't say it's just the bodies; that's just the most distinguishable feature. Most of the mechanical parts of a car are re-designed at that time too.)
yea, i know alot of people w/ newer VW's that have problems. I like vdubbs..hmm. thinking...