Car Shopping (help?)

[TickleTimeTim]

So, the transmission is finally going out in my moms 2000 ford explorer with 190k miles on it. She wants a new car and her criteria are as follows:
1) AC
2) FM radio
3) Good gas mileage
With that being said I want her to have:
1) Something reliable
2) Something cheap (affordable)
3) Possibly 4 doors
It has come down to cobalts and focus' so far. She has 3500 to put down and doesn't plan to trade in the explorer cause she would only get like $500. I found a 2010 cobalt with 30k miles for 10,997. Any suggestions? What would be a good idea for her to get?

Thanks

(I'm aware the number one answer will be yaris, but what else)

[tomato]

What's wrong with a used Yaris or a used Honda Civic? I'm partial to Japanese cars myself, but there are many choices, too many to list. It depends on what she wants, really.

If you get a used car under the Certified program, then you know it's been checked, still has manufacturer's warranty and still has a good resale value.

Beware of getting something too cheap . I had those $500 cars and they were fine for my purposes at the time, but sometimes, the stress of driving a car that could leave you stranded any time is just not worth it. .02

Good luck with your decision.

[tomato]

Oh, I'm sorry she wants a new car. Sorry :)

Too many choices out there. She's gonna have to narrow it down some. Does she want a sedan, an automatic, a domestic car, a foreign car ...

[john21031]

Honda fit. Honda Civic. Corolla. Stay away from Cobalts. It will not deliver on your item 1 on your list.