Reads your post... looks up at image I posted showing Toyota/Lexus/Scion all in top five of cars with fewest repairs and GM/Chevy all below national average (except Caddy)... thinks you must also believe X360 had no RROD issues on its first versions.

Everyone has specific things with their specific car due to the car and how they drive/maintain it. However, national polls, repair histories, etc all point to one thing: Toyota >>>> Chevy/GM in terms of durability and fewer issues. You can cry out loud all you want about this, but your flat out wrong. There is a reason GM and Chrysler almost went under as a company and had to be bailed out. Also, Toyota has US plants and just as many US built parts/assembly as Chevy for a lot of their models/lines. ( http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/the-most-american-car-is-the-toyota-camry/ )

Finally he's looking at small cars, not SUVs or trucks and I did say that is where GM is 'ok'. Even then, I'd still pick a Ford or the Tundra first.

btw, I am not a 'mechanic' but I do fix nearly all my own shit. I have done brakes, exhaust, various sensors, belts, water pumps, power steering lines, thermostats, various hoses, etc. The worst time I've had with fixing anything has been on a Sebring and my mother-n-laws Caprice. Both had more issues than anything else and both were pain in the ass to fix. My currect vehicles '05 Explorer with zero issues ever and bought new, '03 Odyssey needed new exhaust and new power steering line bought used (also just replaced with used '07 Odyssey). My dad owned a hatchback Corolla in the 80's and it never had issues.. ever. Tons of other family have had Accords and my very first car was 80 somthing corolla that I beat the shit out of.. yet it ran well over 200,000 miles.

My next car will replace the Explorer as it passes the 200k mark in a few years (currently 140k). It will be an electric car if possible... lol yeah Volt was burning up how many people so far and GM has yet to say anything is wrong? Prius has been on market for ever now is tons of people with well over 250k miles and no issues. Sorry, I'm trailing off now.

Read Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, Forbes, the links I provided above... all point to one thing: you being wrong.

Have you driven a Ford? If you don't than you don't know what you're missing.

The Ford Focus SE would give you great mileage, on average it ends up being more efficient than any of the other vehicles you listed, and with the Ford Focus ST model (2013) you can step into an EcoBoost 2.0L engine for about $25,000.

Well the engine is weak coupled with a soft wallowy suspension with a front drive setup, the car will probably give you no thrills at all when it actually comes to driving. Try driving a corolla up a steep hill, now that's a painfully slow expierence let me tell you.

The main reason people buy toyotas is only for their reliabilty and mpg numbers.

Honestly the only people that actually judge cars for how fun they are to drive are just people who actually enjoy driving cars. Lots of people out their treat their car and their ability to drive like a damn afterthought.

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I still have a while to decide, but I'll try to take some of the things said here and hopefully be able to choose. I still have no idea what I want. I hated trying to find what car I wanted when I got my jeep and this will probably be worse because I know that I have to pay for it.

I do have another question because as homer stated I need to see which ones are easier to fix. So out of the three listed does anyone know which one is the easiest and has the least amount of problems based on there own experiences.

Toyota yaris. I got a 12 for 14,000 OTD averaging 41mpg

I've owned a lot of cars from different manufacturers and have worked on numerous vehicles in general.  Here's what I have to say.

If you take care of any car, it's going to last 200,000+ miles.  Proper care of a car is very expensive, but fifteen years down the road you'll be thanking yourself. There are always, however, bad eggs that just like to constantly fail and it happens with EVERY type of car.

Honestly, any vehicle from the 2010's on from any manufacturer is made with similar quality and reliability(With the exception of Dodge/Chrystler/etc..yuck).  GM stepped their game up(GM is still the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world for a reason, people), Ford learned from their mistakes, etc.

Of those three, i'd probably go with the Cruze. Driving toyota's is always a bore and I've had nothing but troubles with Kia(pre 2005 mind you). I did get the opportunity to test drive a Cruze when car hunting and it was my second favorite of the few i tested.(I tested a 06 Mazda 6s, a 02 Pontiac Bonneville, 08 Honda Civic, and a Cruze).  I did end up buying the bonneville because it was my favorite of the three(I'm a joyrider, it was more powerful by far than anything else and I still get 32 mpg highway)

I really don't see why everyone is saying American made vehicles suck.  In the 90s they were bad, but i have seen a lot of Pontiacs ranging from 2000-2005 and they have ALL made it to 200,000+ miles.  Even my 2002 Bonneville has 151k miles on it and the only thing i've had to replace on it is a plastic hose. My father has a 93 explorer with 250k miles on it, the body is shot(bondo!) but it is mechanically sound and is still a daily driver.

In terms of repair, every vehichle has things that are extremely easy to repair and things that are a complete pain in the ass.  If you plan on changing your own oil in your car, you'll want to avoid anything that's difficult to work on maintenance wise.  I haven't worked on any of the three vehicles so I can't really say much about them, but i've come to notice that working on Foriegn vehicles is more of a pain. In terms of costs, buying the parts for foriegn vehicles are going to cost you an arm and a leg and you'll be surprised at how expensive some things can be.  

Bottom line, if you beat the shit out of a car constantly it's not going to last.

No he's just like that. 

You get used to it.

That said.  I used to work for GM though.  Dad did as well, uncle still works there. 

Good old UAW - 1005.

Not gonna lie when I say that's a big part of why I'd recommend the Cruze overall.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/04/who-makes-the-best-cars/index.htm 

Here you also see that GM is overall below avarage in the USA.

Did I miss a reason why you're not even considering a Ford? The Focus is one hell of a good looking car, extremely efficient, and peppy as hell. It's got European style and under pinnings, and it doesn't look like a it was designed by throwing a piece of clay onto a board and calling it done. i.e. it's got style.



The engine is a reliable 2.0 liter, direct injection engine, and has excellent reliability ratings. At the very least sit your butt in one and take a test drive.

My last three cars have all been Fords, The worst problem I had with any of them so far is a transmission that had to be replaced under warranty, and that was likely because I mistakingly thought that I could drive in 4WD at 70mph with my Escape. Other than that the Escape was a trouble free vehicle. My current Focus was used, with over 180,000 miles on it but even despite that it's a sound reliable car.

Adinnieken said: Did I miss a reason why you're not even considering a Ford? The Focus is one hell of a good looking car, extremely efficient, and peppy as hell. It's got European style and under pinnings, and it doesn't look like a it was designed by throwing a piece of clay onto a board and calling it done. i.e. it's got style. The engine is a reliable 2.0 liter, direct injection engine, and has excellent reliability ratings. At the very least sit your butt in one and take a test drive. My last three cars have all been Fords, The worst problem I had with any of them so far is a transmission that had to be replaced under warranty, and that was likely because I mistakingly thought that I could drive in 4WD at 70mph with my Escape. Other than that the Escape was a trouble free vehicle. My current Focus was used, with over 180,000 miles on it but even despite that it's a sound reliable car.

Already brought up the 2012 Ford Focus I don't think he is considering it.  If I had the money for a new car I would buy a Focus.  It has a nice size engine which you already brought up and it gets pretty good gas mileage out of that engine.  The only think I kinda don't like about the new Focus is that they all have a hatckback look to them even the sedan version.