Toyota Corolla

Just about any way you might track Toyota's U.S. success, it's likely the path would lead back to the automaker's long-running Corolla. Long before there was a Camry, there was the Corolla, and it forever changed the U.S. small-car market and U.S. shoppers' expectations.

Whether you're talking about Corollas from the '70s, '80s, or '90s, Toyota's compact had a reputation for lasting hundreds of thousands of miles with few, if any, serious repairs. In about ten generations over more than 40 years, the Toyota Corolla has gone from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, and it's included sedans, coupes, fastbacks, hatchbacks, and wagons, but it's kept those core qualities the whole time.

Rear-wheel-drive Corollas actually continued in sport-coupe form until 1987, but by then sedans had the front-wheel-drive layout that maintain today. Over time, the 1.6-liter four has been expanded to a 1.8-liter, and the optional three-speed automatic got four speeds, but the Corolla hasn't grown that much larger.

For the new 2009-2010 Toyota Corolla models, representing the latest redesign, safety was finally stepped up. For 2010, ABS, stability control, front side and side curtain bags, and active head restraints are all standard. And you can even get a navigation system, among modern conveniences, as an option on uplevel Corolla models. But rest assured, you can still get a base Corolla with no power windows, no power locks even, and embrace the cheapskate simplicity.

While the Corolla became much-loved by cheapskates, for being both affordable in the first place and cheap to own over the long run, most Corolla models haven't been very appealing for those looking for fun-to-drive qualities. One of the few sporty Corolla models is the recent XRS model, which adds a 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter four (gas mileage is quite a bit lower though).

Many other models over the years have also, formally or informally, been part of the Corolla family (the Matrix and Tercel are two), and the Corolla has been sold by GM dealerships through some years—mainly the late '80s through the '90s—as the Chevrolet Nova, Chevrolet Prizm, or Geo Prizm. This past decade, the Matrix and Pontiac Vibe are closely related to the Corolla.
 
Other Choices:
Chevrolet Cobalt
Ford Focus
Honda Civic
Nissan Sentra
Volkswagen Jetta