If you want a reliable car that is really, really fun to drive and also low cost, take your time (use cars.com, autotrader.com) and find a low-mileage 2011 Honda Civic Coupe. DD has an '08 and I really like driving it....peppy, responsive steering. She is getting 37 mpg driving to college...mostly highway with a little bit of city mixed in. Besides that, it's cute! It's not a hatchback, but it does have a large trunk, and, of course, the back seat folds down for more trunk room.
We have 3 Honda Civics in the family and they are all excellent cars. Ours (parents) is an '02 with 190,000 or so miles, still going. We had to have the transmission rebuilt, but it was cheaper than a new car. The paint has held up well, so when it's clean and shiny it still looks good.
I don't recommend the 2012 because they changed it that year and Consumer Reports didn't recommend them that year. They changed them again for 2013 and CR recommended them again that year.
You may really want a new car, I don't know, but late-model used cars are a better value, IMO. Well, at least when you're talking Hondas.