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If you want to learn how to drive a stick shift, I would agree with looking for a less expensive used car that you could use for practice, as it's not a bad skill to have, to be able to drive a stick.
For a newer car, you might like the Mazda 3, available in a hatchback or sedan. The hatchback can be practical for moving things that you may need to do in the next few years if you continue your education, move locally, etc.
ETA: I see the Mazda 3 was recommended upthread. I agree with that consideration, and I started to post, got stuck on a conference call, and then realized I never hit submit, so this post may seem out of sequence.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Some good suggestions and some comical ones. The Wrangler is a horrible choice. Doesn't meet any of the OP's requirements except for price (if a well used Wranger). It is thirsty, rides like go cart, has poor weather sealing, and worst of all is not reliable.
If the OP wants integration with his electronics, a Ford Fusion or Focus with the Sync system handles bluetooth, and USB integration nicely. Hondas are always good commuter cars but some lack really modern electronics. The Mazda3 is an excellent choice.
The Yaris is a terrible car. It excels only at one thing - it is cheap. Even Consumer Reports doesn't recommend it because of its poor ride, lack of comfort, and cheap interior.
I road tripped a few times in my Cherokee, it's not that bad. I was 19 when I bought it though, so all I cared about was that I had an SUV I could take on the trails. Now I'm a little older and wanted a nicer ride while keeping the off-road prowess, and the Grand Cherokee has this in spades. Definitely not going to get one for $15K unless its an older model though.
Wranglers are fine for road tripping. Bit loud, but that's about it. The gas mileage is the killer though. Me, I couldn't care less about MPG, which is why I bought another Jeep. But, there are people that do care, and a Wrangler is not for them haha. I still say the Fusion is a nice car though!
Loud. Terrible acceleration, terrible handling. Difficult to drive at higher speeds. Uncomfortable ride and seats. Uncomfortable climate control (these are made to be driven topless), frequently leaky. Somewhat cramped. While unparalleled off road, they are perhaps the worst possible choice for a road trip. Cherokee does not have this problem. Nearly two decades as THE soccer mom/golden retriever car wrung out any discomfort/space issues. The new cherokees are especially capable off road, but they are no wrangelrs.
A grand Cherokee or Durango would be a decent choice if gas mileage concerns go away. But then so would Tahoe or Suburban which are much nicer on road but less capable off road. Any of them in 4x4 would be good in snow, but 4x4 results in even worse mileage.
Some good suggestions and some comical ones. The Wrangler is a horrible choice. Doesn't meet any of the OP's requirements except for price (if a well used Wranger). It is thirsty, rides like go cart, has poor weather sealing, and worst of all is not reliable.
If the OP wants integration with his electronics, a Ford Fusion or Focus with the Sync system handles bluetooth, and USB integration nicely. Hondas are always good commuter cars but some lack really modern electronics. The Mazda3 is an excellent choice.
The Yaris is a terrible car. It excels only at one thing - it is cheap. Even Consumer Reports doesn't recommend it because of its poor ride, lack of comfort, and cheap interior.
Another thread discusses the report for the most inury accidents in real workd situations where Yaris is the most injury prone car. However that may be partially a reflection of the kind of people who drive it than the car itself, but still I would sit up and take notice if considering a Yaris.
After years of waiting, I'm finally gonna get a car! I've got a budget of $15,000 or so. Here's what I'm looking for, in order of importance for the most part:
1) Reliability. I'm a student, so I can't afford a car that breaks down often and requires expensive repairs. Whatever the AK-47 of the car world is, I need it.
2) Fuel economy. Echoing the above statement, I can't afford to throw money down the drain at the gas station.
3) Fun to drive!
4) Modernity (it'd be nice to not need to get a new head unit just to listen to CDs and plug in my phone...)
I've been looking at some late-2000s Ford Focuses, Honda Civics... I'm also open to a manual (don't know how to drive one but my dad and stepdad both know how, so I could learn it this weekend).
Thoughts?
You should be able to get a nice rental or lease car return for that money. Chevy Malibu's are nice looking cars loaded with features. For 15K I bet you could get one a year or two old with 20K miles or so on it.
Mid 90's mercedes, volvo, bmw or any other car designed to crash for about 3-5,000 leaves 10000 for fuel and repairs. Use it for 6-12 months get some experience, god forbid you crash , which statistically is high . You can walk away un injuried. After your experienced get a newer car and you can sell you car for about what you paid for it as long as you didnt beat it up.
If you are buying new, you can get a much better deal on a 2012 model at this time of year through December when they are trying to unload the leftovers. The later you wait, the better deal you will get unless they start to run out, however the longer you wait, the less selection and choices of options you will have.
I rented a Mazda 3 for about a week or so and I thought it was a good car. I even considered buying one, but it's a little too small for me so I got an Altima. You can get a 07+ within your price range. They get close to the same MPG, have a good safety and reliability ratings. They are fairly fun to drive too.
Loud. Terrible acceleration, terrible handling. Difficult to drive at higher speeds. Uncomfortable ride and seats. Uncomfortable climate control (these are made to be driven topless), frequently leaky. Somewhat cramped. While unparalleled off road, they are perhaps the worst possible choice for a road trip. Cherokee does not have this problem. Nearly two decades as THE soccer mom/golden retriever car wrung out any discomfort/space issues. The new cherokees are especially capable off road, but they are no wrangelrs.
A grand Cherokee or Durango would be a decent choice if gas mileage concerns go away. But then so would Tahoe or Suburban which are much nicer on road but less capable off road. Any of them in 4x4 would be good in snow, but 4x4 results in even worse mileage.
The Cherokee was not a large vehicle by any means - to me, the Wrangler has more leg/hip room. The Cherokee also isn't particularly quiet. Wranglers can leak though, lets face it, its a soft top. Acceleration was never a problem on the ones I drove, I could spin the wheels no problem and if I hit the gas, it went with no issues. OP couldn't get a "new" Cherokee though, they stopped making them after the 2001 model year and released the Liberty, which is definitely not in the OPs price range or usage fit (sucks on gas), nor would I recommend it to my worst enemy. It's a horrible vehicle, I'd take a Wrangler (2 door OR 4 door) over one any day. Grand Cherokee's get real expensive, REAL fast though, even if you removed the gas mileage requirement and want a newer model.
I rented a Mazda 3 for about a week or so and I thought it was a good car. I even considered buying one, but it's a little too small for me so I got an Altima. You can get a 07+ within your price range. They get close to the same MPG, have a good safety and reliability ratings. They are fairly fun to drive too.
I've heard those are great cars. I didn't know they were priced that low however. Nissan Sentra I think is right in that range as well.
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