Tips on Buying Cars: new car, nissan sentra, yaris models

Question
I AM THINKING OF BUY A NEW CAR NEXT YEAR I DONT HAVE MUCH MONEY TO PUT ON A CAR BUT I AM LOOKIND IN THE 10-15 THOUSANDS RANGE .I THINKING MAYBE A HYUNDAI ACCENT OR ELANTRA ,NISSAN SENTRA,FORD FUSION,WHAT DO YOU THINK OR DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS,I AM LOOKING TO KEEP THIS CAR A LONG TIME!  THANKS

Answer
Hello,
Well I will divide up my suggestions into two catagories:
1) New cars
2) Used cars
This way i can suggest the best possible new cars that fit into your price range, AND some possible used cars you may wish to consider.

1) For 10-15 there aren't many cars you can afford NEW, and i dont recommend hyundai if you are going for long lasting... The fusion is good, sentra is good, and if you want great, consider the honda civic/toyota camry.. both would be very reliable.  I do think those cars might end up being more than you want to spend.. so I suggest looking at the Yaris models, and Scion models by toyota.  They offer toyota quality at a KIA price.  Also if size is less important than price and reliability, the honda Fit might be worth a gander.

2) Now if you need a warrenty, a factory certified used vehicle would be a great choice.  Usually you can find a used honda or toyota with ~20,000 miles or less for substantially less money than a new one.  Look for newer civics, accords, camry's, corolla's, perhaps even an RSX (if you like them), or even integras/preludes.  You should be able to find atleast one of those that fits your price range, and all are excellent vehicles.  The few miles will be negligible when you consider the savings, and the quality of the vehicle you are getting.  Plus you get all that WITH a warrenty. Not bad if you ask me.

A good civic/accord should last 10 years if you treat it right, same goes for a corolla/camry, ford's fusion seems to be a great car however the interior and build quality seem sub-par compared to the toyota's and honda's.  The sentra is a good car however the engine/build quality will probably be closer to slighty above the fusion (rather than being close to the honda/toyota).  I hope I have helped out a little, If you have any other questions just ask.  Thanks!
-Robert