While not having any super-elegant bells and whistles, the 2006 Hyundai Elantra car has served me very well for 7 years. This car is easy to drive and gets excellent gas mileage. While it is definitely a midsize car, it has sufficient trunk space to hold all of my gear when I go to my astronomy events (thus requiring me to bring a lot of gear) and camping trips. I know I won't be able to keep it forever, and when I do replace it, I fully intend to buy another Hyundai Elantra.

It's a good car for commuting. It's easy to maintain and is very inexpensive per mile. It doesn't have a high barrier to ownership, and it turns very well. I absolutely love being able to turn so efficiently and quickly. No way I would ever give up this car for another, since it's such a great car in and of itself.