My Ford Focus has been my reliable daily driver for over 5 years now. It gets fantastic in-town gas mileage at around 34 MPG as long as maintenance and tire pressure is kept up with. I have the 5 Speed manual package, and the transmission has held up well for being 13 years old. It shifts smoothly and is light enough that the four cylinder engine has enough power to make it pretty speedy. The handling is fantastic and tight, though its aforementioned lightness makes it a bit prone to sliding in wet and icy conditions if you turn too quickly. Only major mechanical issues I've had so far were a rotted break line and my ignition cylinder needing replaced.