My first grown-up car that I purchased myself was a slightly used Hyundai Elantra from a rental car company. The Elantra is a pretty standard compact car - not a lot of bells and whistles - but I really liked the color (blue-green) and it had everything I needed at the time. It was roomy, comfortable, and had a plush interior (at the time). I was able to transport a lot of things that I wouldn't have thought possible. It made more than one serious trip to Ikea and I was easily able to flip down the back seat to accommodate even the largest items. I drive it on the freeway about ten hours a week during the Fall and Spring semesters for nearly 10 years. It held up pretty well for the most part, and was good with longer trips from SF to LA, as well. It wasn't necessarily sporty, but reliable and I felt that it looked just different enough from the other cars on the road. I could always find it in the parking lot whereas my new car, a silver Corolla, looks like every other car in the world. The Elantra was just a little sleeker, but not showy. It was an automatic with electric windows (which I miss) and was the perfect first car.

During all these years, I had minimal issues with the car. I did not need to spend much for the maintenance, so I think Elantra is quite reliable. All these years, I mostly did regular oil change, and tire rotation, and of course change of tires when they wear out. It gives you a good ride. My car also supports XM Radio that I love, and I am still using. It gives you a good ride.