I've been seeing a LOT of 05 Mazda 3s for like 8-9k. I never realized how cheap they were. I don't know much about Mazda to be honest.
hail damage ftl
Subaru is definitely a possibility, will look into it.
thats good to know that the 3's are in that range. I need to get rid of my accord in the near future and that would be a pretty nice upgrade compared to long in the tooth my accord is.