Would she consider sticking with a Corolla? Honestly if all she is looking for is a reliable commuter car, the Corolla's a pretty good choice. Looks like she could find an 02-04 Corolla with 100k miles for under $5k. Toyotas of that age seem to have less of a price premium than Hondas, and are less likely to have been modded/beat on.

I had a '97 Camry back in the day, but with the 4-banger. It was a pretty good car. Handled reasonably well, reliable, comfy. It finally died out because my brother never changed the oil and ignored the oil warning light once it came on. Engine seized up on him.