Need a new car - advice?

Very cute. That's not unique, that's old. I remember those cars.

i want this

http://www.mitsubishicars.com/07spyder/

Cute car, but a little over my price limit (~17k )

Do you absolutely need a car? I recommend a motorcycle. I recently bought an 1983 Kawasaki KZ750 LTD for $650, just a minor tune-up and it was ready to go. At 45-52 mpg gasoline, I save SO much money on gas. Not-only-that, but I pay $35 a month on insurance. For grocercies I bought some saddlebags for another $50, and have no cargo problems at all. You said you needed style? A classic looking bike and a leather jacket are never outdated. My girlfriend absolutely loves riding with me. Plus, this thing is FAST.

i had someone very close to me pass on a motorcycle, i dont see the fuel savings of driving it every day out weighing safety, but your call in the end.

i wouldnt reccomend a yaris... drove one the other day at my work *toyota dealer*... turned on the AC and lost a LOT of power... yea its a 4 banger... but still it shouldnt crap out that much..

My dad won't help me finance a motorcycle. Balls.

I went with a Mazda 3s in the end. They really do get very nice ratings, safety features, and so forth. Gas mileage is pretty good. After-market toy addition is very neat as well.

Some generic tips:

1) Do your homework. Things like mechanical records, true value, depreciation, and maintenance costs are all available. They can easily help you avoid a lemon and give you a better idea of what it will cost to keep the car.

2) There is more cost to a car than just the sticker. Don't forget about insurance, gasoline, maintenance, etc...All of those can be drastically effected by what type of car you chose...

3) This is kind of dependent on circumstance, but if its a straight up loan with a decently high interest rate, pay as much as you can afford up front and take into consideration of the value of the vehicle when you are looking at how long to finance it over...yes you can get your monthly payments down but you also will wind up paying quite a bit more for the car and could literally find yourself upside down (ie, owing more than the car is worth)...

4) If its a used car, have a trusted mechanic look it over before purchasing (and consider a background check). This can be extremely important, at least in my part of the country, otherwise you could wind up with a car that was flooded out/totaled out from Katrina...AFAIK, the seller is under no requirement to announce/disclose this...

5) As far as the hybrids go, I think whether or not they are beneficial is dependent on your driving habits...if your foot is in the gas petal alot or you are doing alot of highway driving, IIRC, the benefits are negligible since it will be using the gasoline part of the engine for this; however, if you are doing alot of stop/go in-city driving, then it could be very beneficial to you. These cars are at a premium, look at your driving habits, look at the difference total wise from the gasoline comparison you did earlier and see if its beneficial to you and how long it will take to make back the premium price...