You could a new 2006 accord for dirt cheap I would imagine. Last I heard, Accord EXs with everything (navi, leather, etc) were going for around $24k OTD. I think this is because Honda is just getting absolutely destroyed by the Camry, and plus the current body style isn't all that popular. So I imagine you could get an LX with no leather and no navi for probably 18-20k, along with great interest rates. If I was to get a beater car, I'd get an Accord or Camry, non V6.
This way, you have a lot more room and I'd think you'd get "better" bang for your buck, although a sub compact would probably be the "best" bang for your buck. That is, however, entirely dependent on you view your "buck".
