After an unfortunate incident that lead to the demise of my previous car, I needed a cheap, economical car for my 80 mile commute. I found what I was looking for on the Ford dealer's lot -- amazing since it was a vehicle loaded with all the options except an automatic (very rare in the North East).
The vehicles is actually very decent for what you pay. The plastics on the interior are soft (unlike most American economy cars) and the interior is fairly well constructed. I wasn't expecting too much room in a small two door car, but at 6'2", I do not have to set the seat at the end of the tract meaning that the car would be reasonably comfortable for a taller person. My car came with the two-tone sport interior which is very attractive. The seats are comfortable for medium distances, but the lack of a driver's armrest prohibits long journeys.

The exterior is attractive, but a tad "girly". The lights have good range and brightness and the fog lights really help in poor weather conditions. Another nice feature is the gas-strut trunk lid, a feature that many cars costing 2x-3x more don't have. One gripe is the 15" wheels look small (even though they really aren't).

Driving the car is a pleasure. The 5 speed shifts very nicely and the clutch allows smooth starts. On the highway, the engine is running around 3500rpm at 75mph, so it does get loud, but any speed under 70 the car is very quiet. The engine also has enough power to light the tires all the way through first, on the one-two shift, and if you have enough room sometimes the two-three shift. And this is with getting roughly 30-32mpg in combined 30% city/70% highway.

Overall: a very nice car for not much money.
Amount Paid (US$): 12000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: AC, power everything, premium audio, cruise, sport