I bow to the theory that it’s a FWD issue. Oddly, I attributed the FWD design to the quest to get more & more cabin space out of less & less car, which suppose is just going backward one more step in the FWD issue, seeing the FWD as being simply a manifestation of the quest for smallness with space. I’m going back to the “root cause”.
@triedaq My current car is a Suzuki Grand Vitara, and it gets around 21 on the highway. About 80% of my commute is nice country highway, the rest will be winding back roads. Something with a little “go-kart” to it is preferable. I used to have a Mitsubishi Mirage that I loved, so I figure … if I can handle that … ?
@keith I am lucky to have him, too! 
All small cars are difficult to work on. but, really, what home maintenance is there to do? Do you want to do your own oil changes? And have to dispose of the stuff afterwards.
It is not an American car issue. Changing bulbs is a shop job on many compacts. I used change the bulbs on a renault Megane and it was a 45 min job with bad language. Opel vectra - 20 min job. Wife’s Audis and Volvo = go to dealer…
Get the Fiesta, and get the hatchback. all small, European biased Fords are a blast to drive, and you will save so much on gas and tires that you will not care about paying a few dollars to have a bulb changed…
You might consider jumping up a class to a Focus or a Mazda 3. It’ll give you a bit more room without sacrificing MPGs. The Focus is rated up to 36mpg on the highway while the Mazda 3 skyactiv will net about 40mpg on the highway. I’ll bet the 3 will be more fun in the curves, too
@texases - you have to see one in person… that black pipe on the left is disguising the front of the engine - remove that (easily done) and you’d see much easier access to the front than on a non-turbo 4.
Actually - see dipstick? That’s about at the front of the engine. Ford goes so far as to claim the actual block (short block, I assume) fits on a sheet of A4 paper (8.3 x 11.7 inches). That’s tiny.
Mark, I empathize. My daughter’s Civics took 30 profanity-filled minutes to change a headlight bulb on.
TSMB - you REALLY should speak to her about her language!
Car repair and specialized equipment are the wave. It is not just small cars, but all cars where the shade tree mechanic is an obsolete art. Consider phones, wires went to the phone, you called someone you knew where they were. Wires good, phone good. Now you have disposable non repairable electronics controlling all functions. It is similar in the automotive industry and will continue.
I hope that I am never forced to by and automobile that has and ON/OFF button.
Shop for a car that has a 10 year, 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty or as close to that as you can get and keep Hubby out from under the car…
To me, any job that required a 110 mile commute poses quality of life issues that would exceed the value of the job…You subtract the TRUE cost of making that commute and see what’s left…
Other than my early 70’s Ford truck, I haven’t worked on a Ford car in years, but on those I worked on in the 1970’s, they were pretty easy o work on. Fords seem to be pretty reliable even today. I think Ford is judged to be the most reliable American-manufacturer car. (This doesn’t mean Fords are made exclusively in America btw, just that Ford is an American corporation.)
You should make your judgement based on people who have worked on Ford and Toyota econoboxes closer to present vintage.
Ask around what people w/experience working on one or the other or both think. What does Consumer Reports say about the respective reliability of these cars? What are the suggested maintenance items and schedules of both 2012 models? If the response you get is that they are basically the same, then I’d make the judgement by non-interference vs. interference engine. If one had an interference engine and the other had a non-interference, I’d choose the latter.
Why? Because if you get behind on your maintenance and the timing belt breaks, the one with the non-interference engine will simply stop running, but the engine won’t be damaged. The other? If the timing belt breaks, that engine will likely be history.
The Yaris is rates poorly in comparisons. Even Consumer Reports won’t recommend it because it scores too low on their road test. It’s noisy and rides poorly, so might not be great on a long commute. The Fiesta is more civilized, but gets expensive when comparably equipped. Much better is the Honda Fit, much roomier, quieter, and very reliable. If you move up a class you get the same highway gas mileage, with more power, comfort, and amenities, for very little more. I especially like the Mazda3 SkyActiv and the Hyundai Elantra.
Up 'till the latest Yaris - the S model came in second in Car and Driver comparison.
Edit - yep, third. Not bad out of 6. But in that segment I’d get the Fit Sport, for sure.
Hmm, I don’t remember that. OK, looked it up. A Yaris SE came in third out of six, behind the first place Fit and the Chevy Sonic. They liked it’s handling and dash design, but it was the smallest of the bunch, noisy, and had an awkward driving position because the steering wheel couldn’t be moved enough.