Need help finding a good car.

I am looking to another car. What i am mainly looking for is something that has some cargo space like a small SUV but gets Good gas milage and is Reliable i dont want something i got to fix everyday. i am looking to spend in the range of $15,000-17,000. currently i got a ford minivan now and just about everything is broken on it. What do you guys reccomend for a good reliable car i need something with cargo space but not anything huge.

maybe try a hatchback, like the mazda 3? or a toyota matrix? shouldnt be too hard to find a used one in that price range.

i was looking for something a little bigger. i was looking at the chevorlet Equinox or the HHR. i like the equinox it has a very nice look but its a bit expensive even for good used 2006 or 2007 its around 17-18,000. i can get a brand new HHR for the same price but i think they are a litte weird the equinox says it gets 24-25mpg highway and the HHR about 27-30mpg. does anyone konw anything about those cars like how reliable they are and do they have any known problems.

right now i got a windstar and everything that can break has broken. i have had then entire front suspension replaced the rear suspension is complely gone the transmission is broke i can only go 25-30mph max now soi only use it to go to the store. and somtimes the it wont go at all. my last windstar also had a bad transmission but it got in an accident so i traded it for a newer one.

I am trying to find out as much as i can about some of the cars im looking at i dont want another one with known major problems.

I personally like the Equinox...
I found some great information on both cars including auto reviews on this site: http://www.buyingadvice.com/

I'd also suggest taking 30 mins and going for a spin in a Equinox and the HHR to get a feel for both.

Hope that helps!

My father has an HHR. I like it a lot from a user standpoint. The seats are very comfortable, the driving position is nice, rear seats fold back. The wagon liftgate is pretty large (enough to fit a big screen tv in it or so). It gets pretty good gas mileage. I haven't worked on it, so I don't know about the ease of that sort.

Have you thought about a small SUV, like a Rav4? They are pretty nice too and have great reviews. If the seats fold down, it will have plenty of cargo space.

i'd find a nice 00-05 Subaru Legacy Outback. will run forever and will cost you peanuts. plus, they are very capble - driving wise. they have lots of cargo space and are highly modifyable if you feel like boosting em a bit.