Used car comparisson

Hey guys,
I want to get my son a decent used car for under 3k.
I need a car that is not hard to work on, ie have to take to mechanic for little stuff.

I've seen:
stratus
audi a4
hondas
subarus
galants

What vehicles do you think I should stay away from? I do most of my own work, and would like to teach my son. I heard Hondas are not bad to work on, except maybe the vacuum hoses.

Thanks,
Mike

What about mazdas?

Mike