1-2-year old sedans...Cobalt vs Malibu vs Sebring/Stratus

[occupant]

My wife and I are searching for a one or two year old sedan for business purposes. Target price ceiling is $9000. I've searched online and in some car classified magazines and have found the titled cars to be available (2005-2006 models) for $9K or less. Also Focuses and Neons and all sorts of Kias and Aveos and other cars we don't want.

Reliability and gas mileage are our top concerns. Second is driving comfort, noise, and low NVH.

So far I have determined the Malibus are the most expensive AND get the best mileage, 4 or V6. The Cobalt is easier to find for 9K but gets 3mpg less on the highway than the 4-cylinder Malibu. The Stratus is EASY to find for 9K but it gets the worst gas mileage. Sebrings are harder to find but the black face gauges and better styling would be worth the search.

The only other cars we're considering, simply because they are dirt cheap and plentiful, are Ford Tauruses. They get the worst mileage but are the cheapest by about a thousand dollars, typically meaning I can get a newer 2006 Taurus for the same price as a 2005 of any of the others. The reason we DON'T want a Taurus is because I'm about to get one for a company car and we don't want two of the same car sitting in front of the house.

Tell me more about these. We have six kids, so anywhere we go will be in the Suburban. The car is for my wife for work only and occasional out of town trips when the kids are at her mother's house. She likes the Cobalt but I think it'll be too small. The 4-cylinder Malibu would be my pick of the three, but finding one still under warranty for 9K will be a chore.