New Car for 2003

So my thoughts lately have been turning to 'what kind of car do I want to buy when I return to California?'

I want:
- Something cheap, around $12,000.
- Something reliable.
- Something that gets good gas mileage, 24mpg or better
- Something that can go a bit down dirt roads.
- Something with cruise control
- An automatic

I don't need:
- A big butch SUV that can drive up cliff walls
- Another gas guzzler like my last car in California
- A new car
- The most powerful engine, or even the second most powerful engine in its class
- Financing
- A kick ass stereo system …

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