Kendall's right; buy a Hyundai. Toyota has been an excellent prouct for a long time, but perhaps they've begun to rest on their laurels. And, whether their quality has begun to slack off or not, Toyota (and all the Japanese carmakers) have been able to capitalize on their name-recognition and reputation by charging premium prices

The Koreans are now in a similar situation to that of the Japanese a generation ago; they are establishing a reputation by selling quality vehicles at significantly lower prices than their competition. The current pricing is especially low for value received because the first Hyundais exported to the West were pretty lousy, and the company is still working to overcome some deservedly bad PR.

Where I don't necessarily agree with Kendall is that I don't think you need to go with a "higher-end" Hyundai. I'm pretty sure that the "low-end" Elantra (lowest price, highest gas mileage) compares just as favorably to a Corolla as the mid-size Sonata does to a Camry or a Honda Accord. Which is to say, very similar in all specifications and in quality, but at a much lower price.

I understand that Kia is essentially the same company as Hyundai ~ both are more-or-less state-owned by the South Korean government ~ so the same arguments can probably made on behalf of the Kia. My first-hand experience is with Hyundai, however; I have a 2006 Sonata with about 58K miles on it so far, and couldn't be happier with it. I wouldn't argue that it's significantly better than an '06 Toyota Camry, but it's every bit as good if not more so, with a list price about $6000 lower. The price difference is now down to around $4800; it may not be long before the price gap closes completely.