Easy. Get the 2006 Sonata. Its one of the safest and most reliable vehicles on the market and carries the best warranty in the business.
Best of all, you can pick up a loaded 5 speed for under $US15K
Thats UNDER $15K. Hell, I paid almost that much for my used Contour 9 years ago. And I sure wish I had gotten my Contour with a ten year warranty.
On the downside, unfortunately, you can only get a 4 cylinder with the 5 speed - but its a relatively peppy 4 cylinder.