I'm going to go against the grain and say that maybe you should consider something other than Honda, Toyota, and VW. You will be paying a premium for those brands, and they are not, necessarily, better than some of their competitors. If you are looking specifically for an economy car, the several thousand dollars that you will probably save at the onset might be worth it.
That being said, you haven't given us a lot to go on. Why those specific years? What's the budget? What are your mpg goals? What amenities and capabilities are you looking for? What styles? What are you, ultimately, willing to do to the car?
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