"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
In Praise of the Toyota Tercel, Last of the Bare-Bones Economy Cars
"Back in 1991, Motorweek described the Toyota Tercel you see here as looking like an egg, especially in white. There's nothing remotely upmarket about it. [...] For around $10,000, the Tercel provided genuinely great fuel economy, respectable (in its day) performance, a comfortable ride, and decent handling. It made a fine tool for getting you from Point A to Point B—efficiently, and protected from the elements."
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You don't see cars like this much any more because, as we discovered after the 2008 crash, the real money in auto production is in the financing of newly purchased vehicles, not in their actual sale price. GM, Ford, Chrysler-Fiat produce cars in order for Ford Credit and GMAC et al. to have something to finance and who then bundle the debt which they sell to banks, pension managers, insurance companies, mutual funds, or who ever needs a steady inbound cash flow. The actual cars are an afterthought.