FWIW, my Dad's side of the family is in the automotive business, having at points run a Ford and a Toyota dealership. A couple of months back I asked my Dad what I should look at next car-wise, and he said Toyota or Hyundai. He thinks Hyundai is coming up strong on the outside, paying a lot of attention to quality. Like Toyota, they had a poor initial reputation, but they're working their way out of it quickly.
And no matter what you do, you maximum point of leverage as a buyer is in the last few days of the month.