Looks like I have to throw in another 0.02 of comments:
1) I myself drive a 1998 Honda Civic HX CVT coupe. It's got a 108,000 miles on the car, and thanks to US$2,000 worth of maintenance work done last November (it took two days of labor to get it all done!), it drives really good nowadays with 32-39 mpg fuel economy (really good for a ten-year old car). Sdashiki is right--you see a lot 1996-2000 model year Civics still on the road, and many Civic fans consider the six-generation Civic (EJ/EK/EM body style) to be the best Civics ever.
2) As for Fords, look at the current Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan sedan, probably the best four-door sedan sold by an American company nowadays. I've test driven a 2010 Fusion 2.5SE sedan with the
Duratec 25 I-4 and six-speed automatic and was very pleasantly surprised by the strong engine performance and really slick 6AT automatic. If I were to buy a new Fusion 2.5SE right now I'd be put on a waiting list--that's how strong demand is nowadays.
I do think the new Fiesta is going to be
HOT seller, despite what yg17 says about the styling.

Ford masterfully kept the "feel" of the European version as much as possible, and 40 mpg based on the current EPA 2008 test is definitely within reach.
3) As for the Malibu, poor GM! The Malibu is a
VERY underrated model, and it's probably one of the best sedans produced by GM in many years. The current 2010 model with the 2.4-liter
Ecotec I-4 and the six-speed automatic has superb freeway fuel economy, and quietly has become a good-selling model.
Anyway, getting back on topic,

there is now increasing concern the problem may be caused by the Engine Control Unit (ECU) computer itself, if this story from Autoblog.com is still true:
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/22/abc-news-expert-says-electronic-design-flaw-to-blame-in-runaway/
That could tell me the Toyota ECU may not correctly cut the throttle or the fuel supply in some conditions, which could lead to a potential engine runaway. If that is the case Toyota may have to replace several
MILLION ECUs, and that could be a recall so expensive that the Japanese government may have to step in to help pay for it.